Eco Voice Q & A: Liz Courtney, ahead of a screening of her new film documentary, Antarctica the Giant Awakens

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Liz Antarctica HR 2 1024x809 1
Liz Antarctica HR 2 1024x809 1

 Liz Courtney

Background

Liz Courtney is an award-winning Australian environmental filmmaker and climate change advocate dedicated to conveying the urgency of climate change through compelling narratives. With over 55 documentaries under her belt, Liz’s work extends beyond filmmaking to educate and mobilize global audiences for climate action. She is committed to driving real-world solutions and fostering a global mindset that recognizes the power of collective individual action.

Sydney based Liz is a passionate storyteller and leading Australian voice on climate, she has written and directed over 55 documentaries and recently launched The Climate Library in London with the Science Photographic Library to encourage the creation of more short and long form messages on climate change, education, and awareness.

In 2015, Liz was awarded 100 Women of Influence for her work bringing youth together across the world for “Youth for Planet”, in 2016 she was inducted into the Australian Business Women’s Hall of Fame.

In 2018, Liz delivered her first TEDx talk on “lateral thinking for Climate Solutions”, and now sits on the boards for Women for Change, The National Foundation for Australian Women and Youth4Planet.

In 2019, she co-founded The Sustainable Sports Program – a platform for youth engagement at a grassroots level to engage in sustainable solutions in their communities.

In 2019, Liz became The Artist in Residence for The Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University, a prestigious role that reflects her depth of knowledge on climate and sustainability, and her ability to translate science into engaging digital, television and social media content. During her tenure, Liz has written and directed these award-winning programmes: Climate Impact Asia, Changing Ocean Asia, a 4-part series narrated by Dr Sylvia Earle. Polar Impact Asia, Future Cities Asia, Antarctica – The Giant Awakens, and more recently an animation series Earth Girl Mission.

Liz Courtney – Linked in Page     https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-courtney-72742919/
Liz Courtney – Unboxed Media   https://unboxedmedia.com.au/
Liz Courtney – Climate Impact Asia series   https://climateimpactasia.org/
Liz Courtney – Antarctica the Giant Awakens trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11OHxK0XjI&t=11s

To provide insights into the impact of warming oceans on Antarctica’s glacier melt, Tim Langdon, publisher of Eco Voice, had the pleasure of facilitating a Q & A with Liz Courtney ahead of a screening of her new film documentary, Antarctica the Giant Awakens.

Q1. What inspired you to make this important documentary? 

What inspired me to make the documentary ‘Antarctica: The Giant Awakens’ was understanding that Antarctica could be the largest existential threat to climate change in the world. The Antarctic Ice Sheet, located 12,000 kilometres away from Southeast Asia and Oceania, is undergoing rapid changes that concern climate scientists in these regions. Despite Antarctica seeming like a distant and isolated place, its melting glaciers could have severe implications for global sea levels.

Scientists are worried that Antarctica is approaching a tipping point, where the rapid retreat of glaciers could destabilize the West Antarctic Peninsula. If this happens, global sea levels could rise by 3 meters, impacting millions in low-lying areas, 80% of which are in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

During my work with sea level rise scientists, I realized that many people perceive Antarctica as a remote, frozen land that is out of sight and mind. However, Antarctica, which is 20,000 times the size of Singapore and twice the size of Australia, contains 75% of the world’s fresh water. The Antarctic Ice Sheet sits on a bedrock base, where melting ice streams flow down from high mountains to form ice shelves and glaciers. Colossal ice cliffs have acted as a natural barrier along the Antarctic coastline, but these mechanisms are now being compromised.

I aimed to explore and build awareness about the climate as a total system, highlighting how one large area, Antarctica, is playing a pivotal role in influencing global changes due to warming oceans and atmosphere. These changes are causing fast-melting ice sheets and glaciers, contributing to the overall impact that large volumes of fresh water could have on ocean systems this century.

Working with the Earth Observatory of Singapore, led by Professor Benjamin Horton, we travelled to Antarctica to explore the rate of melt, the impact of sea level rise this century, and to speak with scientists about their lived experiences. We also undertook, for the first time, sampling of air microbes in the atmosphere along the West Antarctic shoreline.

Overall, my goal was to bring greater awareness and education to people, inspiring them to be part of the rapid transition needed to preserve our Earth and ensure a habitable planet for future generations. This change starts now.

Q2. What are some of the learnings from making the documentary?

