Leading up to and during the 2012 International Symposium Our Thirsty Planet, the Scandinavian Cultural Center will host a variety of programs.
On Dec. 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the crew of the Fram were the first explorers to reach the South Pole. This exhibit showcases images from the hand-colored lantern slides that Amundsen used in public lectures about this expedition to the South Pole. Texts from Amundsen's own manuscripts from these lectures offer a compelling first-person account of this exciting journey. The exhibition also includes original film footage of the expedition. Produced by the Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway, the exhibition celebrates the 100th Anniversary of Amundsen's amazing feat.
This poignant film addresses the probability of a world without fish should humans continue to act and behave environmentally as we have for the past century. It's a frightening premise, and it's happening right now. A Sea Change follows the journey of retired history teacher Sven Huseby on his quest to discover what is happening to the world's oceans. The audience learns about ocean acidification as eh embarks on a journey to revisits the communities of his childhood including Norway, Alaska and Seattle.
A Sea Change explores the ecological, cultural, and economic effects of this alarming phenomenon. It is the first documentary to focus public attention on this impending but little-known crisis – the side effect of carbon dioxide emissions. Public concern about the warming of our atmosphere is widespread, while the other half of the global equation – the fate of our oceans and their falling pH – remains virtually unknown in the public domain.
This film broadens the discussion about the dramatic changes in the chemistry of the oceans, and conveys the urgent threat those changes pose to our survival. According to scientists, such as Dr. Richard Feely of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this catastrophe will play out in coming generations unless widespread awareness is raised about ocean acidification, its cause, and how to slow or stop it.