Cashing Ice: Analyzing The 2012 Film

Introduction

In this film, James Balog embarks on a mission to photographically capture the effects of climate change. The only subject he could think of was ice. He eventually worked on a National Geographic story that landed on the magazine's cover with the headline: “BIG THAW, Ice on the Run, Seas on the Rise.” This story became the most popular and well-read piece in the past five years. Solheim glacier was where he first conceived the idea, as it had been receding several hundred feet per year, a significant amount. James stated that there was a real sense of a glacier coming to an end. He mentioned it looked very old and admitted he never imagined such monumental features could disappear in such a short time. He kept tabs on the glacier because it represented a significant piece of history that was soon vanishing. He explained that it changed dramatically in just six months, showcasing pictures taken half a year apart, with the ice completely melted.

Cashing Ice: Analyzing The 2012 Film

The Extreme Ice Survey placed 25 cameras near glaciers to document how the landscape was changing. Installing such delicate electronics in some of the harshest conditions on Earth was a remarkable feat. These cameras had to withstand hurricane-force winds and temperatures plummeting to negative 40 degrees. The first camera installation was at Solheim glacier. When glaciers break, giant pieces fall into the ocean, a process known as calving. The Store glacier in Greenland was next, and it stretched five football fields long and rose 300 feet above the water's surface. With the camera rolling, large-scale calving occurred within an hour. They captured an event seldom caught on film. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to atmospheric changes, making the climate much more susceptible to extreme weather.

James aimed to make a global impact with his photography and raise awareness. His photo assistant checked on the cameras every few months to ensure they weren't broken. Some cameras, however, succumbed to the extreme conditions. “The camera’s memory card is the memory of the landscape because the landscape is now gone, stored on a chip,” James explained. Glaciers are retreating and thinning simultaneously, a visual testament to the rapid changes occurring in our environment.

The Impact of Climate Change

We are in the midst of geological-scale change, and it is clear that human activity is a significant cause. This climate change intensifies the impact of hurricanes and typhoons, leading to the flooding of lands. The film examines changes over only a few years, resulting in gigantic transformations. People often think large-scale geological changes are a thing of the past, but they are happening in our time, every single day, much faster than we anticipate. “Glaciers were literally dying in front of my eyes, which makes you aware,” James remarked. He climbed down into crevasses, noting something special about photographing glaciers at night. James emphasized that it places one's mind on the surface of the planet. As a culture, we have forgotten that we are natural organisms, totally dependent on nature. Photography raises awareness through cameras, which become vehicles of awareness, with photographers as the messengers.

The Significance of the Extreme Ice Survey

The Columbia glacier in Alaska experienced major calving within just three months, retreating through the winter because it is an unhealthy glacier. The Columbia glacier retreated so much that they had to move the camera multiple times. A single crack can cause massive calving. A huge calving event took place within 75 minutes, likened to the entire lower part of Manhattan breaking off, with buildings two or three times higher than they are. From 2000 to 2010, the glacier retreated nine miles, one mile more than in the previous hundred years. This drastic change underscores the urgency of addressing climate change.

Conclusion

The great irony of our time is that science still debates climate change, despite overwhelming evidence. People struggle to comprehend the scale, so the work James is doing allows us to visualize the change. The Extreme Ice Survey will go down in history as evidence that we knew what was happening. We face a problem with perception. James hopes to tell his daughters 25 years from now that he did everything he could to spread awareness about global warming.

References:

• National Geographic. (n.d.). BIG THAW, Ice on the Run, Seas on the Rise. Retrieved from [National Geographic URL]
• Balog, J. (2012). Cashing Ice: Analyzing The 2012 Film. [Film]. Extreme Ice Survey.