California dreamin' -- "2112" movie in the works

California dreamin'

Climate activist Mike Roddy of Yucca Valley, California, sets sights on powerful global warming movie set in year 2112 A.D.

Webposted: October 12, 2112

Ask Mike Roddy what he's up to these days and he will tell you he's
working on a screenplay. But not an everyday kind of screenplay. No,
Roddy wants to make a movie about the impact of climate change and
global warming in the distant future, and he wants the Hollywood
production to serve as a wake up call for humankind -- to take action
on climate change problems now!


He plans to call the movie "2112". And he's very serious and determined.

Part of Roddy's inspiration comes from a friendship with Hollywood
screenwriter and UCLA writing professor Robert Roy Pool. Does that
name sound familiar? Pool wrote the original story for the movie that
became "Armageddon" in 1998. Roddy has discussed climate change issues
with Pool and knows how Hollywood works as well.

"Bob has been a great inspiration to me on this project," Roddy said.

When asked what got him started on the movie project, Roddy replied:
"I've been reading up on global warming for about ten years and
published an article last year about deforestation and climate change
in the USA. I've also spoken to some of the top scientists in the
field, like professors Schneider, Harmon and Harte. The biggest
problem everyone seems to feel, is
political will, which comes from public opinion."

"So I figured that since the media is
timid and corporate, the best way to reach the public is to make a
movie showing what the future may look like. The evidence shows that
the world of 100 years from now is likely to be devastated and
chaotic," he said.

"Plenty of scientists think that in 100 years, average global
temperatures could easily be 5 degrees centigrade higher than today.
The consequences are vast, including mass extinctions, reduced arable
land and fresh water, and unbearable climates in most of the world," He said.


When asked who has inspired him in his research and thinking about
climate change and global warming, Roddy said: "I have been inspired
by Mark Lynas' book "Six Degrees", the IPCC reports and
supporting studies by Bill McKibben, Harte, and images of what
future survivors cities might look like that I've seen from the Polar
Cities Project (www.polarcity.org)."


Roddy is also part of a global online community of climate bloggers.

"It has been fun and very educational to blog on Dot
Earth, a very important blog run by science reporter Andrew Revkin at
the New York Times," he said.


Roddy said he wants to place his movie sets inside underground Arctic
cities, based on research he has done on the Internet, and he says
these cities, located underground, "are very plausible in 100
years, since infantry even today can destroy most buildings."


About the movie script that he is working on day and night, Roddy had plenty to

say: "The working title is '2112', the year the movie takes place.

Locations
are Houston, where the remnants of the fossil fuel people live, and
the Tatshenshini River valley in Alaska, where most of the action

takes place. The theme? The theme is survival in desperate circumstances."

"James Lovelock in the UK says this time in human history will be
called 'the cull, since vicious fighting

over scarce
resources is highly probable, and this fighting is central in the

movie," Roddy said.



Roddy also explained what some of the locations will look like: "There
will be a so-called polar city in the Tatshenshini Valley that is
attacked twice, first by
a group of refugees from Peru, and then again later at the movie's climax by an
organized and well armed force of mercenaries from Houston."

"The
defenders operate from underground, moving rapidly and using surprise
and ingenuity," he added.

"Subplots include intermarriage with the new invaders,
children in the settlement developing close and intuitive
relationships with nature (similar to those of the original natives),
descendants of the oil companies financing the second invasion- and a
snapshot of their prior and current lives in Houston -- and indoor
scenes showing how people have adjusted to a world of scarcity," Roddy added.


This is not Roddy's first attempt at a Hollywood screenplay. "This is
my second effort to write a movie script, although I am an
experienced author of nonfiction. The first script was a true story,
about the Nuxalk Indians of the Bella Coola Valley of British Columbia

defending their land against loggers. Bob Pool, who wrote the
story for the movie 'Armageddon' in 1998, helped me on that one.
We were not able to sell it, but I was happy with the result."

When asked how he intends to find a producer to greenlight his movie
script, Roddy noted: "My
current script is well under way, but it will take a few months to
polish it. I know a few people in Hollywood, and I will work with an
agent and through my own contacts to try to sell it. We will probably
need to find private money, from a wealthy and concerned individual.
The movie's impact would far exceed that of 'An Inconvenient Truth',
which only grossed US$30 million domestically. A hit action movie these
days can gross US$200-300 million, not counting video and overseas. A
lot more people will pay to see an action movie than a documentary,
and it affects them more viscerally."

