Greenpeace estimates the annual cost of environmental catastrophes around the world at $1.25 trillion. This is why the organization considers cutting green house gas emissions a global priority. And, to make its point, its screening of the film Age of Stupid in Syntagma Square on October 22 literally cost the environment nothing, said the organizers of the event.

Directed by Franny Armstrong, Age of Stupid features Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

All needs for energy during the projection were covered through the use of renewable energy sources and recyclable materials. This means that the projection’s carbon footprint, which is the amount of carbon produced in tons by an activity, was zero.

“The energy demands for the projection of the film are covered entirely by the use of photovoltaic panels that were set up here in Syntagma square throughout the day,” said Dimitris Ibrahim, responsible for Climate and Energy campaigns for the Greek Greenpeace.

Indeed, the amount of carbon annually produced is striking. Greenpeace reports that every Greek citizen is responsible for the emission of 9. 6 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Every American is responsible for 19. 6 tones and every Chinese person for 3. 9.

The screening of the film was a way to mobilize people and push for strong representation of the Greek government at the world summit of Copenhagen, the greenest city of the world, which starts December 7.
“This is our best chance to avoid the worst,” said Ibrahim. “We must make people care if we want to see progress.”

But “we can’t persuade politicians on our own,” said Dimitris Plitharas, responsible for the environmental policy campaign of WWF-Greece. “We need people’s help to make an impact and sign the appeal directed to the Greek government to press more over climatic changes; today alone, 7,000 people signed.”

The most significant thing to come out of the summit for Greenpeace is that it will be the renewal of the 1997 Protocol of Kyoto, which has been ratified by 184 members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and was put in force in 2005. 

The major distinction between the protocol and the convention is that while the convention encouraged industrialized countries to stabilize GHG emissions, the protocol commits them to do so. The Copenhagen summit aims to commit members to stabilize the emissions of carbon until 2015 and to start reducing them thereafter.

Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current GHG levels after 150 years of industrial activity, a heavier burden is placed on developed nations under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities,” said the UNFCCC’s Kyoto text.

“This time we expect world leaders like the U.S. and China to step into the agreement and leave behind their interests for the common good,” said Plitharas.

The most notable non-member of the protocol is the United States, which is a signatory of UNFCCC and was responsible for 36.1% of the world’s 1990 emission levels, according to emission ratings by the UNFCCC.

The Age of Stupid will be screened at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in November. Copies are also available at www.ageofstupid.net.