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VANCOUVER – A new Hollywood blockbuster that puts climate change in the spotlight is doing more to popularize this serious issue than any scientific research paper ever has, says the David Suzuki Foundation.
In The Day After Tomorrow, due for release on May 28, global warming melts the polar caps, sending torrents of fresh water into the world’s salty oceans. That flood in turn halts a major warming current in the North Atlantic and tips the planet into a new Ice Age. What follows is every type of violent weather imaginable – from tornadoes in Los Angeles, to a tsunami in New York to snow storms in New Delhi.
“While the movie is more about cutting-edge special effects than scientific facts, the film is getting people talking and thinking about climate change,” said Morag Carter, director of the Suzuki Foundation’s climate change program. “The fact is climate change is happening right now with serious implications for our health, environment and economy.”
The movie’s over-the-top storyline far exceeds even the most extreme projection from climate scientists. However, there is an element of truth to the movie: climate change is happening today. Climate change has been implicated in a variety of damaging events in Canada, including higher temperatures, more extreme weather, more air pollution and forest fires. But severe climate change is not inevitable.
“The good news is we can slow climate change and create a healthier environment by moving to renewable energy sources and investing in energy efficiency – solutions that will also strengthen our economy and create jobs,” said Ms. Carter “Just like in the movie, what’s lacking is the political and business leadership to make it happen.”
For more information on climate change, contact:
Morag Carter
Director, climate change program
David Suzuki Foundation
604-732-4228, ext. 280 or cell: 778-838-7157
Sarah Marchildon
Communications specialist
David Suzuki Foundation
604-732-4228, ext. 237