Short Film: CLIMATE EMERGENCY – FEEDBACK LOOPS, 13min., USA, Documentary

Subtitled in 20 languages and narrated by Richard Gere, Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops is a series of five short films, featuring twelve leading climate scientists, that explores how human-caused emissions are triggering nature’s own warming loops. We submit the five shorts to your festival (total 57:34) for screening of any or all of the films.

The film series had its official launch with the Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg and world-renowned scientists in a webcast, “The Dalai Lama with Greta Thunberg and Leading Scientists: A Conversation on the Crisis of Climate Feedback Loops.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9GXgOMMeTg

While scientists stay up worrying about this most dangerous aspect of climate change, the public has little awareness or understanding of feedback loops. Climate change discussion at all levels of society largely leaves out the most critical dynamic of climate change itself. It is urgent we remedy this.

The first film in the series, Introduction (13:09), provides an overview of the feedback loop problem. The four other short films explore important climate feedback mechanisms: Forests (14:10), Permafrost (10:55), Atmosphere (8:45) and Albedo (10:35).

Greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are warming the planet. This warming is then setting in motion dozens of feedback mechanisms, which then feed upon themselves, as well as interact with each other and spiral further out of control. These processes are rapidly accelerating climate change.

An example of a climate feedback loop is the melting of the permafrost. In the Northern Hemisphere, permafrost makes up nearly 25% of the landmass. As heat-trapping emissions warm the Earth, this frozen tundra is melting. As it does, large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane are released, which further warm the planet, melting more permafrost in a self-perpetuating loop.

Human activity kicks off these feedback loops, but once set in motion, they become self-sustaining. The danger is that this process reaches a tipping point beyond which it is extremely difficult to recover. This is why it is urgent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so we can slow, halt and even reverse these feedbacks and cool the planet.

