Return to flip book view
DID YOUClimate change is affecting every country on every continent. We are increasingly witnessing the damage that humanactivity has wrought on the planet through rapid development – pollution, dwindling resources and the disappearanceof flora and fauna. Climate change continues to disrupt economies and is expected to impact the availability ofnecessities including freshwater, food security and energy. To effectively combat climate change, sustainable development serves as an important tool for success. The UnitedNations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development defines climate change as “one of the greatest challenges of ourtimes.” Within this Agenda, Member States express their commitment to protect the planet from degradation andhave pledged to take urgent action against climate change. UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action)focuses on the integration of climate change measures into national policies, education, awareness-raising, and intoreduction and early warnings.Entering into force in2005, the Kyoto Protocolwas the first legalagreement that bindsdeveloped countries toemission reductiontargets.In 2020, the UNOffice on DisasterRisk Reduction(UNDRR) concludedthat in the past 20years, 7,348climate-inducednatural disasterevents have takenplace worldwide. As of 2020, theyear 2016 wasdeclared byNational Oceanicand AtmosphericAdministration(NOAA) ashottest year onrecord. Humanactivities arethe number onecause ofclimate change. 8. 5 trillionsingle-useplastic bags areused worldwideevery year.
KNOW?Up to one million animaland plant species are nowthreatened with extinctionbecause of urbanizationand industrial productionwithin natural habitats andforests around the world.If current trends continue,our oceans could containmore plastic than fish by2050. 10. 8 million tonnes ofplastic end up in theworld’s oceans every year.This plastic travels fromworld rivers, with ChangJiang carrying the mostplastic, followed by theIndus River and Huang HeRiver. United NationsEnvironmentProgramme (UNEP)estimates that by2050 there will beapproximately 12billion metric tonsof plastic waste inlandfills andoceans around theworld. https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/climate-change/facts-about-climate-emergencyhttps://www.un.org/en/global-issues/climate-changehttps://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/25496https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/10/1075142https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/climate-changehttps://www.unep.org/interactive/beat-plastic-pollution/https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessmenthttps://www.noaa.gov/news/2020-was-earth-s-2nd-hottest-year-just-behind-2016Sources:Average sea levelsare predicted to riseto 24–30 cm by2065.If you are interested in learning more about climatechange, biological diversity and environmentaldegradation, check out the following UNAI quizzes: • https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/unai-quiz-goal-month-–-environment-sdgs-13-14-and-15• https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/unai-quiz-international-day-biological-diversity• https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/unai-quiz-international-mother-earth-day• https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/
"There is no need forspecial permission tomake the world a betterplace to live." - Aida Sulova, Artist andEnvironmental Activist
NAGASAKA MAGO Photos by Fukuda Hideyo Meet Nagasaka Mago an artist from Tokyo Japan who creates pieces of art from electronic waste Dedicated to the concept of sustainability Mago reuses electronic waste that has been thrown away and dumped in developing countries such as Ghana As an artist with sensitive antennas and receivers it s my mission to contribute to the reduction of electronic waste worldwide and to raise awareness about electronic pollution by using art as an effective platform Mago believes that art itself can play a role in guiding stakeholders in enforcing effective policies as art connects society with compassion for the Earth and fosters a sense of morality Mago s role in the fight against climate change goes beyond art He plans to raise funds using the sales of his artwork to build an eco friendly recycling factory in Agbogbloshie Ghana In 2019 Mago also opened an Electronic Waste Art Museum in Agbogbloshie founded on the slogan Creation of world peace and environmental conservation Mago regularly holds lectures and art exhibitions around the world to enhance knowledge of the impacts of electronic waste on people and the planet Learn more about Mago s story and artwork here https www magogallery online Photos by Fukuda Hideyo
