Climate Action Week Kicks Off with “Disruption”

BM MJ Climate Action Week handout (Front)Climate Action Week @ The New School kicked off on September 7 with the preview event: the premier of the environmental documentary Disruption.

Joel Towers, Executive Dean of Parsons the New School for Design gave opening remarks, followed by a brief introduction to the movie by filmmakers Kelly Nyks (an alumnus of The New School) and Jared P. Scott of PF Pictures. A panel discussion following the film was moderated by Jamie Henn, Strategy and Communications director of 350.org. Panelists Keya Chatterjee, Director, Renewable Energy and Footprint Outreach, WWF, Eddie Bautista, Executive Director, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, and Ricken Patel, Executive Director, Avaaz.org were all interviewed in the film. Professors Charles Allison, Associate Professor of Practice in Finance at Milano, and Jean Gardner, Associate Professor of Social-Ecological History and Design at The School for Constructed Environments, Parsons The New School for Design were on the panel as well.

The New School hosted the marquee event as Disruption was screened at over 700 locations on 6 continents in an effort to build awareness and excitement leading up to the People’s Climate March on Sunday, September 21.

 

Disruption_New_School_Slide_2 REVISEDThe film unpacks the question ‘why have we done so little, when we know so much?’ by weaving together commentary and insight from some of the most renowned voices on climate change today including James Hansen, Naomi Oreskes, Senator Barbara Boxer, Bill McKibben, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Naomi Klein, Elizabeth Kolbert, Rajendra Pachauri, Justin Gillis, Michael Mann, among others.

The film takes an unflinching look at our unique moment in history – of tipping points and thresholds – as the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change and the last generation that can do anything about it. Taking the message of meaningful action beyond the climate choir, Disruption expands the understanding of climate change to encompass a broad range of social justice issues including equality, resource scarcity, independence and autonomy.

Ultimately, Disruption forces us to confront the greatest challenge of our time – whether we will be able to collectively learn from our past to save our future.

 

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