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@natgeochannel
#BeforeTheFlood
www.BeforeTheFlood.com
Introduction 3
WhyWe’reTellingThisStory 4
CoreIssuesFeaturedintheFilm 5
ExpertsFeaturedintheFilm 11
PromoteYourScreening 12
FrequentlyAskedQuestions 14
TakeAction:SolutionsDoExist 16
DiscussionQuestions 17
StatisticsandFacts 18
Resources 19
ThankYou 22
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
// I N T R O D U C T I O N
FromAcademyAward®-winningfilmmakerFisherStevensandAcademyAward-winning
actor,environmentalactivistandU.N.MessengerofPeaceLeonardoDiCaprio,Before the Floodpresentsarivetingaccountofthedramaticchangesnowoccurringaround
theworldduetoclimatechange,aswellastheactionsweasindividualsandasasoci-
etycantaketopreventcatastrophicdisruptionoflifeonourplanet.Thefilmfollows
DiCaprioashetravelstofivecontinentsandtheArcticspeakingtoscientists,world
leaders,activistsandlocalresidentstogainadeeperunderstandingofthiscomplex
issueandinvestigateconcretesolutionstothemostpressingenvironmentalchallenge
ofourtime.
ThankyouforyourleadershipandforsteppinguptohostascreeningofBeforethe
Floodinyourcommunity.Indoingso,youjointheranksofhundredsacrossthecountry
whohaveansweredthecallfromourcampaigntoactonclimateandservealongside
LeonardoDiCaprio,UnitedNationsMessengerofPeace.Equallyimportantashisroleon
thesilverscreenandontheglobalstageasarepresentativeoftheUN,isyourroleasa
screeninghost—anAmbassadorofPeace—inyourowncommunity.
Through this screening, it is YOU who’s laying the ground work for local change.
ThisScreeningKitincludestipsfororganizing,promoting,andfacilitatingascreening
thatwillsparkaproductivedialogueaboutourenvironmentandhowyouandyour
guestscanhelptoactonclimatenow.
Thankyouforyourpartnership,yourleadership,andyourcommitmenttospread
thewordaboutBeforetheFloodandtheeffectsofclimatechange.Youractionsare
empoweringyourcommunitytoidentifysolutions,andultimately,helpingtosaveour
world.
4
// W H Y W E ’ R E T E L L I N G T H I S STO RY
Inthelatewinterof2014,LeonardoDiCapriocalledactoranddocumentarianFisher
Stevenswithanidea:hewantedtocollaborateonadocumentarythatwouldexplore
thecausesandeffectsofclimatechangearoundtheworld,andtheurgentneedto
transitionawayfromusingfossilfuels—andhewantedtogetstartedrightaway.
“Timeisnotaluxurywehave,”saidDiCaprio.“Ournaturalworldisquicklynearing
unprecedented,irreversibleandcatastrophicchangethatthreatenstheveryfutureof
humankind.Ididn’twantthefilmtoscarepeople,orpresentthemwithstatisticsand
factsthattheyalreadyknow,buttofocusonwhatcanandmustbedoneimmediately
sothatwecanleaveourplanetalivablehomeforfuturegenerations.Wearequickly
runningoutoftime.”
DiCaprioandStevenshadknowneachotherforyearsthroughactingcircles,andthen
becamebetteracquaintedwhentheybothparticipatedinMissionBlue,atriptothe
Galapagoshonoringmarinebiologistand2009TEDPrizewinnerSylviaEarle.
Stevenshadalreadymadeseveralacclaimeddocumentariesaboutenvironmentalissues,
including2014’sMissionBlue(co-directedwithRobertNixon)aboutEarle’scampaignto
createaglobalnetworkofprotectedmarinesanctuaries,andlastyear’sclimatechange
filmRacingExtinction,whichheproducedalongwithOliviaAhnemann.Probablyhis
bestknownworkisTheCove,adocumentaryheproducedthatexposedthesecretive
andbrutalpracticeofdolphinhuntinginJapan,forwhichhesharedanAcademyAward
withdirectorLouiePsihoyos.
StevensjumpedatthechancetoteamwithDiCaprioandreachabroaderaudience
withanewdocumentaryaboutthisvitalsubject.“Therewasagreatopportunitywith
Leobecausehehassuchalargefollowingandpeopleareinterestedinwhathe’sdoing,”
saysthefilmmaker.“I’mproudofallthefilmsI’vemade,butIwantedtomakeanother
onethatwouldgetoutintothezeitgeistsopeoplewouldreallyunderstandtheseverity
ofthisissue,andthatifwedon’tactnowit’sgoingtoharmus.”
TheupcomingnationalelectionsintheU.S.alsofiguredintothefilmmakers’decision
tomakeBeforetheFlood,andtocompleteitbythefallof2016—eventhoughitwould
requireworkingaroundDiCaprio’sdemandingshootingscheduleforAlejandroIñárritu’s
TheRevenant.
“WiththeelectionsintheUnitedStatesonlyacoupleofmonthsaway,wesoughtto
makesurethatvotersknowthiscouldbethelastchancewehavebeforeitistoolate
toelectleaderswhobelieveinscience,andwhohavethecourageandunderstanding
tomakeheadwayontheenvironmentarealpriority,”saysDiCaprio.SoinApril2014,
StevensandDiCapriopartneredwithRatPacDocumentaryFilmsandembarkedona
two-yearproductionprocessthattookthemtoEurope,Asia,Africa,NorthandSouth
America,AustraliaandtheArctic.
5
// CO R E I S S U E S F E AT U R E D I N T H E F I L M
Before the Flood presentsarivetingaccountofthedramaticchangesnowoccurring
aroundtheworldduetoclimatechange—themostpressingchallengeofourtime.
