@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.

Twitter

• 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@

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• TheUSisatopcontributorto

#ClimateChange.WemustelectReps

inNOVwhowillfightit.Learnmorein

@NatGeoChannel’s#BeforeTheFlood

• Follow@LeoDiCaprio’sjourneyacross

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#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

Facebook

• Weagreewith@LeonadroDiCaprio

and@NatGeoChannelthatthetimeto

acton#ClimateChangeisnow.Join

uson[DATE]toseewhatdamageis

alreadydoneandlearnhowwestop

itfromgettingworsewhenwewatch

hisnewestfilm#BeforeTheFlood.

Learnmoreat[LINK]!

• 97%ofscientistsagreethat

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[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