Photos all by Guerra de la Paz. Learn more about Guerra de laPaz's story and artwork here: http://guerradelapaz.com/gdlpwp/ Guerra de la Paz, is a composite name for two Cubanartists, Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz. Over the pasttwo decades, the two artists have used clothing waste tocreate powerful sculptures and tactile installations withpolitical and environmental messages. By applying theirunique method of combining tradition and experimentation,Guerra de la Paz succeeds in adding a sense of duality totheir multi-layered pieces of artwork. This group of Cuban artists emphasizes that “art is a formof expression that can communicate anything from afantastical vision to a harsh reality.” Art allows for one tobe as direct or obscure as they desire, which makes it an“ideal platform to open dialogue on issues as complex asclimate change.” Whether a piece of artwork leads to animmediate impact or not, Guerra de la Paz believes thathow the message is conveyed can be the “persuasionneeded to get the ball rolling."Guerra de la Paz is well known for their various large-scaleinstallations created using reused and repurposed discardedmaterials, predominantly clothing. There are three notablemanifestations that the group is proud to present in thisbooklet: EDEN 2003 (bottom left), OASIS 2006 (top right) andSECRET GARDEN 2013 (bottom right). EDEN 2003: This piece, stored at the Miami Art Museum, uses garmentsthat were rejected for sale from a Haitian business due toimperfections. SECRET GARDEN 2013: This piece was presented at the Aichi Triennalein Japan and was locally sourced from second-hand clothing stores.Guerra de la Paz incorporated the different stages of clothingproduction and consumption, from the day they are manufactured towhen they are disposed of in landfills. OASIS 2006: This piece, created for the Chicago Cultural Center, featuresa series of nature installations made from used clothing garments. Itreminds us that consumerism and exhaustion of natural resources aredeeply connected, and sustainability is dependent on human actions. GUERRA DE LA PAZ
SONNY Photo by Emily Raftery Wild Playground for AWalls Mural Project Miami Photo by Sonny Sonny is well known for his majestic and intricate murals of wildlife which can be found around the world including London Paris and Singapore Born in the United Kingdom Sonny now lives in South Africa and uses his unique style of street art to raise awareness for endangered wildlife He campaigns not only for endangered species but also for a range of issues related to sustainability By taking these conversations to the streets using his art Sonny has been able to introduce difficult topics to a wide audience Over the years Sonny has worked with several organizations on mural projects including UNICEF the World Wildlife Fund GreenPoint Innovations and Discovery s Project CAT He notes that people are bombarded with negative news coverage about climate change which leads them to shying away from discussing the issue This street artist aims to make his artwork something which intrigues people and conveys all the beauty within wildlife Sonny hopes to catch people s attention which gives him the opportunity to draw the audience into deeper conversations around how and why we need to protect our wildlife and the planet Kin for GreenPoint EARTH Brooklyn Photo by Sonny Looking to Tomorrow for Sonny s To The Bone Project London Photo by Tess Cunliffe
Nanuk for Sonny s To The Bone Project Miami Photo by Halopigg Tutara for Seawalls New Zealand Photo by Tr Packard Resilience Arkansas Photo by Sonny Learn more about Sonny s story and artwork here https sonnyonline com
Born in former Soviet Union, which is now Kyrgyzstan, AidaSulova is a street artist, an activist, and the founder of the“Kachan” Art Foundation, which promotes arts and culturalexchange among academic institutions. Aida notes that “arthas a great transformational power” particularly when theartwork is used to raise awareness on political and socialissues including climate change. Moreover, she believes that“to mobilize people and to draw their attention to suchmatters, we need a comprehensive form of storytelling whichcan be illustrated through various forms of art.” One of Aida’smajor projects is her “Once Upon a Plastic Bag” campaign. Forthis project, she used public dumpsters across the city ofBishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and transformed them torepresent nature and the environment. Aida emphasizes how the “used and ugly trash cans acrossthe city served as an art canvas and platform to express [her]concerns” for the city’s garbage problem. Through thisinitiative, she “wanted to encourage citizens to seek a cleanand comfortable country for their children.” Other murals andartwork created by Aida highlight the depreciation of naturalresources as a result of excessive development, thuspromoting the need for sustainability. For Aida, artrepresents freedom of expression that has no boundaries.She wants young artists to know that “there is no need for aspecial permission to make the world a better place to live."Photo by Shailo Djekshebaev Photos all by Aida Sulova Learn more about Aida’s story and artwork here:https://www.aidasulova.com/trash-can-projectAIDA SULOVA