ThefilmfollowsDiCaprioashetravelstofivecontinentsandtheArcticspeakingto
scientists,worldleaders,activistsandlocalresidentstogainadeeperunderstanding
ofthiscomplexissue.Assuch,we’vebrokendownthecoreissuesrepresentedinhis
journeyintothesecategories:
Fossil Fuels / Methane Gas / Palm Oil / Geopolitical Landscape / US Political Landscape
Furtherdetailsabouteachcoreissuecontributingtoclimatechangearelistedbelow.
FOSSIL FUELS
“If we’re going to fight climate change effectively, we have to realize that most of our economy is based on fossil fuels.”
—Michael Brune, Sierra Club
Ourconsumerhabits,fromthefuelweputinourcars,thesoapswewashwith,tothe
cakeswepurchaseforholidays,areruiningecosystems,livelihoods,anddietarysources
ofbillionsoflivingcreaturesaroundtheworld—bothonlandandinthesea.Duetothe
increasedoutputofemissionsandtheincreasedsaturationofCO2intheoceans,there
ismoreCO2beingpumpedintotheatmospherethaneverbefore.Furthermore,due
tothewarmingoftheoceansandthechangeinwatermovement(i.e.thechanging
patternsoftheGulfCoastStream)thereislessCO2beingabsorbedbytheplanet’s
naturalfilters,likeforestsandoceans.Theocean’sabilitytoabsorbcarbondioxidehas
weakenedsince1981,duetoincreasedwarmthandcarbonicacidbuildup.Research
publishedthisyearshowsthatforestsabsorblesscarbonduetoindustrialdeforesta-
tionandforestdeathcausedbythewarming.Thesefactorshaveledtothedestruction
ofcoralreefsaroundtheplanet,effectivelyeliminatingprimarysourcesofproteinand
incomefornearly1billionpeople.
6
Key Facts about Fossil Fuels
• Since1981theconcentrationofcarbonic
acidandincreasedtemperaturesofthe
oceanshasgreatlylimitedtheabil-
ityfortheworld’snaturalfilters,such
astheocean,tofilterCO2fromthe
atmosphere.
• Forestsabsorblesscarbondueto
industrialdeforestationandforestdeath
causedbyglobalwarming.
• Thedestructionofcoralreefsaround
theplanethaveeffectivelyeliminated
primarysourcesofproteinandincome
fornearly1billionpeoplearoundthe
world.
METHANE GAS
“Cattle in the United States accounts for 10–12% of total emissions”
—Leonardo DiCaprio
Methaneisagreenhousegaslikecarbondioxide(CO2).Butthenegativeeffectonthe
climateofMethaneis23timeshigherthantheeffectofCO2.Methaneaccountsfor
10-12%ofthetotalemissionsandalmostallofthoseemissionsarederivedfromCattle
production.
Inshort,beefisextremelycostlyandinefficientonapercaloriebasis—beefrequires
nearly50xmorelandcomparedtootheranimals!IntheUnitedStates,47%oflandis
usedforproductionoffood,ofwhich,90%isusedtosimplygrowfeedforcattle.Onthe
contrary,thethingsthathumanbeingseat,suchasfruit,veggiesandnutstakeupless
than1%ofthatland.Notonlyiscattleexpensiveinnaturalresources,thecattlesimulta-
neouslyreleasemethanegasesthatslowlyeatawayourozonelayer,whichisamassive
factorinpollutionasonemoleculeofMethaneisequivalentto23moleculesofCO2,
whichultimatelyaccountsfor10-12%oftotalemissionsintheUnitedStates.Whilethere
islessMethanethanCO2intheatmosphere,methaneisfarmorehazardous.
Luckily,thisinformationpresentsaprofoundopportunityandachangeofhumanbehav-
iorwouldnotbeinsignificant.Bysimplyreplacingbeefwithchickeninyourdiet,you
canreduceyourcarbonemissionsbynearly80%.
Key Facts about Methane Gas
• OnemoleculeofMethaneisequivalent
to23moleculesofCO2makingmeth-
aneemissions23xworsethanthatof
CO2.
• Methaneaccountsfor10–12%ofthe
totalgreenhouseemissionsandalmost
allofthoseemissionsarederivedfrom
Cattleproduction.
7
• Beefproductionrequiresnearly50x
morelandcomparedtootheranimals.
• IntheUnitedStates,47%oflandisused
forproductionoffood,ofwhich,90%is
usedtosimplygrowfeedforcattle.
• Fruit,veggiesandnutstakeuplessthan
1%ofthatland.
• Bysimplyreplacingbeefwithchickenin
yourdiet,youcanreduceyourcarbon
emissionsbynearly80%.
PALM OIL
“We are standing in the last place on earth that has elephant, rhino, orangutan and tigers live together in the world.”
—Farwiza Farhan, Forest, Nature, and Environment of Aceh
PalmOilistheworld’smostpopulartypeofvegetableoil,andisaningredientfoundin
overhalfofallpackagedgoodsinthesupermarkets,fromsoapstosoups.Itisderived
fromthepalmfruit,grownontheAfricanoilpalmtreewhichflourisheswhereverheat
andrainfallareabundant.Whilepalmoilisgrownacrosstheworld,85%isproduced
andexportedfromIndonesiaandMalaysia,ofteninunsustainablemethods.While
palmoilitselfisnotamajorharmtotheenvironment,themethodofextractioniscrip-
plingandisoneoftheworld’sleadingcausesofrainforestdestruction.Forplantation
owners,burningisacommonmethodforclearingvegetationinnaturalforestsaswell
aswithinoilpalmplantationssotheycanplant,andprofit,fromtheproductionofpalm
oil.Traditionally,treesactasacanopytofilterCO2byabsorbingthecarbonintheir
trunks,leaves,etc.Byremovingthesetrees,decadesofsequesteredcarbonthatwas
absorbedbytheforests,isreleasedquicklyintotheatmosphere,effectivelycreating
massive“carbonbombs.”From2001to2010,land-usecarbonemissionsfrompalmoil
inIndonesiaaveraged216to268milliontons—that’sequivalenttotheemissionsfrom
45to55millioncars,56to70coal-firedpowerplants,ortheannualenergyusefrom
20to25millionhomes.InIndonesia,thesefireshaveledtothedestructionofover80%
oftheirrainforests.