"This is what we need to effect
change. Even 'The China Syndrome', which was a modest hit, had a lot do
with closing down the nuclear power industry."

As for who will star in the movie, Roddy said he had a few ideas: "I'd
like to see Viggo Mortenson play Nigel, the lead character,
because he can play a military leader who is a little haunted and
unconventional. Penelope Cruz would be good as the Peruvian love
interest. Ned Beatty could play the oil company executive in the
drunken golf cart scene. I would like to see the director chosen among
Peter Jackson, Ridley Scott, and Oliver Stone."


Money? As always, there is the issue of money. Lots of money.

"We will need around US$120 million for production, to attract talent and pay
for the production values we will need for a polar cities war movie.
Another $100 million is needed for sales and marketing, but that could
come from joint venturing with a studio at that point," Roddy said.

In terms of a time frame, Roddy said he hopes to get the movie made as
soon as possible, adding:
"I'd like to see
a 2012 release date. So the movie will be set 100 years in the future.

We need to get to work on changing the way we use
energy and work the land, and quickly."


Mike Roddy has big dreams and high hopes for his movie project about
climate change and global warming, to use it as a wake up call for

humanity. Meanwhile, his daily life in Yucca Valley, California keeps
him grounded
and busy.

"I traveled all over the place as a kid, including a year in Japan,
because my father was a colonel in the U.S. Army," Roddy recalled. "I
graduated from UC Berkeley, majoring in social science, but took a lot
of hard science courses, too."

"Now I am self-employed as a housing developer, and have built housing on four

continents," he said. "I also consult for American corporations and write
magazine articles.

Roddy also commented: "For 15 years, I have been a relentless enemy of the
timber industry, and feel the same about the oil and coal companies as

well. I'm a fighter, for important causes. Climate change is a very
very important problem we need to tackle. That's why I am devoting my
time now to bringing this Hollywood screenplay to the silver screen."


It is Roddy's son who inspires him in many ways, he says.

"My son Malcolm is 12, and concern for his future is my main
motivation," he said. "If this movie succeeds, it could be the single most
important step toward his having a decent future. With all the talk
about global warming, governments aren't really doing much because the
people don't register it closely enough. This could help."

Is Roddy optimistic or pessimistic about the future of our planet
Earth? He explains his feelings this way: "I'm not optimistic about
massive and short term switches to
alternative power, for the reasons we've talked about on the New York
Times' Dot Earth blog:
too many entrenched financial interests, inertia, greed, and
reluctance to act decisively to improve things in the distant future.
We can solve this problem if we act quickly and aggressively in the
next 10 years, but I see no evidence that this will occur."

Regarding the use of the idea of polar cities in his movie script,
Roddy said that "polar cities are central to the movie, because that's
where most of the action
located."

He added: "The town is underground, strictly for military defense. The
world of 2112 will be full of desperate climate refugees and invaders.
Earlier sci fi movies that took place underground were 'Outlander',
'Twelve Monkeys', and 'A Boy and his Dog'. These were eerie,
surprising
movies. Others that had key underground locations were 'Resident Evil',
'Wargames', 'Stargate', and the 'Mummy' movies. Underground settings are
actually very cinematic."

Here's hoping Mike Roddy finds an angel to greenlight his very
important climate change movie project. God knows, there must be an
angel out there, somewhere. Sir Richard Branson? A young
philanthropist who feels strongly about fighting climate change?

"I'm hoping we can get this movie made," Roddy said. "This one is not
about money or fame, it's about the Earth, our home planet. I am doing
this for my son."

Polar Cities: Future Living and Housing?

Robert Schmidl is a blogger in Germany who wrote this post about polar cities. Here is his very interesting blog about future cities:

http://www.perfectcity.net/2008/09/08/polar-city-future-living-and-housing/

Robert wrote:

As climate change has become reality it is just a matter of time until we face “big changes”. What happens if global warming causes the central and middle regions of the Earth to become uninhabitable for a long period of time?

