Veronica Johnson - October 28, 2016.
Over 100 people from the Houston and Rice communities attended an advance screening of the new climate change documentary "Before the Flood" on the evening of Oct. 26. Rice was one of many universities across the nation to host an advance screening of the film before its global premiere on National Geographic.
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist, and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, "Before the Flood" presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet. The film follows DiCaprio as he travels to five continents and the Arctic, speaking with scientists, world leaders, activists, and local residents to gain a deeper understanding of this complex issue and investigating concrete solutions to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.
Following the film, there was a panel discussion featuring Daniel Cohan, Andre Droxler, Tim Mock, and Sandy Spears. Dr. Daniel Cohan is an Associate Professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his research specializes air quality and energy policy. Dr. André Droxler is a professor in the department of Earth Science and is an expert on coral reefs and climate change. Rice alum Tim Mock '64 is the co-founder and co-chair of the Houston Climate Protection Alliance, an organization that connects Houstonians concerned about catastrophic climate disruption. Sandy Spears is a teacher, climate activist, and co-leads the Houston chapter of Bill McKibben's 350.org, an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis.
Attendees sampled homemade vegan baked goods prepared by ACSEM interns Veronica Johnson and Gennifer Geer. The treats included mini blueberry muffins and pumpkin spice cookies (in honor of National Pumpkin Day).
This event was co-sponsored by the Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management (ACSEM), the Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences (CENHS), and the Rice Environmental Society (RES). To stay up to date with Sustainability at Rice events, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter at sustainability.rice.edu/newsletter
You can now watch "Before the Flood" on National Geographic's YouTube account.