Key Facts about Palm Oil
• Palmoilisfoundinanestimated50%of
allpackagedgoods,including:Lipstick,
Chocolate,InstantNoodles,Soaps/
BodyWash,Toothpaste,IceCream,
Shortenings/Margarines,Cookingoil
(hotclimate),Cookies,Crackers,Cake
mixes,Icing,Non-dairycreamer,Biscuits,
andmore.
• From2001to2010,land-usecarbon
emissionsfrompalmoilinIndonesia
averaged216to268milliontons—that’s
equivalenttotheemissionsfrom45
to55millioncars,56to70coal-fired
powerplants,ortheannualenergyuse
from20to25millionhomes.
8
• 85%ofallpalmoilisproducedand
exportedfromIndonesiaandMalaysia.
• Asaresultofthepalmoilindustry,
threatenedanimalsareseeingrapid
destructionoftheirhabitats,including:
Asianelephants,orangutans,sumatran
rhinoceros,andtigers.
GEOPOLIT ICAL LANDSCAPE
“All the polluting countries in the world are guilty of reaping the benefits of fossil fuels.”
—Leonardo DiCaprio
Wedidn’tgettothispointbytheactionsofonenation,ratherit’sbeenacombined
effortbytheindustrializednationsaroundtheworld.Despitenation’sliketheUnited
StatesandChinabeingtheleadingcontributorsofgreenhousegasses,theoutcomes
andimmediateimpactsdisproportionatelyaffectthesmallestcontributors.InBefore
TheFlood,wesawthedisplacementofPacificIslandersfromislandnationslikeVanuatu,
Micronesia,andKiribati,astheirhomeshavequiteliterallybeenwashedawaybyrising
sealevels,andwilldisappearwithinthenext50years.Wesawthatoneunseasonal
rainfallinthepoorestpartsofIndiacaneliminateanentireseason’sworthofcrops.We
sawanentirepopulaceinChinafeeltheharmfuleffectsofpollutedairastheyareforced
towearmaskseverytimetheystepoutside.Butitisimportanttorealizethatinclimate
change,noteveryoneistreatedequally.
InIndiatoday,therearestill300Mpeoplethatarewithoutpower,andintotal,700Mare
usingbio-fuel(driedcowdung)astheirmainsourceofheatforcooking.Atthesame
time,theyareoneofthemostcoalrichnationsintheworldandareseekingacost-
effectiveenergysolutionfortheircitizenry.Iftheworlddoesn’tcometogetherandlead
byexample,India’scoalusecouldfrytheentireplanet.WhiletheUnitedStatesisoneof
thelargestpercapitaemitterofgreenhousegases,itisneitheraffectedbynorleading
thechargeonaddressingclimatechange.
Fortunately,China,theworld’slargestemitterofgreenhousegases,hasalreadymade
stridesinreducingemissionsandissettingaglobalprecedent.Bymonitoringtheemis-
sionsoutputofalloftheirfactories—informationthatispubliclyreportedhourly—they
haveempoweredthepublicandthemediatoholdthechiefcontributorsaccountable,
particularlyinBeijingwheretheircoalconsumptioneclipsesthatoftheentireUnited
States.
9
Key Facts about the Geopolitical Landscape
• Beijing’scoalconsumptioneclipsesthat
oftheentireUnitedStates
• FiveIslandswilldisappearin2015
andsixwilldisappearin2016
• TheFiveLargestEmittersof
GreenhouseGases(total,asof2011)
—China
—UnitedStates
—Russia
—India
—Japan
U.S. POLIT ICS
“The ocean is not Republican. It is not Democrat. All it knows how to do is rise.”
—Miami Mayor Philip Levine
Despitetheclearindications,like“SunnyDayFlooding”inFloridaandindustry-wide
agreementthatclimatechangeisreal(anoverwhelming97%ofscientistagreethat
climatechangeisrealandduetohumanactivity!),theissueremainspoliticallydivisive
intheUnitedStates.Onthelocallevel,Mayorsareleadingthechargeinaddress-
ingissuesofclimatechange.Theydonothavetimeforpoliticalgamesareforcedto
addresstheimmediateimpactsofclimatechange,ratherthanbenefitfromlong-term
preventionmeasuresthatshouldbehappeningonamacro-level.Thisisforcingcity
executives,suchasMayorLevineofMiamiBeach,tospend$400Moninfrastructurethat
onlyresultsinashort-termsolution,ratherthaninvestingthesamemoneyinefforts
thatcouldstarttocurbemissions.
Thecountermovement,labeledasa“misinformationcampaign”isbeingspearheaded
byBigOilandtheindustriesthatareprofitingfromfossilfuels.Theireffortsaredrasti-
callypreventingCongressfrommakingsignificantstepstoaddressclimatechange.
WhileultimatelyfueledbytheExxonMobilsandShellsoftheworld,theydisseminate
theirinformationthroughPoliticalActionCommittees(PACs)withnoblenames,such
asAmericansforTaxReform,AmericansforProsperity,InstituteforEnergyInstitute,
andtheInstituteforJustice.Perhapsmostnotably,American’sforProsperityisinfact
fundedbyKochIndustries,thelargestprivatelyheldprofiterfromfossilfuels.These
organizationsfindscientiststhatarewillingto“sell”theircredentialsandspeakon
• 5LargestConsumersofEnergy
(PerCapita,asof2011)
—UnitedStates
—Russia
—France
—Germany
—Japan
10
behalfoftheorganizations,tonotonlydiscreditthemovementworkingtoacton
climate,buttoalsopersuadeelectedofficialstostymieproactiveefforts.
