The 1976 movie, "Soylent Green" was ahead of its time in portraying the dangers of non-sustainable growth and the consequence of an absence of environmental stewardship. It is in all probability the first movie (not documentary) that showed the possible effects from climate change to mankind. One of the interesting aspects of the movie is that despite the futuristic setting, it wasn't portrayed in a futuristic manner (as opposed to other movies with starships, lasers and teleporting devices). In fact, all of the technology presented in the film was available at the time the movie was produced. This movie was made to be gritty and not necessarily "fantastic". In many ways it intended to be a warning of the path that were on, and continue to be on.
This movie has become somewhat of a cult classic, but was still fairly popular when it first came out.
To conclude our study of this film, consider the following questions:
Are we on the same path (as a global society, and or as a nation) that precursed the plot (as was presented in the movie by Sal when he recounts why the world was in such dire straits)?
Can we control our outcome? Do we want to control our outcome as a human race? What must we do if we are to help control our outcome on this planet?
You must post you responses to the questions no later than this Sunday 11:59 p.m.
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23 comments:
We continue on the same path as Sal presented in the film. Though I believe our global society is more aware of the environmental impact we, the human race, is having on our earth, we are not doing nearly enough to act on the issues and make changes.
We are in total control of outcome. The next ten years will be extremely telling of how we as a globe will react to the environmental situation. We have two options 1) try and conserve the resources we have and try to reverse the damage we've done, or 2)develop technology to allow us to live in a world without an environment and resources.
The answer is clear to me: we must give back to the world what it has given it to us. I hope we can begin to do so as soon as possible. We must retrace the negative steps we have made.
We are on the same path as Sal. I think that as a society we are becoming more aware of the environmental issues but at the same time as individuals I think that most people would believe what "professionals" have to say about the environment. Those individuals do not do any personal research to find out how they can better the environment more as opposed to the general recycling. On the other hand though as individuals people like to be informed instead of having to look for things themselves. A lot of people would argue, to really be "environmental" , that they don't have the time with their busy schedules.
We do have control of the outcome.As a human race we want to control our outcome. To control our outcome the first step is to be informed. People know generally of all the issues. I think that people need to get involved in maybe one specific thing because the truth is as an individual you can't be the super hero and take on everything. Being informed and then getting others informed and involved.
The path we are currently on is dangerously close to the one depicted by Sal in "Soylent Green" although technologies that have been created to skew that path are being used (solar power, wind power, etc.). Over population however, is a different issue because no matter how hard some people try to vent the issues of over population people will still have to many kids.
If everyone decided to change the direction the earth was headed it would have already changed. Unfortunately, one of the big causes for the lack of change is that some people fear it and others refuse to give up luxuries such as hairspray and cars that have become a way of life. To change the outcome of the planet the main idea would be to have enough kids to replace yourself and your spouse, use less harmfull forms of energies, and throw out useless comodities that are harmfull to the enviornment. Or get hacked up into little pieces to feed those who listen.
I do not believe that our society is headed in the direction portrayed by Soylent Green. Though we are not currently in the best environmental situation nationally or globally, many people are striving to make a difference and break the negative trend. It seems impossible that in only 13 years we could be in the horrible situation portrayed by the movie. I trust that we do have the power to control our outcome by coming up with viable solutions to the problems we face. We can do this with the technologies that we have available to us today. It is important that we have a general idea of where we are headed as a human race, however controlling everything about our future is a sure way to prevent progress that may help protect our planet. By limiting ourselves to what we know, we are simply holding ourselves back from our full potential. If we are to help control the outcome of this planet, we need to allow progress to be made, and work to develop technologies that take the focus off of fossil fuels.
I think we are beginning to get on the right track as far as the starting stages of where we need to be environmentally so we don't end up like the movie. We obviously control our outcome and it depends on our efforts in the matter even if it is just a fad being "green" could stick better for everyone if it did. We just need to slowly move more and more green the more people that do it the fast that it is gonna happen and then we won't end up like the movie yayayayyaay!!!