ASVP is a Brooklyn based art collaboration between Simon Grendene and Victor Anselmi. Grendene and Anselmi first met at acreative agency in New York City, and a few years later they decided to start their collaboration. They were inspired by thepotentials of street art and its way of sharing and spreading a message in public space. ASVP says that “art has always beena reflection of the times and a powerful instrument to visually communicate a message.” Both artists note that climatechange is still misunderstood by many, and is often disregarded by a large part of the public. “When taking this neglect intoconsideration, we think public art – such as mural artwork – can be a very effective way to make the general public moreengaged in those issues.” ASVP is very proud of the “Equilibrium” mural that they painted in conjunction with Greenpoint Initiatives and UNICEF at theIntermediary School 318 in Williamsburg, New York City. Grendene and Anselmi painted it for Earth Day to remind the publicthat we are inextricably linked to animals and nature, and therefore “have a responsibility to be respectful of animals forgreater harmony, balance, and the well-being of planet Earth.”All photos by ASVP. Learn more about ASVP’s story and artwork here:https://www.asvp.nyc/ASVP
Introducing Andrés Petreselli,an Argentinian street artistwho goes by the name Cobre.This artist is well-known forhis recent 60-ft. tall and 30-ft.wide portrait mural in SanFrancisco of the teen climateactivist Greta Thunberg.Cobre decided to create thismural to bring attention toclimate change and globalwarming. Moreover, he believes thathis mural can help show theaudience that they arewasting energy and naturalresources at too high a rate.Cobre states that street artplays an important role inclimate action. “Since streetart is outside for everyone tosee, it is a powerful tool ofmass communication thatgoes beyond languagebarriers.”Learn more about Cobre’sstory and artwork here: https://instagram.com/cobreart?utm_medium=copy_linkCOBREPhoto by Ian Lundie Photo by Cameron Watson Photo by Andrés Petreselli
"Art transcendsborders." - Nagasaka Mago, Artist andSustainability Advocate
Artist: Boyu Guo from China Title: Art Series titled Cherish Description: This series usesvarious illustrations to highlightthe importance of nature andencourages people to care about the environment.
Artist: Shravani Kedar from India Title: DOOMSDAYDescription: This art depicts how humans haveconsciously committed crimes against nature. Artist: Lian Sabella Castillo from the Philippines Title: KainginDescription: Kaingin is an illegal method of farmburning that leads to deforestation. The bird is anendemic Philippine pied fantail, whose species, amongother animals, are at risk from such practices.Artist: Parnika Rastogi from India Title: Orb to InfernoDescription: The growing negligence towards theenvironment has created a number of consequences.This illustration depicts such consequences, includingpollution above and below water, disturbed climaticpatterns and natural disasters. Thus, converting ourorb into an inferno.Artist: Neelima Arora from India Title: Towards Oblivion: Loosing Lives Description: This piece of art reflects how theongoing impacts of climate change can harm allliving creatures.
Artist: Hye Yeon Shin from the Republic ofKorea Title: Ant Cave II Description: This layered collage includesimages of ruined cities rearranged toexpress a large landscape. The cities in theimages become more fragmented anddistorted through excessive development. Artist: Nikhi Aum from India Artist: The Anthropogenic Crisis: Time to Act Description: This piece is a mixed media painting on canvas. The artistreflected on the hazards of carbon emissions, global warming and arapidly changing landscape around the world, and used this piece of artto demonstrate the need for a coordinated action plan.Artist: Ankit Kumar Jha from India Title: When Do We Rise? Description: The poster expresses how oceans are rising and howfloods of varying degrees continue to take place around the world. Artist: Ketki Rajendra Barve from India Title: Change Before It's Too Late Description: This photo depicts the devastation that climatechange has posed on the environment.