Furthermore,theseorganizationsarenotjustdisseminatinginformation,buttheyare
buyingmembersofCongress,too.Perhapsthemoststarkandconsequentialexample
isSenatorJamesInhofe(R-OK),theChairmanoftheU.S.SenateCommitteeon
EnvironmentandPublicWorks,whohasreceivednearly$2Mdollarsinhiscareerfrom
theOil&Gasindustry.
Solongasprofitscomebeforeenvironmentandweallowindustriestobuyourgovern-
ment,wewillbefightinganuphillbattletomakesignificantchange.
Key Facts about U.S. Politics
• 97%ofscientistagreethatclimate
changeisrealandacceleratedby
humancontribution
• JamesInhofe(R-OK),theChairman
oftheU.S.SenateCommitteeon
EnvironmentandPublicWorks,has
receivednearly$2Mdollarsinhiscareer
fromtheOil&Gasindustry
• American’sforProsperityisfundedby
KochIndustries,thelargestprivately
heldprofiterfromfossilfuels.
11
// E X P E R TS F E AT U R E D I N T H E F I L M
Lindsey Allen, Executive Director,
Rainforest Action Network (RAN)
LindseyAllen,ExecutiveDirectorof
RainforestActionNetwork,isaworld-
classcampaignerwithmorethana
decadeofexperienceandanunmatched
trackrecordpressuringandinspiring
someoftheworld’slargestcorporations
toprotectrainforests.
Michael Brune, Executive Director,
Sierra Club
MichaelBruneisExecutivedirectorof
theSierraClub,America’slargestand
mostinfluentialgrassrootsenvironmental
organization.
Gidon Eshel, Research Prof. of
Environmental Physics, Bard College
GidonEshelisastatisticianwhogrew
upworkingonadairyfarmonanIsraeli
Kibbutz,acombinationthat’sledtoa
deepknowledgeofhowwhatweeat
affectsourplanet.
Jeremy Jackson, PhD., Marine Ecologost
JeremyJacksonistheRitterProfessorof
OceanographyandDirectoroftheCenter
forMarineBiodiversityandConservation
attheScrippsInstitutionofOceanography.
Paintingpicturesofchangingmarine
environments,particularlycoralreefsand
theIsthmusofPanama,Jackson’sresearch
capturestheextremeenvironmental
declineoftheoceansthathasaccelerated
inthepast200years.
Philip Levine, Mayor of Miami Beach
AsMayorofMiamiBeach,PhilipLevine
hasseentheeffectsofclimatechange
firsthand.Througha$400millionproject
thatincludesinstallingpumpsthroughout
thecityandrebuildinglocalroads,Levine
hopestocreateaninfrastructurethatcan
protectresidentsfromissuessuchassea
levelriseandflooding.
Gregory Mankiw, Professor of Economics,
Harvard University
NicholasGregoryMankiwisanAmerican
macroeconomistandtheRobertM.
BerenProfessorofEconomicsatHarvard
University.Mankiwisbestknownin
academiaforhisworkonNewKeynesian
economicsandisanadvocatefora
carbontax.
Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished
Professor of Atmospheric Science,
Penn State University
Dr.Mannreceivedhisundergraduate
degreesinPhysicsandAppliedMath
fromtheUniversityofCaliforniaat
Berkeley,anM.S.degreeinPhysicsfrom
YaleUniversity,andaPh.D.inGeology
&GeophysicsfromYaleUniversity.His
researchinvolvestheuseoftheoretical
modelsandobservationaldatatobetter
understandEarth’sclimatesystem.
12
Dr. Enric Sala, National Geographic
Explorer-in-Residence
Dr.EnricSalaisaNationalGeographic
Explorer-in-Residenceactivelyengaged
inexploration,researchandcommu-
nicationstoadvanceoceanpolicyand
conservation.Hismorethan100scientific
publicationsarewidelyrecognizedand
usedforreal-worldconservationefforts
suchasthecreationofmarinereserves.
Dr. Piers Sellers, Astronaut Director,
Earth Sciences Division, NASA/GSFC
PiersSellersiscurrentlyDeputyDirector
oftheSciencesandExploration
DirectorateandActingDirectorof
theEarthSciencesDivisionatNASA/
GSFC.From1982to1996,heworked
onglobalclimateproblems,particularly
thoseinvolvinginteractionsbetween
thebiosphereandtheatmosphere,and
wasinvolvedinconstructingcomputer
modelsoftheglobalclimatesystem,
satellitedatainterpretationandconduct-
inglarge-scalefieldexperimentsinthe
USA,Canada,Africa,andBrazil.He
servedasprojectscientistforthefirst
largeEarthObservingSystemplatform,
Terra,launchedin1998.Hisresearch
isfocusedontheroleofsciencein
thefuturedevelopmentofoursociety,
particularlywithregardtoglobalenviron-
mentalissues,andassociatedeconomic
andpoliticalissues.
// P R O M OT E YO U R S C R E E N I N G
Once you’ve invited guests, continue
to promote your event across social
media and ask allies in your community
to help you spread the word too. Here
are some sample messages that you
can use across social media.
• Thetimetoacton#ClimateChangeis
now.@LeoDiCaprioexplainswhyin
hisnewestfilm#BeforeTheFlood.
• #ClimateChangeismorethanrising
temperatures.It’sa#NationalSecurity
threat.Learnmorein@LeoDiCaprio’s
#BeforeTheFlood.
• Ifwedon’tacton#ClimateChange
now,itcancosttaxpayersupto$44
trillionby2060.Learnwhatyoucan
donowin#BeforeTheFlood.
