THIS Friday in Bacolod City's House of Frida, a screening is set for the documentary film "Chasing Coral." It would be interesting what crowd would this movie event attract. For sure, environmentalists, underwater enthusiasts, marine scientists, and divers? Maybe artists?
I definitely look forward to colleagues in conservation, fellow advocates, and friends gathering on Friday night. "Chasing Coral" is an urgent matter in the agenda of everyone concerned with climate change and the state of our environment. This movie event will be an opportunity for us to meet, discuss our courses of action, and continue being motivated to do our part.
But how about everyone else? Will somebody who doesn't have a job or education in marine or environmental science be interested in a movie involving corals? Especially with Transformers showing in cinemas now, will this film catch attention? Will others care?
The documentary has the feel of a race against time not just for "environmentalists" but for the whole planet. It follows the journey of filmmakers trying to document coral reefs (like the Great Barrier Reef) with underwater time-lapse camera rigs, or with an exhausting routine of day-to-dive diving and recording. Interspersed with scenes depicting the biology and ecology of corals, their importance to the world and humans (not as readily obvious as that of trees in forests but virtually the same), and the emotional connections of those who care about the reefs, the film was made to capture visual evidence and reveal the phenomenon of coral death.
I watched the documentary on Netflix in advance (it premiered July 14) so I can help lead the post-movie discussions, along with marine biologists and conservationists of the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. (PRRCFI) and Danjugan Island Environmental Education Program (Deep), who are hosting the screening in partnership with House of Frida, as part of the film's impact campaign. I watched it beforehand so I will know how to recommend it for viewing to the general public.
The sadness I felt during the movie was inevitable. What I didn't expect were the heart wrenching, painfully vivid scenes showing the extent (and quite a fast rate) of coral bleaching. My chest was constantly feeling tight almost all the movie, knowing that this beautiful underwater world - almost as alien as the moon (actually, we have explored more of the moon's surface than our ocean's floors) - has already heated up, acidified and started dying. I cried because it seemed like an apocalypse and everything we fight for may be in vain.
While the film shows doomsday, we must not accept it. We must not accept the projected rates of coral bleaching caused by warming oceans, which are caused by our (humans) carbon emissions. We must not break down after the movie feeling hopeless. As friend Anna Oposa of Save Philippine Seas shared with me after we both have seen it, "There are so many incredible things being done to protect our coral reefs. Like what you (in Danjugan Island) are doing." We agreed that we need to go beyond the film by finding opportunities to teach and empower others to act.
We cannot leave Friday night's screening with pessimism. This is why I called this article "After Chasing Coral." There are a lot of things we can do NOW after we know what's going on. This column will regularly tackle individual and collective actions for us to combat climate change. To keep our ocean's temperatures at bay, and keep our corals alive (which means, keeping our ecosystems healthy so they continue to support human life, all life in this planet), we need to really get down to business as a species to reduce our carbon emissions quick and smart.
Let me start with a list of things to do after you watch Chasing Coral on Friday, or at your own time on Netflix:
* Start with one's self. Research on how to reduce one's own carbon footprint, or the amount of carbon emissions that one incurs when doing daily activities. Walk or bike if possible, use LED or energy-efficient lights, use less electricity, use less plastic and packaging (yes, less demand for these also means less demand for fossil fuels), and eat less meat (consuming one pound of beef gives off more carbon than burning a gallon of gasoline). Recycling glass, aluminum, paper, and plastic also reduce carbon emissions.
* Ask government, corporations, and fellow community members to support an economy around renewable energy. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. A lot of countries and companies have already paved the way to clean energy - we need to research more, talk to our leaders, or sometimes lead our own communities, so we can collectively build an economy and society significantly less dependent on fossil fuels.
* Support coral reefs around us. Help conservation organizations protect ecosystems by offering any assistance, volunteer skills (especially if you are a scientist or diver or artist that can help in campaigns), patronize their income-generating projects, or visit them responsibly. A good model I find in Danjugan Island is a nature tourism program that allows guests to appreciate the coral reefs, learn about it, and how's and why's of protecting then. Each guest that comes to the island is supporting conservation and environmental education initiatives through their visit fees. There are also a lot more emerging conservation-conscious destinations now in Negros and in the Philippines. Travel to places where coral reefs (and forests, and other habitats) are being respected and protected, and not exploited.
* Stop using sunscreen or cosmetics that use oxybenzone and microbeads. Especially when snorkeling above corals, oxybenzone even in small amounts is known to affect coral growth and health. Swim in the oceans with rash guards or UV protective clothing, or try out reef-friendly sunscreens like Human Nature's Safe Protect. But even if you use products with oxybenzone in your shower or at your sink, they could still travel through the pipes down to the ocean. Microbeads are plastic materials that don't do anything but make your facial scrub "scrubby" and kill marine life.
* Share the word about the film "Chasing Coral" and other films telling the story of our planet coping with climate change. Let it become a common thing to discuss the issues in films like this.
This is a quick list. I can't wait to hear more ideas from fellow humans of Bacolod and Negros Occidental, after the "Chasing Coral" showing at House of Frida (above Café Bobs, 21st Lacson Street), 6 p.m. of July 28.