I was surprised at how much environmental dialogue is being discussed in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. I guess it’s because it’s a bit of a college town (Sir Wilfred Grenfell College) and the friend I’m staying with is finishing up his environmental studies program. Needless to say, I’m hearing a conversation that is probably not on the radar for most travellers passing through.
Mixed with that is the need to watch copious amounts of movies to pass the time (well, that’s what we turned to, anyways). So it was fitting to see the posters for the environmental film The Age of Stupid, starring Pete Postlethwaite, all over town.
The screening was held in one of the lecture halls at the school and students and teachers hung out for an evening of film, snacks and a bit of discussion afterwards.
Although the film was interesting– Pete Postlethwaite is the only man left on earth in 2015 and goes through clips of how humans wiped themselves out by not doing anything about climate change– my favourite part of the night was the small event itself.
There’s a student named Janet who I think just rocks. She was the main organizer of the screening (and, I’m told, of so many other things). Everyone arrived to hot coffee, cookies, strawberries and a heaping bowl of popcorn.
She charged $5 or $2 with a donation to the food bank. Totally impressive gal.
What I Liked:
- I missed out on the whole college and university thing, as I went to a private acting school as my post education. It was nice to step into the life of students for a change.
- There were some interesting comments after The Age of Stupid and one struck me in particular. A gal said that we need to stop focusing only on educating young people in environmental issues; kids aren’t likely to go teach and convince their parents about global warming. We should be reaching out more to older adults because they’re the ones making the decisions that will affect the next generation. They also hold all the power right now. There’s definitely some merit there.
Lori Henry is a freelance Travel, Health and Hockey writer based in Vancouver, Canada.