• Joinusforapreviewscreeningof
@LeoDiCaprio’s@NatGeoChannel’s
newestfilm#BeforeTheFloodand
learnwhywemustactnowon
#ClimateChange!
• Powerisinthehandsofthepeople
tofight#ClimateChangethiselec-
tion.Watch#BeforeTheFloodtobe
informedatthepollsthisNovember
• Wantasneakpeakof@LeoDiCaprio’s
latestfilm?Checkoutourscreening
[Date/Time/Location]beforeitairson
@NatGeoChannel10/30.
• Oursurvivaldependsonaddress-
ing#ClimateChange.@LeoDiCaprio
explainswhyin@NatGeoChannel’s
#BeforeTheFlood:www.beforethe-
flood.com
13
• Thescienceisclear,butthe
futureisnot.Learnmorefrom
@NatGeoChannel+@LeoDiCaprio
in#BeforeTheFlood.www.beforethe-
flood.com
• Wemust#ActOnClimateNOW.
Seewhyin#BeforeTheFloodon
@NatGeoChannelOct30.
• 5islandsdisappearedin2015.6more
willdisappearin2016.Wemuststop
#ClimateChange.Learnmorein@
NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood.
• The6th#MassExtinctionisuponus&
thistimeit’sduetohumanconsump-
tion.Butsolutionsdoexist.See@
NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood
• Inaslittleas250years,extinc-
tionratescouldrivaltheeventthat
killedthedinosaurs.Learnwhyin@
NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood.
• TheUSisatopcontributorto
#ClimateChange.WemustelectReps
inNOVwhowillfightit.Learnmorein
@NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood
• Follow@LeoDiCaprio’sjourneyacross
5continents&seehowheplansto
#ActOnClimatein@NatGeoChannel’s
#BeforeTheFlood.
• Whyispalmoilaproblem?It’sextrac-
tionleadstoextinction.Learnmorein
@NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood.
• Watch@NatGeoChannel’s
#BeforeTheFloodtolearnwhyyou
shouldreduceyour#CarbonFootprint.
Thenfollow@fisherstevensbktolearn
how.
• By2060#ClimateChangewillcost
taxpayers$44trillion.However,solu-
tionsdoexist.@NatGeoChannel
explainsmorein#BeforeTheFlood!
• Didyouknow#ThePentagon
declared#ClimateChangeanational
securitythreat?Learnwhyin@
NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood.
• “Wearequicklyrunningoutoftime”
-@LeoDiCaprioin@NatGeoChannel’s
#BeforeTheFlood#ActOnClimate
#OurOcean
• Weagreewith@LeonadroDiCaprio
and@NatGeoChannelthatthetimeto
acton#ClimateChangeisnow.Join
uson[DATE]toseewhatdamageis
alreadydoneandlearnhowwestop
itfromgettingworsewhenwewatch
hisnewestfilm#BeforeTheFlood.
Learnmoreat[LINK]!
• 97%ofscientistsagreethat
#ClimateChangeisrealandacceler-
atedbyhumancontribution.We
agreewiththescience.Joinuson
[DATE]forapreviewscreeningof
@LeonardoDiCaprio’snewestfilm
#BeforeTheFlood.Learnmoreas
[LINK]!
• Here’syourchancetosee@
LeoDiCaprio’slatestfilmbeforeit
hitstheaters.@NatGeoChannelis
hostinganadvancescreeningof
#BeforeTheFloodon[DATE/TIME
atLOCATION]
14
// F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E ST I O N S
What is the Sixth Mass Extinction?
ClimatechangeisacceleratingspecieslossonEarth,andbytheendofthiscentury,as
manyasoneinsixspeciescouldbeatriskofextinction.Toputthatintoperspective,
mammalspeciesaredisappearing20to100fasternowthantherateofthepast.Not
sincethemeteoritesthatkilledthedinosaurshaveweseensuchwide-spreadmass
extinction.Theplanetisexperiencinganewwaveofdie-offs,courtesyofhumanactiv-
ity,thathasresultedinincreasedhabitatloss,theintroductionofexoticinvadersand
rapidchangestoourclimate.Suchcataclysmiceventshaveonlyoccurred5timesin
thehistoryofPlanetEarth—thisisthefirsttimeitiscausedbyhumans.Inaneffort
tocombatthedeclines,scientistshavebeenracingtomakepredictionsandgener-
atemodels,butwitheverypassingday,therearenewdiscoveriesthatdon’tfitinany
currentmodelonlyleadingonetoassumethatwearegreatlyunderestimatingthe
potentialeffectsofClimateChange.Ifwecontinueattheratewearegoing,theicecaps
intheNorthPoleandGreenlandcoulddisappearwithinthecentury,ultimatelywiping
outcoastalcitiesaroundtheworldandsparktheendofhumanityasweknowittoday.
What is the Difference between Carbon Dioxide and Methane Greenhouse Gas?
Methaneisagreenhousegaslikecarbondioxide(CO2),butthenegativeeffectonthe
climateofMethaneis23timeshigherthantheeffectofCO2.Methaneaccountsfor
10-12%ofthetotalhuman-drivenemissionsworldwideandalmostallofthoseemissions
arederivedfromCattleproduction.
What is Carbon Tax?
Notonlyaresolutionsforcombattingclimatechangeexpensive,butactionsspeak
louderthanwords,andwithoutproperaccountability,wecannottrustthatwordswill
turnintothenecessaryactions.Thus,itisinourbestinteresttoimplementaCarbon
Taxwhichplacesacostoncarbonemissions.Basiceconomictheorysayswhenaprice
goesup,consumptiongoesdown,similartohowcigarettesmokinghasdeclinedonthe
backofanincreasedtobaccotax.Traditionally,taxesarepoliticallydivisive,however,in
thiscase,theideaischampionedbyrenownedeconomist,ProfessorGregMankiw,the
authorofContemporaryEconomics,aProfessoratHarvardUniversity,andservedas
theChairmanoftheCouncilofEconomicAdvisorsunderPresidentBush.Andfurther-
more,thisneedn’tbeataxincrease,ratherataxshiftaccountedforbywayofreducing
thePayrollTax.However,perhapsthelargestchallengeisappealingtopeople’ssocial
responsibility.