Soylent Green is one of those kinds of movies, that so ingrain themselves in the public consciousness, that their twist becomes publicly known. Now, more than 30 years after it was released, it is worth pondering how much of the movie's predictions have turned out to be true, and if they, are, what course of action we should take in response. So that we are all clear on this, in the movie, overpopulation and a lack of sustainable development, led to a destruction of the environment, collapse of the food supply, and societal degradation. Now, whether these predictions are correct or not, is a matter of some controversy. First of all, one should bear in mind, when this movie was made. This movie is a product of the 1970's (1973 to be exact), when the ideas of Paul Ehrlich were quite popular, and predicted that overpopulation would lead to a global demise of human society. This is a very apocalyptic vision, and from the start, it had its proponents and detractors. In truth, Ehrlich's ideas are merely a new take on the ideas of Thomas Malthus, who roughly two hundred years ago, spouted similar views. Yet, human society is still around, and yes, global population is approaching 7 billion people, although how much more it will grow from here, is a subject that can be debated back and forth, without any conclusion. Therefore, I think we can conclude that at least in terms of population, we are on a similar path to that which is presented in the movie. As for environmental degradation, the answer depends on your interpretation of the statistics. I believe that we can all agree that humanity has a very large environmental footprint. Therefore, for arguments sake, let's just say that we are on a similar path in terms of environmental degradation. Now that we are aware that we are on the path, is there anything that we can do about this?
I believe that we can change our situation. We don't need massive new technological investments, but rather a new mindset. One of the great things about mankind, is that we have an imagination that not only enables us to foresee a better future, but also makes it so that if we are true to the vision, our dreams can become reality. Unfortunately, what we are lacking, and I acknowledge that this may not be the best choice of words, is the Nitzschean will to power. We like the current situation far too much, and as one of my favorite websites puts it, Status Quo is God when it comes to protecting the environment -
(The website in question is http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StatusQuoIsGod ) . We are enraptured with the situation as it is, and having to make any changes may well require sacrifices, which we are loth to make. However, if we are to leave a better unto our children, then we must make these sacrifices.
If we are to control our impact on the planet, we must curb our environmental footprint, which means that energy conservation measures are mandatory. In addition, we must curb human population growth, although this must be done in a gentle manner. Also, aid to help the economies of developing nations must be disbursed, and opportunities for the development to take place equitably must be seized. Finally, carbon dioxide emission must be drastically cut. If all of this is done, then there is a still a chance that we can save our world from oblivion.
After watching Soylent Green, I understand how overpopulation and destroying the environment was already an issue back in the 1970's. It doesn't seem like it would have been back then, but then it got me to think of the OPEC oil embargo around the year when the movie was released. The embargo frightened the country because oil was in very short supply, and it probably fostered some interest in other energy sources. Although the embargo went away enventually, the ideas must still have been active, because Soylent Green is all about how mankind destroys the world as it was known and created an upside-down society where only a few were at the top of society, and making money off of the rest of the population. My point is that the embargo might have given the writers of the movie inspiration for this film, as it displays destruction of the natural environment, and the society has fallen into chaos.
As far as the outcome of our world, not the Soylent world, I think that it won't necessarily be 2022 (or whenever Soylent Green took place) when something like that happens, but with rapid population growth and continuing destruction of the environment, we are headed on that dangerous path to global ruin. In order to curb the population explosion, family planning must be brought into the light; if successful, that would reduce the number of births each year, and would level out the population a little bit. Without any checking whatsoever on the population, we will quickly find ourselves in the realm of what Soylent Green was intended to warn us about; a chaotic world that is overpopulated and has few resources left. Another thing that we need to do as a society is try and find alternative energies that don't harm the environment or do less harm than our current methods (and hopeflly, as we continue to advance, these processes that harm the environment would be replaced by non-destructive methods as technology advances).