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News & Reviews

• “His Holiness the Dalai Lama In Conversation with Greta Thunberg and Leading Scientists”The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lamahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9GXgOMMeTg
• “Greta Thunberg Hopes 2021 Brings a Climate ‘Awakening’: ‘We Have Failed’ Thus Far”Peoplehttps://people.com/human-interest/greta-thunberg-hopes-2021-brings-a-climate-awakening/
• “”Giving Up Is Not an Option”: Greta Thunberg on Tackling the Climate Crisis Amid a Pandemic”Popsugarhttps://news.yahoo.com/giving-not-option-greta-thunberg-135153390.html
• “Dalai Lama sits down with Greta Thunberg: “there is real hope from our younger generation””Upworthyhttps://megaphone.upworthy.com/p/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg?fbclid=IwAR2lZvUIqFWd4HmNiozmRWu16I4kfvv5pLsDZAU4YUtqeeV6cRZGs4w_wuw
• “@ReillyPinkfish visual notes on feedback loops, inspired by films and event with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Greta Thunberg”https://twitter.com/ReillyPinkfish/status/1348349164346871811/photo/1
• “The Dalai Lama with Greta Thunberg and Leading Scientists: A Conversation on the Crisis of Climate Feedback Loops”Woodwell Climate Research Centerhttps://www.woodwellclimate.org/?event=the-dalai-lama-with-greta-thunberg-and-leading-scientists-a-conversation-on-the-crisis-of-climate-feedback-loops#
• “Dalai Lama: Greta Thunberg gives me hope”Yahoo Newshttps://news.yahoo.com/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg-gives-125427810.html
• “Dalai Lama, Thunberg interaction: ‘Need to educate ourselves on global processes linked to climate crisis’”The Indian Expresshttps://indianexpress.com/article/india/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg-climate-change-discussion-7140973/
• “The Dalai Lama with Greta Thunberg and Leading Scientists: A Conversation on the Crisis of Climate Feedback Loops”Arctice Reseach Consortium of the United Stateshttps://www.arcus.org/events/arctic-calendar/31712
• “„Es gibt echte Hoffnung“ – Dalai Lama lobt Greta Thunberg für Engagement”Die Welt onlinehttps://www.welt.de/vermischtes/video224209420/Zuspruch-fuer-Klimaaktivistin-Es-gibt-echte-Hoffnung-Dalai-Lama-lobt-Greta-Thunberg-fuer-Engagement.html?config=print
• “Dalai Lama And Greta Thunberg Discuss Climate Crisis”ET Canadahttps://etcanada.com/video/e574ced8-54f3-11eb-9b5a-0242ac110002/dalai-lama-and-greta-thunberg-discuss-climate-crisis/%091/12/2021/
• “Dalai Lama and Greta Thunberg climate crisis talk: Read these books on the emergency”Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/books/non-fiction-books/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg-climate-change-book-b1784017.html
• “Climate Feedback Loops: The Dalai Lama in conversation with Greta Thunberg & leading scientists”Canadian Climate Challengehttps://climatechallenge.ca/events-campaign/climate-feedback-loops-the-dalai-lama-in-conversation-with-greta-thunberg-leading-scientists/
• “The Dalai Lama with Greta Thunberg and Leading Scientists: A Conversation on the Crisis of Climate Feedback Loops”Yale Forum on Religion and Ecologyhttps://fore.yale.edu/event/The-Dalai-Lama-with-Greta-Thunberg-and-Leading-Scientists-%E2%80%A8A-Conversation-on-the-Crisis-of
• “Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg hold climate change virtual talk”News Australiahttps://www.news.com.au/world/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg-hold-climate-change-virtual-talk/video/4867f64dbe3ae6fbd9fe08e384b8a2c3
• “DALAI LAMA SKYPET MET GRETA THUNBERG: “JONGEREN GEVEN HOOP””HLN.BE (HET LAATSTE NIEUWS)https://www.hln.be/video/kanalen/actua~c443/series/nieuws-video~s1966/dalai-lama-skypet-met-greta-thunberg-jongeren-geven-hoop~p191177
• “Greta Thunberg Meets with The Dalai Lama to Discuss Climate Awareness”Now Thishttps://twitter.com/nowthisnews/status/1352004150763147267
• “Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg urge action for climate change”Phayulhttp://www.phayul.com/2021/01/11/45092/
• “Dalai Lama to interact with climate activist Greta, scientists”Newsfilehttps://newsfile-online.com/2020/12/21/dalai-lama-to-interact-with-climate-activist-greta-scientists
• “Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg, and Scientists to Discuss Crisis of Climate Feedback Loops”Buddhist Door Globalhttps://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg-and-scientists-to-discuss-crisis-of-climate-feedback-loops
• “The younger generation is our hope: His Holiness the Dalai Lama”The Tibet Post Internationalhttps://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/international/6909-the-younger-generation-is-our-hope-his-holiness-the-dalai-lama
• “Per sconfiggere la crisi climatica bisogna abbandonare la mentalità dell’io. Il Dalai Lama incontra Greta Thunberg”Lifegatehttps://www.lifegate.it/video/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg
• “ShowBiz Minute: Gotham Awards, Dalai Lama, Carnival”USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/videos/entertainment/2021/01/12/showbiz-minute-gotham-awards-dalai-lama-carnival/6635916002/
• “Dalai Lama says he ‘felt real hope’ after hearing Greta Thunberg speak on climate crisis”The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2021/jan/12/theres-real-hope-dalai-lama-discusses-climate-change-with-greta-thunberg-video
• “Dalai Lama Sits Down With Greta Thunberg: “There Is Real Hope From Our Younger Generation””Green Mattershttps://www.greenmatters.com/p/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg
• “Environmental suicide: Greta Thunberg in conversation with the Dalai Lama”amNYhttps://www.amny.com/environment/environmental-suicide-greta-thunberg-in-conversation-with-the-dalai-lama/
• “His Holiness the Dalai Lama to discuss climate change with Greta Thunberg in January 2021″The Sentinelhttp://asentinelsite.vocalwire.com/international/his-holiness-the-dalai-lama-to-discuss-climate-change-with-greta-thunberg-in-january-2021-517342
• “Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg hold climate change virtual talk”The Chroniclehttps://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/world/dalai-lama-greta-thunberg-hold-climate-change-virtual-talk/video/4867f64dbe3ae6fbd9fe08e384b8a2c3
• “The Dalai Lama with Greta Thunberg and Leading Scientists”The Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere at Stanford Universityhttps://mahb.stanford.edu/recentnews/the-dalai-lama-with-greta-thunberg-and-leading-scientists/
• “Dalai Lama, Thunberg Interaction: ‘The need to educate ourselves about global processes linked to climate crisis’”TIBET DIARYhttps://tibetdiary.com/?p=424
• “Climate activist Greta Thunberg listens to HHDL”Dalai Lama Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CJ293jDJ0b6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
• “H Greta Thunberg συνομίλησε με τον Dalai Lama για την κλιματική αλλαγή”Jenny.grhttps://jenny.gr/update/now/374197/h-greta-thunberg-synomilise

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