15
What’s the Problem with Palm Oil?
PalmOilistheworld’smostpopulartypeofvegetableoil,andisaningredientfoundin
overhalfofallpackagedgoodsinthesupermarkets,fromsoapstosoups.Itisderived
fromthepalmfruit,grownontheAfricanoilpalmtreewhichflourisheswhereverheat
andrainfallareabundant.Whilepalmoilisgrownacrosstheworld,85%isproduced
andexportedfromIndonesiaandMalaysia,ofteninunsustainablemethods.Palmoil
itselfisnotamajorharmtotheenvironment,butthemethodofextractionis.It’soneof
theworld’sleadingcausesofrainforestdestruction.Forplantationowners,burningisa
commonmethodforclearingvegetationinnaturalforestsaswellaswithinoilpalmplan-
tationssotheycanplant,andprofit,fromtheproductionofpalmoil.Traditionally,trees
actasacanopytofilterCO2byabsorbingthecarbonintheirtrunks,leaves,etc.By
removingthesetrees,decadesofsequesteredcarbonthatwasabsorbedbytheforests,
isreleasedquicklyintotheatmosphere,effectivelycreatingmassive“carbonbombs.”
From2001to2010,land-usecarbonemissionsfrompalmoilinIndonesiaaveraged
216to268milliontons—that’sequivalenttotheemissionsfrom45to55millioncars,
56to70coal-firedpowerplants,ortheannualenergyusefrom20to25millionhomes.
InIndonesia,thesefireshaveledtothedestructionofover80%oftheirrainforests.
How can Municipalities Play a Leading Role?
Onthelocallevel,Mayorsdonothavetimeforpoliticalgamesareareforcedtoaddress
theimmediateimpactsofclimatechange—suchas“sunnydayflooding”—ratherthan
benefitfromlong-termpreventionmeasuresthatshouldbehappeningonamacro-level.
ThisisforcingcityexecutiveslikeMayorLevine,MiamiBeach,tospend$400Moninfra-
structurethatonlyresultsinashort-termsolution,ratherthaninvestingthesamemoney
inresearchthatcouldstarttocurbouremissions.
How Can I Figure Out My Carbon Footprint?
Ifyou’reinspiredbythemessageofthefilmandinterestedinlearningmoreabouthow
tooffsetyourowncarbonfootprint,youwillsoonbeabletousingtheCarbotaxapp.
Theprogram,designedbyDanielNadlerandKarlBurkhart,asksaseriesofquestions
aboutanindividual’stravel,commuting,eating,andotherhabitstocalculateanappro-
priateannualcontribution.
TheappwillbeliveonOctober20.It’skindoflikefillingoutataxformandthetaxof
one’scarbonfootprintwillthengotoreforestationandtheindividualwillbeabletopick
acertainareatoreforest.Thattaxwillalsobetaxdeductiblebecauseitgoestowardsa
503C1charity.
16
// TA K E AC T I O N : S O LU T I O N S D O E X I ST
“This is our last chance at combatting climate change as we can no longer reverse the clock, but we can prevent it from getting worse. It is up to us whether we get lauded or vilified by the next generations.”
—Leonardo DiCaprio
There’snodoubtthatclimatechangeisanoverwhelmingproblem,whichiswhy,asa
localAmbassadorforPeace,itissoimportanttoofferclear,meaningfultipsthatare
bothdoableandimpactful.Also,acknowledgingthatitisoverwhelmingcanbecomfort-
ingtoaudiences.Letthemknowthatwhileitisoverwhelming,thereisstillsomuchwe
cando.Startingwithsmallstepsleadstobiggerones:Ifyoustartchangingyourlight
bulbandusingreusablebags,youaremuchmorelikelytodomore,suchasbuyenergy
efficientappliances,takepublictransportationinsteadofalwaysdrivingacar.Wedon’t
wantaudiencestomovefromdenialtodespair—audiencesshouldleavethefilmfeeling
hopeful,confidentthattheiractionswillhaveanimpact.
Here are a few things that viewers can do:
1.SPREADTHEWORDaboutBeforetheFloodusingthehashtag
#BeforeTheFloodonsocialmediaandaskingfriendsandfamilytovisitour
website(www.beforetheflood.com)andseethefilm.
2.Invitefriends,colleagues,andneighborstoSEETHEFILMintheaterson
October21andonNationalGeographicstartingonOctober30.
3.BecomeaBeforetheFloodAmbassadorofPeaceandsignuptoHOST
ASCREENINGofthefilm.
4.UseyourrighttoVOTEandelectofficialswhoareworkingtocombat
climatechange.
5.IncentivizeindustryandconsumerstoconsumelessbypayingaCARBON
TAXandplacingacostoncarbonemissions.Oncethepricegoesup,
consumptionwillstarttogodown.
6.CHANGETHEWAYYOUCONSUME.Eatlessbeef,takepublictransporta-
tioninsteadofdrivingacar,don’tbuyproductsmadewithpalmoil,or
userenewableenergy.Tweetusat@natgeochannelandusethehashtag
#BeforeTheFloodtoletusknowwhatconsumptionhabityou’rechanging.
17
// D I S C U S S I O N Q U E ST I O N S
Climate change is the most fundamental
threat facing our planet. We must work
together as a global, collective voice to
demand major action now, as our very
survival depends on it.
We’ve provided some Ambassador ques-
tions below to help you guide a powerful
conversation with the audience following
a community screening of Before the
Flood.