In conclusion, I think Soylent Green was a method of warning the general populace of what can happen when overpopulation and a lack of natural resources combine, creating chaos and a disfunctional society based on the few who happen to be on top of everything. In order to prevent this from occuring in real life, measures must be taken to curb both of these problems, and those things must succeed in order to avoid having the same situation (or something like it) to occur. Earth is on a collision-course with the Soylent idea, and something needs to be done in order to prevent that from happening on Earth in the future.
Although I don’t believe that we are on the same exact path as Soylent Green, we are definitely on a path parallel to this. By 2022 I don’t think that we will be in such an awful position as the one depicted in the movie. I think that humans have the capability of controlling our outcome, but I am not sure if we will ever completely reach the potential we have of maintaining the outcome. It is super important to control our outcome, or at least try. The future is, for the most part, literally in our hands. We need to take the ball and roll with it! If nobody does anything to help maintain our outcome, we will all be screwed. I am not necessarily scared for 2022, but I am worried about the world my grandchildren will grow up in, and their grandchildren. Although many, many more people have jumped on the “green” bandwagon, there are many more that haven’t. The people that haven’t are the ones that are holding us back. Everyone needs to be doing their part to help the environment. Even if 5 billion people recycle regularly and take steps to reduce the footprint they leave on Earth, there will still be others who are taking zero steps, and still cause serious problems with the environment. People need to be in the right mindset and they need to be aware of what is going on in the world. Unfortunately, it comes back to the idea of whether or not humans can reach their full potential—it is definitely not possible for everyone to jump on the “green” bandwagon. There are people who are completely incapable of doing so, and there are others who are simply too apathetic to care. Right now, I think scientists need to keep doing what they’re doing in trying to find cleaner energy options and making it cheaper for the public. Also, I think that the people who are taking steps to be more green need to continue this, and others need to become informed of what the heeeeeck is going on in the world, and they need to get rid of their apathy.
We as a nation are on the exact same path that Sal speaks of in the film. I cannot say the entire world is on the same path when countries like Switzerland and Germany are utilizing green energy technology at at an incredibly high ration to fossil fuels. As a nation, we are stuck in a society that takes environmental unsound shortcuts in life. The "Get Rich quick" philosophy is slowly destroying us. People are still attempting to utilize materials quickly and as cheaply as possible, leading to the production of carcinogens, liquid and solid waste that cannot be broken down naturally.
Thus, as nation we are still headed down that path. We have complete control over this. Not as individuals but as a society. People need to come together again and realize that things need to change for the common good. Now is not the best time considering everyone is hurting financially, but the recession will end (it's simple economics, the economy goes up and down). Companies, individuals, and corporations need to realize that though being clean and "green" requires sacrifice, they are actually doing themselves a favor by helping to keep the environment clean. So in actuality, the benefit of cleaner air, water, and land, less disease (asthma, pathogens, etc), and a healthier people in general is worth infinitely more than the cost of implementing green technology and policies.
The most important thing we can all do is realize that the individualist/selfish approach most Americans have taken is slowly killing us. The people of the United States need to realize that we actually need to start working together to start helping each other. We need to start buying from companies that can prove they are using mostly or all green technology. Money is the best voting tool. Those that don't implement the policies and technology will be forced to change or close down. Such is the survival of the fittest. It all really comes down to how much the human race wants to survive. Do we enjoy living on a clean planet? If so, we need to take action now.
Yes we are on the path that Sal presented in the film. From about ten years ago to maybe a year and a half ago, the rich were getting richer, the poor poorer, and the middle class was staying somewhere in the middle. But with in the past year all three of those social classes have experienced significant shifts in their financial stability, as somewhat seen in Soylent Green. In the movie poverty had completely taken over the city except in the areas where the wealthy lived. That is similar to what is happening now, more and more people are finding themselves living on the streets, while the wealthy (though they have lost some money in all of this), are doing just fine. Another significant theme in Soylent Green is global climate change, something that we are currently experiencing. And even in the beginning of the movie Sal mentioned greenhouse gasses and how it was such a huge problem; more proof that we are on the same path that Soylent green presented.
And yes we can control our outcome. In order to do this, we, the human race, will need to come together to conserve our resources and to change the habits that we have developed over hundreds of years; ones that are consequently harming our planet.