Having this question in mind and having read a newspaper column by British chemist and inventor James Lovelock, in which Dr. Lovelock predicted disastrous warming, Danny Bloom teamed up with Deng Cheng-hong and set up a website showing designs for self-sufficient Arctic communities.

Danny Bloom, an American blogger and Deng Cheng-hong, a visual designer, both living in Taiwan, set up their page to get people to seriously consider a worst-case prediction of Lovelock: life in “polar cities” arrayed around the shores of an ice-free Arctic Ocean in a greenhouse-warmed world.

So according to Wikipedia, a polar city is a proposed sustainable polar retreat designed to house human beings in the future. Although they have not been built yet, some futurists have been giving considerable thought to the concepts involved. High-population-density cities, to be built near the Arctic Rim and in Antarctica, New Zealand, Tasmania, and Patagonia, with sustainable energy and transportation infrastructure, will require substantial nearby agriculture.


What do you think about this concept? Is it a future solution that could become true?

Climate change could be impetus for wars, other conflicts

Photo by L. Brian Stauffer, U. of I. News Bureau.

Climate change could be impetus for wars, and other kinds of conflicts. Is this the future? What do you think?

From a press release from the U. of I. News Bureau:

Hurricane season has arrived, sparking renewed debate regarding possible links between global warming and the frequency and severity of hurricanes, heat waves and other extreme weather events.

Meanwhile, a related discussion has ensued among international-security experts who believe climate-change-related damage to global ecosystems and the resulting competition for natural resources may increasingly serve as triggers for wars and other conflicts in the future.

Jürgen Scheffran, a research scientist in the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security and the Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research at the University of Illinois, is among those raising concerns. In a survey of recent research published earlier this summer in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Scheffran concluded that "the impact of climate change on human and global security could extend far beyond the limited scope the world has seen thus far."

Scheffran's review included a critical analysis of four trends identified in a report by the German Advisory Council on Global Change as among those most possibly destabilizing populations and governments: degradation of freshwater resources, food insecurity, natural disasters and environmental migration.

He also cited last year's report by a working group of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicating that climate change would affect species and ecosystems worldwide, from rainforests to coral reefs.

In his analysis, Scheffran noted that the number of world regions vulnerable to drought was expected to rise.

Water supplies stored in glaciers and snow cover in major mountain ranges such as the Andes and Himalayas also are expected to decrease, he said.

"Most critical for human survival are water and food, which are sensitive to changing climatic conditions," Scheffran said.

The degradation of these critical resources, combined with threats to populations caused by natural disasters, disease and crumbling economic and ecosystems, he said, could ultimately have "cascading effects."

"Environmental changes caused by global warming will not only affect human living conditions but may also generate larger societal effects, by threatening the infrastructures of society or by inducing social responses that aggravate the problem," he wrote. "The associated socio-economic and political stress can undermine the functioning of communities, the effectiveness of institutions, and the stability of societal structures. These degraded conditions could contribute to civil strife, and, worse, armed conflict."

In fact, Scheffran said, there's evidence that such dramas are already playing out on the world stage – whether already affected by climate change or not.

"Large areas of Africa are suffering from scarcity of food and fresh water resources, making them more vulnerable to conflict. An example is Sudan's Darfur province where an ongoing conflict was aggravated since droughts forced Arab herders to move into areas of African farmers."

Other regions of the world – including the Middle East, Central Asia and South America – also are being affected, he said.

With so much at stake, Scheffran recommends multiple strategies for forestalling otherwise insurmountable consequences. Among the most critical, he said, is for governments to incorporate measures for addressing climate change within national policy. Beyond that, he advocates a cooperative, international approach to addressing concerns.

"Although climate change bears a significant conflict potential, it can also transform the international system toward more cooperation if it is seen as a common threat that requires joint action," he said.

One of the more hopeful, recent signs on that front, he said, was the 2007 Bali climate summit that brought together more than 10,000 representatives from throughout the world to draft a climate plan.

"The Bali Roadmap has many good ideas, but was criticized as being too vague to induce a major policy shift," Scheffran said. "Nevertheless, the seeming conflict between environment and the economy will be best overcome with the recognition that protecting the climate in the best interest of the economy."