Artist Refat Fatema from Bangladesh Title The World Is Dying Description The artwork represents what might happen if the world continues to ignore the responsibility of taking care of Mother Earth Artist Peddina Sripriya from India Title Love for Life Save Mother Earth Description This piece of artwork depicts how human actions are slowly hurting Mother Earth Artist Kimberly Callas from USA Artist Travis Hunnie from Canada Title Yarrow s Second Sight Title Next Summer Description This work combines symbols and patterns from nature with the human body in search of an ecological self The intent is to remember our significant connections to nature and to develop meaningful new connections to inspire and empower our environmental activism Description This piece is representational of the cognitive dissonance between the artists s nostalgia of time in nature and what he read on the climate s future
Artist: Jessica A. Volz from USA Title: Suspended in Stones Description: This artwork draws attention to the rippleeffects of climate change. Conceived entirely with pencilon printmaking paper, this piece makes visible the fragilityof life on earth. Birds cannot fly away from the gravity ofclimate change and neither can we.Artist: Sumita Lacey, born in India living in USA Title: Blind Spot Description: This digital collage focuses on the multipleenvironmental crises (forest fires, flooding and meltingglaciers) we face today. The artist deliberately used atruck's side mirror because trucks are an integral partof the transportation industry and the consumptioneconomy. The title of the artwork refers to the blindspots present in truck mirrors that symbolize theenvironmental issues we do not see -- our blind spots. Artist: Rod Sánchez fromUSA Title: One Vision Description: This piecedemonstrates how allhuman beings share vitalcommonalities – we allhave a heartbeat, andshare the air we breatheand the capacity to loveand to be loved. Thispainting depicts ourinterconnectedness in thebelief that together, wecan build a better world.
Artist: April-Anna from Canada Title: Please Don’t Spoil Series – We Are the Environment, theEnvironment is Us Description: This art series is a protest against the oil industry and is anattempt to speak up on behalf of the voiceless biodiversity that hasbeen harmed by past oil spills. Its intention is to help raise awarenessand to use art to make people think about the issues at hand. Artist: Bill Younger from Canada Title: Unbearable Description: Global warming isone of the many characteristics ofclimate change. The northern icecap is melting at an alarming rateand Canadian polar bears aredirectly affected. With thecontinued loss of ice, the bears arelosing their ability to feed and arestarving, as seen on the right sideof the illustration.
Hours LaterWeeks Later20 Years Later300 Years Later75 Years Later200 Years LaterArtist: Jessica M. Auriemma from USA Title: Art series tited Post Humanity Description: This series discusses climate change and the natural restoration process the world wouldundergo if humans no longer existed. The series makes the statement that our harmful, unsustainablelifestyle is not only harming the planet but humans indirectly as well.
Artist: Marius Frank Ajuma from Kenya Title: Subdued Description: This is a contemporary artwork impressionof a recent tragedy, a climate induced flooding, that hasleft Kenyans homeless. Artist: Mariam Hussein from Egypt Title: Astral Tree Description: This painting depicts Nature as asacred animal, and demonstrates the harmoniousrelationship between moon, tree and the animal.As phases of the moon imply that time is passing, this artwork demonstrates how climate change isprogressing each day. Artist: Nina Tanya Kimani from Kenya Title: Lady Bloom Description: 'Lady Bloom' represents the Earth. Theforests are her thoughts, and the sounds of theforests represent the music of her soul. She believesthat the secrets of life itself is found in the beauty ofnature.Artist: DerrickMunene fromKenya Title: TheDying Lake Description:This artworkrepresents theimpacts ofclimatechange onlakes andrivers.
Artist: Nahla Ammar from Egypt Title: Out of Bounds Description: 'Out of Bounds is a mixed media piece (watercolor and ink) depicting an astronaut gazing atthe deserted Earth from the moon. The earth is shown wrapped in barricade tape indicating that it is nolonger inhabitable due to the consequences of climate change. Artist: Martin Jakaila fromKenya Title: Under the HerdsmanWatch Description: This artwork isabout a Massai herdsmantaking care of Cattle inwhich the grass in thegrazing land has beenreduced due to rainfalldecrease, as an effect andconsequence globalwarming.