Sadly, when we look at our global society at this point in time, it is evident that we are in fact on this very same downward slope. It is also safe to say that we know that we are causing the problems that are leading us down this path, but for some reason we just dont seem to care all that much. Whether it's because we dont believe that we will be directly affected by the consequences of our choices, or that we are just to greedy for our own good and expect other people to fix our problems for us. We are moving the WRONG direction.
We are certainly in control of every part of the outcome. It's just certain people, businesses, and/or corporations that don't want to spend the time and money fixing things simply because it will cost them some tiny percentage of their already enormous annual incomes to frivilous change. I don't know about the rest of the people in the world but i do know that i want to make the change, to give back to a planet that has helped us so much and which we take for granted on a daily basis. Someone, anyone, has to be the starting point, the basis from which our society can build from, they need to step up, and do so now.
Though there are definitely identifiable parallels between the movie’s storyline and the current global situation, there are enough dissimilarities that such an outcome isn’t inevitable. Naturally, climate change is a significant issue and does put greater pressure on available resources.
As economies suffer as result of deregulation and poor practices, the laws of scarcity come into play and goods once labels as “commodities” will be recognized as luxuries; with such a drastic change—especially when food is jeopardized – comes much social unrest and conflict, as this movie portrays.
Though things could really fall apart in the next thirteen years, I don’t see our global situation becoming quite as awful; however, this largely depends on how our society adjusts and reevaluates lifestyle choices regarding global health within the next decade. Some drastic – but feasible changes need to be made.
We can view this movie as a cautionary message, and also as a lesson to always make sure you know what you’re eating…
To a certain extent we are on the same path. i.e. we are seeing effects of global warning and beginning to see minor consequences and are able to predict them for the future. Of course it is highly unlikely that we will run out of meat and eat people. In that situation the environment would begin to collapse and the human population would have one hell of a time surviving. Little should I say, clearly we WANT to protect ourselves (or more future population). We are slowly beginning to control our heavy, negative, impact by finding ways to reduce our carbon footprints. I personally believe we need to start getting more drastic mostly because we have the capabilities and can see it is obviously a possibility. A big impact would be cars. Looking at "Who Killed The Electric Car" putting harsh goals towards EV's would be a great starting point and it's perfectly possible. If the oil companies would stop running for money and started investing in big time in EV's or simply electric itself they could probably find a way to hit jackpot. Take a hint anyone?
We are a nation that follows the path Sal speaks of. Not that we aren't the only ones, but there are people trying to use just and reusable energy. Capitalism has zapped the earth with death rays, causing us to put money before the environment and destroying the planet!
The people of our nation won't change as individuals, we must put down everything and sacrifice again, blah, blah, blah... We've all heard that over and over, and why hasn't it worked? Because we aren't going to stop being consumers. The end of capitalism is not on us, so we must make energy cheaper. If we can do that, and turn a profit, than everyone will jump on board! But if we keep giving tax cuts to fossil fuel companies that they are going to offer the cheapest energy.
This isn't anyone's fault, we need to get over that and move on. In the end I can see only two things working out: Capitalism/Consumerism will fail or Capitalism/Consumerism will grow incredibly with the production of cheap infinite energy!
In my opinion it seems that as a nation we are slowly yet surely heading in the direction of living life like that depicted in the movie "Soylent Green". If we had kept on going the way we were when the film was produced without any further technology or research we would most likely be living in the world which the film takes place. Though, due to advanced technology such as alternate energy and fuel sources we are not to the point in the film.
I think that we all have the power to control what the outcome may be. I think that if we all actually thought about what was honestly happening we could avoid ending up as Soylent Green ourselves. But I don't think that enough people are thinking about the future or long term affects that our actions today will have. Everyone lives for the short term, whether that's this week or this lifetime, yet no one ever really thinks about the impact they are having on future generations. I think that that is our problem and that if we could just think about long term and cooperate we could avoid living like life in the film. I am also aware of how quixotic and unlikely this idea is.
