Search - The Chances of the World Changing on DVD

Wildlife conservation

Nina C. Stoyan-rosenzweig | Florida | 11/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I found this movie profoundly depressing, but expected to do so since the topic is so difficult to resolve. I thought it did a great job calling attention to the plight of turtles and the difficulties involved in their conservation. I guess I wondered, though, if the perspective was a little too narrow and whether the isolation in which these turtle breeders appear to operate is as real as it appears in the film. With many zoos focusing on breeding endangered species in captivity and many international organizations concerned about wildlife I just have to wonder if there is no support out there and if so how best to connect with these groups in order to help people interested in conservation find ways of focusing their energies most effectively. I read reviews of the movie on line and found myself annoyed with some conservation officers who were quoted therein- the response being that you don't have to be involved internationally to protect turtles- you can start in your own backyard. While I agree with that summary to a certain extent I believe it misses the point- which is or should be, how can we develop organizations that can help us understand the most effective way to focus our efforts- if Vietnamese turtles are more in crisis from the turtle trade, then we do have to focus on them. But with a better organized group keeping track of their status, we would know of the needs of turtles nationally and locally as well. And know when to take action at whichever level."

A human tragedy, 10,000 turtles are not worth 1 human being

Richard A. Weissman | Miami | 07/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Saw it tonight on the Hist channel. Super absorbing study of a guy who gives up his life to save turtles. Sounds crazy but the guy either has a passion for saving turtles from extinction, or he's just another nut using it as an excuse to escape this world. Either way you respect him for the good he is attempting to do no matter what his motivation. But because he's such a nice guy his tragic story sucks you in and totally captivates you. But in the end he fails in his quest and he seems to end up directionless, broken and with quite a bit of repressed pain. This is a real person with real tragic pain through no fault of his own as he gives it everything he's got in him and you kind of want to hug the poor guy and tell him to forget turtles because all the love and energy he gave them could have and still can be used to raise some wonderful human kids. Hands down a human being child would cure him and he would be the best dad ever. Buy the video because it's great and you learn life lessons from watching this poor guy who is as nice a person as there is.
Rich
Miami"

Small heads worth watching

Alan Venable | San Francisco, CA United States | 07/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know any other film that's made me feel more in the gut how life on earth is an ultimately passing state of being that we as humans happen to share with millions of other forms of earthly life, and a much much smaller number that actually are pretty much like we are only silent about it. So the film is about one man and his turtles--or some 1500 or so turtles and their one man, and how no one alone has much effect on anything unless he or she thinks it through and does what's feasible for now, even if he/she does start out with a pile of cash and great intentions. I think this moving film can't be so much about the chances that our biosystem will survive and keep the humans as happy as they've ever been (which is?), but about how much control we collectively have over that change and how one driven individual does end up being a small but actual part of that stumbling collective impulse to sustain and cherish life.

I love what the film ultimately shows about ark colonies and the folks among us who are sailing them. I won't say more and give the last part of the film away. But I found it ultimately more sobering than depressing. There are some heavy realities of population, scarcity, greed, stupidity, and extinction that are beyond what our collective selves can much lighten (and not at all by "electing" dimwit presidents, etc.); but we can do better for life as a whole, and we can exercise whatever power and intelligence we can muster ourselves and our groups and lean them toward what looks like light.

Or do we all just stay busy with whatever we were doing?"

The extermination of ancient life.

Preston C. Enright | Denver, CO United States | 09/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was sad to learn about how turtle populations are being decimated around the world. Although, there are things we can do with our grief. Depressed moods can be used as fuel for progressive action. The film itself offered a list of organizations that are doing important work on the issue. There is an infinite variety of things we can choose to do for this or any other cause. Simply sharing this film with others, or writing letters to editors raises awareness. Progressive talk shows enable us to reach many where a lot of people, like that of author and activist Thom Hartmann The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Revised and Updated: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late.

Yes, there are a lot of people on the planet, some who want turtle soup. But there are organizations that have reduced birthrates in many countries, even in the face of right-wing efforts to obstruct sex ed and access to contraception The War on Choice: The Right-Wing Attack on Women's Rights and How to Fight Back. There is also a growing awareness of animal rights and healthy vegetarian alternatives VegNews.
Another issue is that of turtles being swept up by giant factory trawlers. That is an industry that needs to be pressured and shamed. Groups like the Sea Shepard are doing a lot to accomplish that.

There are many examples of people successfully defending species and ecosystems Heal the Ocean: Solutions for Saving Our Seas. I think one of the major problems halting more progressive change is the hopeless attitudes that neutralize people. There are thinkers like Frances Moore Lappe who can help us out of thought traps of despair and demoralization Getting a Grip: Clarity, Creativity, and Courage in a World Gone Mad.
And some people may want to turn to higher powers or analyze our psyches and the stars for some spiritual and psychological healing Making the Gods Work for You: The Astrological Language of the Psyche.
I don't know if we can change the whole world, but we can change the parts of the world we reside in. We can also change where we put our time, attention and resources. That itself would be a helpful revolution.
The Ecological Revolution: Making Peace with the Planet

For some other eco-related material:
E - The Environmental Magazine If as many people subscribed to this magazine as subscribe to the heavily promoted "Sports Illustrated," the world would change. We need to stop "amusing ourselves to death."
Greenpeace: How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists, and Visionaries Changed the World
Animals Matter: A Biologist Explains Why We Should Treat Animals with Compassion and Respect"