Artist: Olusegun Adeniyi fromNigeria Title: Peace in Diversity(Biodiversity) Description: This paintingdepicts the peacefulcoexistence between nature,animals and humans on Earth. The painting illustrates theneed to respect our diversityand fairness in dealing withother species irrespective oftheir social background. Artist: Cabzeel Kuria from Kenya Title: Hope for the African Child Description: This art shows a young boy seeking todrink water from a river. The river represents themap of Africa, where the river has been effected by drought due to climate change. Artist: Tasneem Alhasan Alnablsi from Syria Title: The Lost Future Through Climate Migration Description: This illustration represents a girl whowas forced to migrate due to climate change andis losing her education opportunities.Artist: Sarah Leite fromBrazil Title: SOS Amazônia Description: This piecewas created by theartist in 2019 to reflect the impacts of climatechange on the Amazonrainforest and the lackof policy changes toprotect these forests.
Artist: Noelia Ledema Rameau from Uruguay Title: Devastador Description: This work shows the impact of the mismanagement ofwaste on the aquatic ecosystem.
Meet Joy Harjo, a poet from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is a member of Muscogee (Creek) Nation, afederally recognized Native American tribe based in the US state. She earned her bachelor’s degreefrom the University of New Mexico and Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Harjodraws on Native American histories and storytelling, a practice that First Nations use to bringpeople together and pass their history on to subsequent generations. Moreover, Joy integrates poetic traditions in the fields of feminism and social justice into her work,and frequently incorporates Indigenous myths, symbols and values into her writing. Harjo notes thather poetry emerged while participating in the Native rights movement, and therefore her “poetry andawareness were always intertwined.” Harjo’s poetry describes the meaningful connection betweenbody and spirit with the natural environment and advocates for its protection and preservation. Learn more about Joy’s story and poetry here: https://www.joyharjo.comReJOY HARJOPhoto by Shawn Miller
Speaking Tree by Joy HarjoReprinted from Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings by Joy Harjo. Copyright © 2015 by Joy Harjo. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Some things on this earth are unspeakable:Genealogy of the broken—A shy wind threading leaves after a massacre,Or the smell of coffee and no one there—Some humans say trees are not sentient beings,But they do not understand poetry—Nor can they hear the singing of trees when they are fed byWind, or water music—Or hear their cries of anguish when they are broken and bereft—Now I am a woman longing to be a tree, planted in a moist,dark earthBetween sunrise and sunset—I cannot walk through all realms—I carry a yearning I cannot bear alone in the dark—What shall I do with all this heartache?The deepest-rooted dream of a tree is to walkEven just a little ways, from the place next to the doorway—To the edge of the river of life, and drink—I have heard trees talking, long after the sun has gone down:Imagine what would it be like to dance close togetherIn this land of water and knowledge. . .To drink deep what is undrinkable.Re
ReMatthew S. Olzmann is a lecturuerat Dartmouth University born inDetroit, Michigan. He received herBachelor of Arts from the Universityof Michigan–Dearborn and Masterof Fine Art from Warren WilsonCollege. He is the author ofContradictions in the Design (AliceJames Books, 2016) andMezzanines (Alice James Books,2013), winner of the 2011 KundimanPoetry Prize.MATTHEW S. OLZMANNPhoto by Margarita Corporan Letter to Someone Living Fifty Years From Now by Matthew S. Olzmann Copyright © 2017 by Matthew Olzmann. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on April 14, 2017, by the Academy of American Poets. Most likely, you think we hated the elephant,the golden toad, the thylacine and all variationsof whale harpooned or hacked into extinction.It must seem like we sought to leave you nothingbut benzene, mercury, the stomachsof seagulls rippled with jet fuel and plastic. You probably doubt that we were capable of joy,but I assure you we were.We still had the night sky back then,and like our ancestors, we admiredits illuminated doodlesof scorpion outlines and upside-down ladles.Absolutely, there were some forests left!Absolutely, we still had some lakes!I’m saying, it wasn’t all lead paint and sulfur dioxide.There were bees back then, and they pollinateda euphoria of flowers so we mightcontemplate the great mysteries and finally ask,“Hey guys, what’s transcendence?” And then all the bees were dead.
