THE AGE OF CONSEQUENCES
2016 | 80 min | USA
Directed by Jared P. Scott
Presented by:
FILM INTRODUCED BY:
Luke Taylor
Director Sustainable Living Festival / Breakthrough
‘The Hurt Locker’ meets ‘An Inconvenient Truth’
From the makers of last year’s festival favourite, Requiem for the American Dream, The Age of Consequences investigates the impacts of climate change on increased resource scarcity, migration and conflict through the lens of US national security and global stability.
Through an unflinching case-study analysis, an insider group of distinguished admirals, generals and military veterans take us beyond the headlines. From the conflict in Syria and the European refugee crisis, to the social unrest of the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS, The Age of Consequences lays bare how climate change stressors interact with societal tensions and spark conflict.
Whether a long-term vulnerability or sudden shock, the film unpacks how food shortages, drought, extreme weather and rising sea levels act as ‘accelerants of instability’ and ‘catalysts for conflict’ in volatile regions of the world.
It makes the compelling case that if we go on with business as usual, the consequences of climate change will continue to grow in scale and frequency, with grave implications for peace and security in the 21st century.
The film’s unnerving assessment is by no means reason for fatalism. Instead, it is a call to action to rethink how we use and produce energy.
“Eye opening…made with cinematic polish” – The Hollywood Reporter
“The election of climate change denier Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency underscores the urgency of this doc” – Toronto Star