I would hope that the world would never fall into such controlling hands- with even the way you die being determined. But many authors, screenwriters, and artists view the future in this same light. While this film was ahead of its times in many ways, books were released well before hand depicting the same fate. (Take into consideration that this was also a novel first). One can't help to fear this outcome with such a massive amount of fingers pointed that way. Humans should take ahold of their own (as a whole) destiny as many would argue against the "Soylent Green" way of life. However it is impossible to jumpstart a change without fear. We'll have to fall first before a "rebellion" can begin. But, as with the movie, who knows how much impact one voice of change can make? That can be enough to stop most people.
Soylent Green like Jacek said was an "by-product" of the attitude and specific figures of the 1970's (and loosely based on the book Make Room! Make Room!) when the environmentalist movement started to collect support, and awareness of environmental impact on a local scale increased exponentially . Therefore, Soylent Green fit in perfectly with the attitude of the 70's, almost like further proof of what could happen should we continue along our current path.
Though I don't think that corporations will actually use humans for their products, I see the correlation between the lack of transparency now and in Soylent Green. An ideal climate for business is one that has no government regulation (laissez-faire) and thus does not have to relinquish their numbers for the government to oversee their production. Similarly the corporate giant Soylent Green has been unchecked and unregulated which has allowed them to do anything and everything they want. Such has gotten us into the current financial crisis and has had a large role in our current environmental situation. In order to steer clear of this imminent disaster, corporations need to be shut down if they exceed a certain pollution level, and huge incentives should be given for family's that have small families or no children. I can't think of any other way of saying this, it is virtually the only way.
Soylent Green and our current situation bear striking similarities, but still Soylent Green remains a movie, at most a cautionary tale, however it points out what a grim future we will have if we don't do something soon...really soon.
Okay. Yes. We are on the same path, to some extent. I like to think that our society would never deteriorate to that point, but apathy is proving to have a profound effect on our environment. So although I don't think we need to be THAT pessimistic about it, we need to be careful, and consider Soylent Green a cautionary tale.
But to on a more positive note, we CAN control the outcome. Well, not absolutely. Certain things are beyond our control. The environment is always changing, and not all of its changes can be blamed on humans. But a lot of it can. And the more we can blame on ourselves, the more hope their is that it can be changed. And of course we want to. We don't want an environmental disaster, or to destroy our planet. Any sacrifice is better than that.
The only way to achieve this is an "environmental revolution" of sorts.
Society may not be on the same path as the one depicted in Soylent Green, but we're not on the right path either. I don't think that the government is going to start serving people to people very soon though...
We can't control our outcome completely but we can at least get headed in the right direction.
Viva la enviromental revolucion
I believe we are close to being on the same path as that portrayed in Soylent Green, although not as extremely. However while we did once have control over our outcome on this planet, that privilege is quickly fading as we fail to make changes and attempt to save our planet. We have so much damage at this point that it's hard to tell whether we can fix it and start over. For this to happen drastic actions need to be taken and while I think we like the idea of doing this and changing the path we're on, no one really wants to bite the bullet and take the first steps.
I think society is on the same path as portrayed in Soylent Green. I think that we use natural resources without any thought of what is going to happen when we run out. Thankfully people are starting to work together to raise awareness about this but still little has come from it.
I think that we can definitely control our outcome as a planet by becoming more sustainable and actually funding organizations that help our plantet. We must work together to be able to stop ourselves from becoming similar to soylent green.
I WAS AT ODS LAST WEEK
Of course we are on the same course as that in Soylent Green: self-destruction. As a global society, but more severly it seems, on a national level are we following this path.
We do have complete control of the outcome. The Earth was in complete order before humans elvolved to a level of cometency where we began to exploite, waste, an ruin the environment. What we can do as of now is either completely change our ways (alternative energy source, sustainble practices, population stabilization, etc.?, which looking at our current practices, this goal seems nearly impossible. The other, not so welcomed, option is just to continue on our present path until we run out of resources, and then have no choice but to change our ways. It is quite obvious which is better and which we should invest in immediately.
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