Show a Short YouTube Film or a Movie
Showing a YouTube Video or film can be a great way to introduce your community of faith to the problems facing oceans and the people who depend on them -- and stimulate discussions, caring and action. Consider "How Whales Change Climate," a great short presentation with surprising insights on how crucial whales to allow the oceans to sequester carbon without acidification.
Excellent films exist on many topics, including ocean acidification, species loss, and overfishing. Here are some films that work well, presenting the issues based on sound science and ways each of us get help find solutions. For Instance, you can watch Dr. Sylvia Earle's compelling TED Talk: How to Protect the Oceans: |
To open up your community to importance of the oceans, and our connections to them, Thank You Ocean has a wonderful 30 second public service announcement available on YouTube that highlights so many things we all get from the oceans and a response of gratitude. You could watch it and talk about everyone's personal "thank yous" for their ocean experiences and special places, and end with a prayer to the Creator who gave us the oceans. This can set the scene for all ocean discussions and forming a committee of care in your community of faith or youth group. Can environmentalists and faith-centered communities work together? Spark a conversation about how groups can get beyond entrenched positions and to seek shared values that support mutually acceptable solutions. |
In "The Sacred Island", Savings the Oceans host Carl Safina meets the local people on Zanzibar Island and finds out how the Islamic Imams' sermons about God's desire for conservation that helped save this island's fisheries, reef, and coasts from over development and damage. Click here to watch the whole episode on PBS. Each episode of the Saving the Oceans series is worth seeing, emphasizing science, community action, hope, and innovation.
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When Heaven Meets Earth reveals how shrinking fish harvests in the Chesapeake Bay led Christian fishermen to work with conservation scientists once Tangiers Island residents studied Scripture and accepted God’s mandate to care for all creation. A discussion guide for the film can be downloaded from the website. |
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A Sea Change: Imagine a World without Fish, by Bullfrog Films, explores the whole problem of ocean acidification from carbon pollution and its effects on ocean life and what to do.
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The award-winning documentary, Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, will introduce your audience to plastic pollution on our beaches, in ocean gyres like the Pacific garbage patch, and in the fish that we eat every day. Groups hosting screenings are provided with discussion guides and materials to promote the event.
Ethics and values underlie our relationships with oceans and the planet. Many fine films explore religious, cultural, historic, and other values and philosophies that shape our relationships with the world around us.
Our ethical responsibilities toward the earth are explored in an Emmy-winning film, Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time. Leopold’s land ethic has been shaped environmental thinking for 70 years, and has been adopted by ocean advocates to curtail damage and encourage restoration of organisms and systems throughout the world’s oceans. The film screening kit includes a wealth of useful promotional and educational materials.
Our ethical responsibilities toward the earth are explored in an Emmy-winning film, Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time. Leopold’s land ethic has been shaped environmental thinking for 70 years, and has been adopted by ocean advocates to curtail damage and encourage restoration of organisms and systems throughout the world’s oceans. The film screening kit includes a wealth of useful promotional and educational materials.