My biggest learning was about the Vostok ice core. To understand Antarctica’s potential impact on climate change this century, we needed to delve into Earth’s records, some 800,000 years ago. A deep ice core sample taken at the Russian Antarctic base in Vostok, East Antarctica, has given scientists crucial insights into past climate changes and how they might predict future ones.

One of the most significant discoveries has been the use of ice core records to reconstruct past climates.

The Vostok ice core record provides us with a history of climate change stretching back at least 800,000 years. Each year, snow accumulates in Antarctica, compressing into firn and eventually forming ice, like tree rings. Microscopic air bubbles trapped within the ice record the amount of carbon dioxide from the year they were formed. By analysing these layers, scientists can measure historical carbon dioxide levels.

The Vostok record revealed that Earth’s climate has a cyclical nature, with interglacial periods occurring every hundred thousand years. We are currently in an interglacial period known as the Holocene. Today, in 2023, temperatures are warmer than they were 120,000 years ago, placing us in one of the warmest interglacial periods.

However, the most alarming discovery is to do with the current level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Presently, carbon dioxide levels are around 426 parts per million (PPM) by volume, significantly higher than the 280 PPM peak during previous interglacial periods. This stark increase indicates that we are living in an unprecedented time.

Given the direct relationship between carbon dioxide levels and temperature, we can expect temperatures and sea levels to rise dramatically. What we have found is that the last time carbon dioxide levels were as high as they are projected to be later this century was during the Pliocene epoch, about 2.8 to 3.3 million years ago. During the Pliocene, temperatures were 3-5 degrees Celsius warmer, and sea levels were 10-20 meters higher than today. These future levels mean that Antarctica’s impact on sea level rise will impact all people living on planet earth in the future.

Q3.  Why is it so important to place a lens on women in STEM and their contribution to research in this area? 

Currently women make up 37% of enrolments in university STEM courses and just 17% of VET STEM enrolments. Only 15% of STEM qualified jobs at held by women globally. As the world evolves, increase awareness of the importance of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) in our children’s everyday lives is becoming more apparent leading to future -solutions around climate change, sustainability and adaptation. I believe the current youth will step forward to be the future game-changers, providing innovative ideas, technology led solutions and there is a strong role for all genders to play in this critical moment in humanities history.

One of the emerging female PhD students on the expedition said: It is a very humbling experience, and I am very privileged to be a young female scientist being here in Antarctica and being able to look at this landscape, study it and get a better intuition for what it is like to do science here.

And for me I think, that also gives me a responsibility to share this knowledge, share my experience with other young female scientists back home and to motivate them and inspire them to do great work and to believe that they can do whatever they want to do if they put their hearts to it. We all have a role to play in solving the planets biggest crisis – Climate Change, and there are so many avenues that young females in STEM can take to be part of the solution.

Q4.  What are the benefits of using film as a medium for raising awareness on climate action?

In the battle against climate change, films have emerged as a powerful medium for raising awareness and education to drive action and hope. Through compelling visual storytelling, films can present complex scientific narratives through the shared human experience, making for an engaging and accessible way for the viewer to understand and connect with the issues.

The emotional connection that visual storytelling provides, helps viewers empathise with the plight of such locations as Antarctica, especially with the use of drone footage which captures the vastness, grandeur and beauty of this amazing continent, and grasp the urgency of climate action. Stunning visuals of natural landscapes, marine life like the Orcas, Humpback Whales, Penguins and Seals, underpin what is at stake, and why we need to fight for our planet’s survival.

I believe films have the potential to reach a broad and diverse audience through various platforms such as cinemas, television, streaming services, video- podcasts, and social media. During this expedition we also achieved a world first live broadcast to CNA, thanks to Starlink who supported this expedition with a new satellite system which allowed us to bring our stories live into people’s viewing platforms and homes.

By leveraging the power of visual storytelling, films can effectively communicate the urgency of climate action, inspire change, and foster a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of our climate system. Through the lens of a camera, we can capture not only the challenges we face but also the solutions that can lead us to a more sustainable future.

And of course, films go beyond just the viewing experience, to spark important conversations. For anyone in the Western Sydney area this Wednesday (31 st July), I’ve partnered with the United Nations Association of Australia in NSW for a special screening of ‘Antarctica’ accompanied by a panel Q & A, which is an opportunity to unpack and discuss the film with myself and two of Australia’s leading climate voices, Professor Lesley Hughes of The Client Council and Youth Activist Issy Phillips. I strongly encourage anyone interested in climate to come along and join us. and encourage people to come and join us – tickets are still available.