1. Asevidencedinthefilm,everydeci-
sionwemakecanhaveanenviron-
mentalimpact.Whatchangesareyou
goingtomakeinyourday-to-daylife
toreduceyourcarbonfootprint?How
willyoukeepyourselfaccountable?
2.InBeforetheFlood,wesawcountless
waysthatourconsumptionisruining
theenvironment.Whatoutcomes
weremostshockingtoyou?What
solutionsprovidedyouwiththemost
optimismforthefuture?
3. EveryNovember,wehaveachance
toelectrepresentativeswithourbest
interestsinmind,whetherthatis
locallyorinWashington,D.C.Ifyou
wereelectedtooffice,whatactions
wouldyoutaketoensureasustainable
futureforfuturegenerations?
4. ThisNovember,wearevotingnotonly
foranewleaderoftheFreeWorld,but
anindividualthathasthepowertoset
usonanewcourse.Whatissuesare
mostimportanttoyouthisfall?And
whatcanwedotobetterelevatethe
importanceoftheenvironmentamong
ourcandidates?
5. Thedebateaboutclimatechange
hasbeenlabeledasamisinformation
campaign.Whatargumentshaveyou
heardoneithersideofthedebatethat
havebeenmostimpactfulincreating
yourviews?Haveanyoftheseideas
beenchangedbecauseofthisfilm?
6. Areyouoptimisticorpessimistic
aboutthefutureofourplanet?Why?
7. Thisfilmhasanincrediblepower
tochangemindsandexpandthe
commonknowledgeabouttheimpact
ofClimateChange.Whodoyouthink
needstoseethisfilm?Whyshould
theyseeandwhatcanyoudotomake
surethathappens?
8. Whileitwouldbegreattoassumethat
everyonewillmakeenvironmentally
consciousdecisionsallthetime,we
cannotexpecteveryonetogiveup
theircarsandputsolarpanelsontheir
homes.Whattools(apps,incentives,
resources,etc.)wouldhelpyouand
yourcommunitybecomemoreenvi-
ronmentallyconscious?
9. Thefilmwasfilledwithpowerful
imagery,eye-poppingstatistics,and
amyriadofideasofhowtolivea
greenerlifestyle.Whatwasmost
powerfulandinspiringtoyou?What
willyoutellyourpeersaboutthisfilm?
10. FromthestreetsofMiamitothe
islandsdottedacrossthePacific,
peoplearebeingaffectedbyClimate
Changeeveryday.Haveyouhadany
first-handexperienceswithClimate
Change?Whatwasthatlikeandwhat
changesdidyoumakeasaresultof
thatexperience?
18
// STAT I ST I C S & FAC TS
BeforetheFloodprovidesawakeupcallabouttheinevitablefateofourplanetshould
wefailtoacttoreducetheeffectsofclimatechange.Thefilmexploresthesymptoms
andsolutionsofclimatechangebeforetheinformationisdistorted,asitoftenis,by
thosewithafinancialinterestinfossilfuelproduction.Listedbelowaresomekey
statisticsregardingthecoreissuesfeaturedinthefilm.
Climate Change
• Itisestimatedthatby2060,Climate
ChangewillcostUStaxpayers$44
trillion
• Methaneisagreenhousegaslike
carbondioxide(CO2).Butthenega-
tiveeffectontheclimateofMethane
is23timeshigherthantheeffectof
CO2.
• ThePentagonhassaidthatClimate
Changeisanationalsecurityissueand
peopleneedtoworry
• In5years,30’worthoficehasmelted
offthesurfaceofGreenland.Thatis
100cubickilometersoficethatisno
longerstoredonland,butatsea
• 97%ofscientistagreethatClimate
Changeisrealandacceleratedby
humancontribution
• 5Islandsdisappearedin2015and
6willdisappearin2016
• Itwouldrequireonly100gigafactories
(Tesla’sbatteryplants)toprovide
energytotheentireplanet
Mass Extinction
• By2100,1in6speciescouldgo
extinctifwedon’tactnow.
• Wearefacingthelargestmass
extinctionsincethedisappearance
oftheDinosaurs.Sucheventshave
onlyoccurred5timesinthelast
500millionyears!
• Mammalsaregoingextinctatarate
20-100xgreaterthanwitnessedin
history
Palm Oil
• Palmoilisresponsibleformass
deforestationandexcessivecarbon
emissions
• Palmoilisfoundinanestimated
50%ofallpackagedgoods2
• 85%ofPalmOilisproducedin
MalaysiaandIndonesia
• TheextractionofPalmOilisleading
ustotheneareliminationofElephants,
Orangutans,TigersandRhinosthat
arenativetothearea6
Carbon Tax
• Itisestimatedthatby2060,Climate
ChangewillcostUStaxpayers$44
trillion
19
// R E S O U R C E S
The following organizations and articles will provide you with additional information
about the issues addressed in Before the Flood. In addition to these resources, be
sure to check the Google Play and App Store on Oct. 20th for Carbotax, a program
designed by Daniel Nadler and Karl Burkhart, that asks a series of questions about your
travel, commuting, eating and other habits to calculate an appropriate annual contribu-
tion that can be donated to non-profit to protect the environment.
Fossil Fuels
• 350:Findalocalclimateactivist
group,orstartyourown,toeducate
yourcommunityandcreatesolutions.
• NRDC:Helpprotectourenvironment
andadvocateforsolutionsforclimate
change.
• Greenpeace:Learnhowreplacing
fossilfuelswithrenewableenergyis
betterforboththeenvironmentand
theeconomy.
• SierraClub:Readupontheprogress
theUShasmadeoneliminatingfossil
fuels.
Mass Extinction
• CenterforBiologicalDiversity:Signup
fortheire-network,volunteer,ortake
partincurrentactioncampaignsfor
endangeredspeciesandwildplaces.