ReMeet Risa Denenberg, a poet, a nursepractitioner and co-founder of HeadmistressPress, a publisher of poetry written byLGBTQ+ poets. She is also the founder ofPoetry Café Online, a virtual meeting placewhere poetry books are celebrated andreviewed. She began to write poetry at ayoung age in the 1960s and 70s while shewas engaged in demonstrations against warand for womens’ rights. Many of Denenberg’spoetry developed in response to today’s mostpressing problems, notably the climate crisis. Her poetry book titled POSTHUMAN (FloatingBridge Press 2020) features a series of linkedpoems which highlights the potentially worstoutcomes due to climate change. Denenbergbelieves that art’s role within climate activismderives from its ability to “challenge itsaudience to question, imagine and find a wayto think abouts its subject.” Her poetryencourages the reader to look beyond thetraditional narratives that dominate thediscussion on climate change, and to usepoetry to reframe and rethink how we cantackle the problem. RISA DENENBERGPhoto by Risa Denenberg Who is Drowning (excerpt) by Risa Denenbergfrom POSTHUMANCopyright © 2020 Floating Bridge Press Who is drowning in plundering seas?Who burns in the millions of acres blazing from Arctic to Amazon? Who isbitten by malaria-carrying mosquitoes newly arrived in Texas or mourns thetrumpeter swans’ disappearance from the tundra? “In the end, the departurecame without warning,” Etty Hillesum wrote. We’ve been warned.
Re THINK BEYOND, LIVEWITHIN, by BenjaminNnaekezieAnabaraonye fromNigeria Think beyond the demise and debrisThink beyond the plight and blightLive within the joy of a promiseThe joy of a sustainable future bright. Think beyond the doom and gloomThink beyond the thirst and wasteCreate in your mind a beautiful roomLive within the quest for the best. Think beyond the pollution anddegradationThink beyond and see limitlesspossibilitiesLive within climate adaptation andmitigationUsing waste recycling and renewableenergy. Think beyond the erosion anddeforestationThink beyond the hurricane and floodsCreate a sustainable environment withafforestationLive within a greener and cleaner world.A FUNERAL IN MYMIND, by Dr. LyolaThomas from IndiaNobody cried Except me. No one else shed a tearBesides me.But it was Everybody’s lossThey just didn’t know it yet.There was no funeral Except the one in my mindI said a prayer…for the perpetuators As they trampled their victims underfootSo statuesque they lay, even in death. That bright day when the trees weremassacred.No obituaries, no epitaph, no memorial Enshrines my friends,Only this poem remembers.They could make the rain fall and Call the thunder down!Six months later,A bright pink and yellow building Replaced their deep dark greenness That used to whisper to me The mysteries of the earth As their roots sought Truth at its coreNow hidden and Lost. Featured Poems fromUNAI Open Submissions
Re SALVAGE EARTH, byHalima Imam fromNigeria As we relish the good stuff in lifeWe must call to mind the dark sideThe dishonour against our planetBlunders springing from our actsAs Earth grieves and we grow Repercussions so intenseActs of repair therefore salientAs children inherit the earthStepping into our pastFixing shouldn’t be theirs to bear Standing forward with certainty andsmileGrowing into a planet which might notbe pristine nor perfectBut one habitable and availableIndulgence in Climate action isinevitableFor as we live each day of our livesHistory waits patiently to tell our story. MENDING OUR BROKENEARTH (excerpt), byKaluki Paul Mutuku andDaniel KihoriKirongothi from KenyaThe oceans are rising, and so are weThe climate is changing, why can’t weGlaciers are melting, others sublimateaway Ravaging mighty fires outweighConsuming hurricanes rage grey Mother earth is bleedingHer teeming life depletingHer species, extinct or nearing.It's man against nature, and he iswinning. For clear - the science is,Our only chance of survival is,If we see this as the emergency that it isTo act now, or forever perish,Restoring our forests, grasslandslandscapes, and seascapes, growingtrees, right place, right speciesGrounded in ancient knowledge,Rooted in scienceCentred in justice,Motivated by action.