In addition to global cooperation, Scheffran believes that those occupying Earth now can learn a lot about the future by studying the past.

"History has shown how dependent our culture is on a narrow window of climatic conditions for average temperature and precipitation," he said. "The great human civilizations began to flourish after the last ice age, and some disappeared due to droughts and other adverse shifts in the climate. The so-called 'Little Ice Age' in the northern hemisphere a few hundred years ago was caused by an average drop in temperature of less than a degree Celsius.

"The consequences were quite severe in parts of Europe, associated with loss of harvest and population decline," Scheffran said. "Riots and military conflicts became more likely, as a recent empirical study has suggested."

However, as history has demonstrated, humans are quite capable of adapting to changing climate conditions as long as those changes are moderate.

"The challenge is to slow down the dynamics and stabilize the climate system at levels which are not dangerous," Scheffran said.

He remains optimistic that this is still possible – in large part, because public awareness and educational efforts taking place today are making concerns about climate change a priority.

"Global warming receives now more public and political attention than a few years ago," Scheffran said.

"Grass-roots movements are emerging in the United States for protecting the climate and developing energy alternatives, involving not only many local communities and companies but also influential states such as California, led by Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger."

Further evidence that the issue is being taken seriously at last, Scheffran said, is coming from the campaign trail.

"Congressional and presidential candidates now acknowledge that something has to be done to play a leading role on energy and climate change to not fall behind the rest of the world," he said.

Interview on Climate Change with Bob McCarty

Interview on Climate Change And Global Warming with Bob McCarty

Bob McCarty Writes ~ The Ultimate Blogging Machine
In our quest to learn more about how different people see climate change and global warming, we asked St. Louis blogger/writer Bob McCarty if we could interview him for this blog about his views on climate change. He answered with his own feelings and points of view, and it makes for very interesting reading. His BobMcCarty.com blog attracts a lot of media attention: American Thinker, BBC, Canada.com, Chicago Sun-Times, Fox News Channel, Gateway Pundit, Hot Air, Instapundit, The Mancow Show, The New York Times, USA WEEKEND, World Net Daily and many others. And now, the Northwardho blog.

Here are our questions, followed by Bob's answers. Enjoy. If you have any comments or questions, feel to write to Bob direcetly at his blog or leave your comments below. Thank you, Mr McCarty for a spiritede interview!

-- Danny Bloom in Taiwan

Q1. Do you believe climate change is real and caused by human activities? If not the cause, what do you think the cause might be? Same question re global warming -- is it real or a hoax, in your opinion?


A1: I believe that the campaign being foisted upon citizens of the world under the banner of "global warming" constitutes nothing more than a marketing effort being pushed by the likes of former vice president Al Gore and others in positions of influence both inside and outside of government. Their goal: To create panic among ill-informed people, induce lawmakers to pass legislation helpful to their cause and create a new form of commodity -- the so-called "carbon credits" -- from which they stand to reap tremendous financial gains. I've written about it frequently at my blog at BobMcCarty.com.

Does global warming take place? Yes, but it is cyclical in nature. Global cooling takes place as well.

Is mankind responsible for global warming when it takes place? No.

If I had to summarize my feelings about Al Gore's version of global warming in a pithy advertising pitch, I would describe it as globull warming or say that global warming is a myth.


Q2: Did you see Al Gore's documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and what did you think of it? Was it a fair, truthful, responsible movie, or just the opposite?


A2: I did not watch the entire length of Al Gore's shock-umentary, but I did watch enough of it to realize much of his so-called "scientific data" -- including portions on sea-level changes resulting from melting polar ice caps and the melting of permafrost -- is not rooted in fact. I've written about it extensively at my blog and even began offering INCONVENIENT TRUTH SERUM as something one could "Take three times a day until global warming fears subside."


Q3: On the climate change debate, there are two sides, those who are called denialists and those are called climate activists. What side do you fall on?


A3: The terms you use to describe those on opposing sides of the climate change debate leave something to be desired. I fall on the side of people who believe in science based upon truth rather than Al Gore-fueled "consensus science." Included in that group are many thousands of reputable scientists who are, in fact, "climate change activists." At the same time as they do not believe in human-caused global warming, they do not believe a climate crisis lurks just around the corner.