• DefendersofWildlife:Stayupdated
onnewsandactionalerts,advocate
onbehalfofwildlife,orsymbolically
adoptananimal.
• TheHumaneSocietyoftheUS:
Volunteerdirectlywithanimalsat
HSUS’scarecenterandrescueteams
orindirectlywithgrassrootsoutreach
andorganizingevents.
• SeafoodWatch:Signupforthe
e-newsletterandreaduponhowto
choosesustainableseafoodwhenyou
shop.
• WildlifeConservationSociety:Fightto
protectwildlifethroughpetitionsand
campaigns.
• CenterforBiologicalDiversity:Learn
whatspeciesareheadingtowards
extinctionandwhyit’ssodestructive
fortheworld.
• TheHumaneSocietyoftheUS:Read
uponwhyit’simportanttoprotect
animalsfromcrueltyrangingfromthe
wildlifetradetopuppymills.
20
Methane Gas
• EPA:Learnmoreaboutemissions
andremovalsofthemaingreenhouse
gasestoandfromtheatmosphere.
• EnvironmentalDefenseFund:Read
abouttheimpactofmethanegason
ourclimate.
Palm Oil
• SayNoToPalmOil:Readuponhow
producingandexportingpalmoil
leadstodeforestationofrainforests,
takingthelandfromtheanimalsand
peoplethatlivethere.
• RainforestActionNetwork:Learn
howexportingpalmoil,whichcanbe
foundinhalfofpackagedproducts,is
oneoftheleadingcausesofrainforest
destruction.
• WorldWildlifeFund:Learnmore
aboutwhatpalmoilisandhowit
affectsourenvironment.
• LiveDeforestationFree
• AskPepsitotakethePalmOil
Challenge
• TellStarbuckstoHaveaSustainable
PalmOilPlan
• SF20:CutPalmOil,NotRainforests
Geopolitical Landscape
• http://www.c2es.org/international/
key-country-policies/china
• RoadmapforU.S.-ChinaCooperation
onEnergyandClimateChange
• ClimateChangeMitigationMeasures
inChina
• China’sNationalClimateChange
Program
US Political Landscape
• Greenpeace:Joinotheractivistsin
volunteering,startinggroups,and
runningcampaigns.
• MomsCleanAirForce:Urgeyour
representativestotakeastandon
climatechange.
• OpenSecrets:Learnhowbigoilis
influencingourelections.Seewhois
spendingthethemostmoneyand
whichelectedofficialsarebenefitting
fromit.
Renewable Energy
• MomsCleanAirForce:Readhowcoal
contributestoairpollutionandendan-
gersourhealth.
• MomsCleanAirForce:Learnabout
theimportanceofcleanenergy.
• ACOREisanationalnon-profitorga-
nizationdedicatedtoadvancingthe
renewableenergysectorthrough
marketdevelopment,policychanges,
andfinancialinnovation.
• DefendersofWildlife:Learnabout
cleanenergy,climatechange,and
conservationissues.
Batteries
• TeslaEnergy:ReadhowTesla’s
batteriesarehelpingtheworldmake
theswitchfromfossilfuelstoclean
energy.
• ChargePointbringselectricvehicle
(EV)chargingtomorepeopleand
placesthaneverbefore.
• ChargePoint—Requestacharging
stationforElectricVehiclesnearyou.
21
Carbon Tax
• CarbonTaxCenter—TheCTCwas
LaunchedinJanuary2007togive
voicetoAmericanswhobelievethat
taxingemissionsofcarbondiox-
ide—alongwithcommensuratetaxes
onmethaneandothergreenhouse
gases—isimperativetoreduceglobal
warming.
• EffectiveCarbonPrices—OECD
Economictextbookspredictthat
taxesandemissiontradingsystems
arethecheapestwayforsocietiesto
reduceemissionsofCO2.Thisbook
showsthatthisisalsothecaseinthe
realworld.
Global Political Solutions
• ConservationInternational:Learn
aboutinternationaleffortstowork
withgovernmentandcompaniesto
protectournaturalwealth.
• TheParisAgreement:AttheParis
climateconference(COP21)in
December2015,195countries
adoptedthefirst-everuniversal,
legallybindingglobalclimatedeal.
• PopeFrancis’EncyclicalLetterOn
CareforOurCommonHome
Additional Environmental Resources
• MissionBlue:Donateorhelpprotect
theoceanswithHopeSpots,placesin
theoceanthatarevitalforitshealth.
• Oceana:Signupforthenewsletter
andaddyournametopetitionsto
protectmarinelife.
• SeafoodWatch:Learnhowmanyfish-
ingmethodsareharmingtheocean
anditswildlife.
• WaterkeeperAlliance:Engageina
varietyofwaystoprotect“swimmable,
drinkable,fishable”water.
• JaneGoodallInstitute:Getinvolved
fromsigningapetitiontoattendinga
Roots&Shootsevent.
• TheNatureConservancy:Getinvolved
bycalculatingyourcarbonfootprint,
plantingtrees,volunteering,andmore.
• MissionBlue:LearnmoreaboutHope
Spotsandwhyit’scriticaltoprotect
theocean.
• SaveOurSeas:Readuponcurrent
projectsthatresearchandprotect
marinelifearoundtheworld.
• USClimateNetwork
• WildAid
22
T H A N K YO U
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
—Margaret Mead
ThankyouforyourleadershipandforstandingwithusasanAmbassadorofPeace
inyourowncommunity.Itisyouractionandcommitmenttoraiseawareness,spur
constructiveconversation,andempoweryourcommunitywithsolutionsthatwillleave
ourplanetaliablehomeforfuturegenerations.
Please take a few minutes to provide feedback about the screening and share your
thoughts with us in this post-screening survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SKPNDW7