Q5. How important is it for collective action for sustainable solutions generally? 

Collective action is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by climate change to drive hope for future generations whose Future relies on our actions now. Sustainable solutions require a whole of community, business and government to help us drive rapid change, and hold temperature rise under 2C this century. Our goals must centre of both 2030 and 2050. Short term we must work collectively to start to turn the tide, on carbon emissions, lower our usage of fossil fuels and quickly gear up to drive renewable energy solutions. The old frameworks of traditional energy suppliers need to realise that change is critical to the future of earth’s survival and humanities.

Climate change and environmental issues are global problems that impact everyone, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status, and as we learn in the film Antarctica the Giant Awakens, 80% of all coastal habitats in our region will be impacted by sea-level rise this century, yet they are not culprits! When individuals and groups come together, they can pool their resources, knowledge, and expertise to create more effective and comprehensive solutions. We can all be part of the solution and I guess this is the point I really want to emphasis. There is no Plan B. Earth is the only habitable planet in our solar system, and the thin blue line protects us from space, and allows us to prosper in an atmosphere that supports life, yet we are throwing the equivalent of multiple atomic bombs into the atmosphere daily.

Governments and policymakers play a critical role in creating the regulatory frameworks necessary for sustainable development. Collective action is vital in advocating for these policies and holding leaders accountable. Grassroots movements, NGOs, and community coalitions can influence public opinion and drive political will, resulting in the implementation of policies that support sustainability.

I encourage all people to have a climate coffee or tea each day and to talk about the critical moment of time we are living in and to decide if they want to reflect in the future and shares stories with their children about what they did to be part of the solution or not? We can all start by reducing our own carbon footprint, eating meat one day less each week, not purchasing packaged goods, recycling clothes with friends and family, reducing the amount of food wasted by having an “eat the fridge” night, turning off lights, reducing your use of a clothes dryer, taking public transport where possible or riding a bike, and just being more conscious of the decisions and purchases we make daily.

By working together, individuals, communities, and organisations can create a powerful force for change, driving the transformations needed to ensure a sustainable and resilient future for all. The challenges we face are immense, but through collective effort, we can build a world that thrives both environmentally and socially and be proud of what we will leave for future generations to come.

Q6. How can publications, such as Eco Voice, play their part in promoting awareness of these issues?

The Eco Voice can encourage and provide podcast programs for readers, interviews with scientists, and educated having lived experiences, run webinars with global experts to drive awareness of new technologies and solutions, and encourage readers to share their solutions and ideas to build up a bank of community – led action goals.

On a broader level, The Eco Voice can hold an annual online film festival, invite writers to contribute to special features around calendar events such as Ocean Day, Rainforest Day, Sustainable September and engage with youth projects also to give them a seat at their future table now.

For more information and to purchase tickets for ‘Antarctica: The Giant Awakens’ Screening & Panel Discussion hosted by the United Nations Association NSW Division and Liz Courtney on 31 st July, visit: https://events.humanitix.com/film-and-discussion-panel-antarctica-the-giant-awakens

ABOUT ECO VOICE

First published in 2003, Eco Voice is your go-to publication for sustainability news in Australia. Eco Voice prides itself as an independent news platform with a clear focus on sustainability, with articles coming from a diverse range of contributors – all levels of government, corporations, not-for-profits, community groups, small to medium sized businesses, universities, research organisations, together with input from international sources. Eco Voice values community, conservation and commerce. Eco Voice is a media partner of the prestigious Australian Banksia Sustainability Awards – The Peak Sustainability Awards.

ABOUT THE SCREENING: 

  • What: Screening of Antarctica Awakens (trailer HERE), introduction from Director Liz Courtney and panel Q&A with some of Australia’s leading climate experts and campaigners (Prof. Lesley Hughes, The Climate Council; Issy Philips, TV presenter; Cal Glanznig, Youth Voice Oceans)

  • When: Wednesday 31 July 2024, 6pm (for 6:30pm film start)

  • Where: Western Sydney Uni, Level 9, Peter Shergold Building, 161-169 Macquarie St, Parramatta (transport: next to Parramatta Train Station or paid parking onsite)

Tickets: $10-15, available at Humanitix HERE

 

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