Q4: Sarah Palin the VP candidate for the GOP, apparently believes in global warming but she does not think it us caused by human activity, just a natural cycle. But she has set up a sub-cabinet group in the AK government office called the Climate Change Group and they do meet to talk about climate change and how it might impact Alaska in the future.....so she sees both sides, it seems. What is your reaction to her views on global warming and her setting up of the govt committee to look into it?


A4: If you are accurate in stating that (1) Sarah Palin believes in global warming as part of a natural cycle and (2) she assembled some sort of working group to study climate change, I'd say she's pretty smart. By setting up the group, which I assume is comprised of reputable scientists and others who can make worthwhile contributions to the groups' efforts, Gov. Palin can remain informed about the views of people on both sides of the issue. It doesn't mean she's going to start selling carbon credits or assessing new taxes on Alaskans based on the amount of toxic smoke they generate while burning whale blubber for fuel.


Q5: Have you ever heard of the idea of POLAR CITIES for survivors of global warming to seek refuge in, say in the year 2500 or so, if things get really bad in the south and central regions of Earth? What do you think of this cockamamie idea? useful or completely ridiculous? Will humans need some kind of adaptation strategies to deal with climate change in the future, if things get bad? Or will humans use their high IQs to solve all the problems before they get out of hand, in your POV?


A5: My first encounter with the concept of polar cities came today -- through you. I have not spent a single moment worrying and/or wondering about what might or might not happen in the year 2500. Likewise, I have not worried about means humans might use to "deal with climate change in the future." I do not believe the change will be of enough significance to demand "adaptation strategies." Further, as an evangelical Christian, the only thing I look forward to in the year 2500 is the joy I'll experience living in eternity with Jesus Christ, my Lord.


Q6: Where did you grow up, where do you live now, in the USA, and how do you see the future growth of the US population in terms of climate change and global warming? Will the future just go on and on and things will get better and better, forever and ever, or will the future of America be very different than the USA of today? How do you envision the USA of the year 2500?


A6: I grew up in the Midwest United States, but have spent stints on the East Coast and in Japan. Again, I do not believe there will be any climate change significant enough to impact future growth of the U.S. population. As far as the future of the United States is concerned, I believe that the future of mankind has already been written and will play out exactly as foretold in the Holy Bible. In what exact fashion will that play out and when? I suggest you read the New Testament, paying particular attention to the last book, Revelations, for answers about the end times.


Q7: British scientist James Lovelock, 89, says we have only 20-40 years left before the world become unlivable because of global warming and all hell breaks loose, with billions dying off and only 200,000 "breeding pairs" alive in the Arctic to keep the human species going generation after generation.... what do you think of his wild idea?


A7: I'll stick my neck out and hazard a guess that Mr. Lovelock and I disagree on the future in terms of climate change; therefore, I'll forgo the opportunity to offer a detailed opinion on his "breeding pairs" idea. Instead, I'll just agree that it is a "wild idea."

Q8: Are you an optimist or pessimist when it comes to climate change in the future?


A8: I am an optimist about the future when it comes to climate change, because I believe it will have minimal impact on the future. I am a pessimist, however, when it comes to the fraud (a.k.a., "globull warming") being perpetrated on people around the world by the likes of Al Gore, Heidi Cullen et al. I think it has already been unnecessarily costly (see Dr. Arthur Robinson's article in Human Events) and will continue to be costly as long as the global warming alarmists continue to receive favored-opinion status in the mainstream news media.


Q9: What about geo-engineering FIXES, such as scientists putting things in the air to keep the world cool, etc.....do you thing a tech fix can solve the problems of climate change?


A9: I say, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."


Q10: How old are you now, and what it your hope for your children and grandchildren in the future? Can you envision your descendants living in the USA 30 generations down the road, and how do you envision their lives then, in the year 2500?


A10: I'm among the youngest of the post-World War II "Baby Boomers" generation. My hope for my children, my grandchildren and their successors is that they will trust Jesus Christ to guide their futures. I do not, however, suspect that the world as we know it will still be around by 2500. Instead, I hope that the Second Coming of Our Lord will have taken place much sooner than then. On this question, however, I must rely upon the Gospel of Matthew 24:44: So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.