Re THIS IS IT, by TarunHirani from India This is it,For the time to end negligenceAnd set into conserve nature'selegance.It is the call for all,Rich or poor,Now it doesn't matter at all. This is it,If we can't live for a greater causeAnd hope for the better with actionlessclimate clause.It's a question for all,People or government,Hopes for the next generation lies onyour call. There are people who think this is it,set to recklessly rip future in bits.But posterity demands deliverance,hopes on the legacy that we snatchedoff from their hands. This should not be it!we have to see them in eye, and say we realized and madeeverything right. PERISHED BEAUTY(excerpt), by NoraAmmar from Egypt I reminisce about the days of your greatgloriesWhen once the Forest told sublimestories Of shimmering sun rays and vast greenterritoriesOf scampering deer before they becamequarriesAlas my dear friend has fallen to silenceHer once towering trees toppled withviolenceHer colors no longer gleaming withvibranceMother, your salvation was our dutyNow I weep for your perished beautyBack during the zenith of your splendorThe Sea recounted tales of his wonderCyan waves tumbling in adventureCrashing into the shore to which theysurrenderAlas my beloved pal has been taintedWith a dull brown shade his waters havebeen paintedWith heaps of trash, he has beenacquainted Mother, your salvation was our dutyNow I weep for your perished beauty
ReMeet Mark Terry, a Canadian professor at York University, an explorer, and a filmmaker. He embarked on a 25-yearcareer as a journalist and a documentary filmmaker, earning him the distinction of producing a documentary film onevery continent on Earth. His films about science and nature have made a significant impact towards globalpolicymaking. His work with the UN and the world’s scientific community has been recognized on many fronts: He has beendecorated with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for international humanitarian service; he has been presentedwith the Stefansson Medal by The Explorers Club for documenting climate research in the polar regions; theAcademy of Canadian Cinema and Television presented him the Gemini Humanitarian Award acknowledging hislifetime achievement of producing documentary films on social issues. Terry believes that filmmaking provides an outlet for young people to be represented within the climate changedialogue. He explains how films and art more broadly contributes to “positive disruption” which refers to theprocess by which there is a “disruption in the normal processes of providing and understanding information.” Terrynotes that this disruption in the delivery of information can be positive messages, including raising awareness onclimate change. Moreover, Terry believes that filmmaking related to climate change provides the policymakers withthe “visual evidence needed to start the discussions on a new policy to combat climate change.” Mark has worked with the UN since 2011 on the Youth Climate Report, a platform which uses GeographicInformation System (GIS) to map films about climate change produced in each part of the world. Terry has alsopublished several papers and has published the academic book The Geo-Doc: Geomedia, Documentary Film, andSocial Change that examines the history and theories on applying the documentary film as a communication toolbetween filmmakers and policymakers. Click here to checkout the incredible films listed within the Youth Climate Report! MARK TERRYPhoto by Mark Terry Photo by Youth Climate Report
Description of Film: Through this film, DECAY depicts the “modern human beings' ignorant act of devouring nature.” It expresses howoverconsumption and exploitation of natural resources is paving the path to catastrophe. The film emphasizes that we are in a mutuallyhurting stalemate, with the possibility of human beings and nature ending up hurting each other. You can also access the film using thislink: https://www.atamojlish.com/decay?pgid=kbflxj9x-f3eca860-b250-4749-9d30-37b4b6bd5226 FEATURED FILMSDECAY by Ata MojlishDescription of Film: This film depicts the struggle experienced by marine life due to the abundance of plastic waste inthe world's oceans.TRANSPARENCY by Monika Haar
You can access the full film using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWpqRwRnAB8
https://www.un.org/academicimpact