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On the evening of May 5, as I sat watching the environmentaldocumentary Last Call at the Oasis at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York, I couldn t help butthink of another film opening the same weekend, one that would endup demolishing the previous opening-weekend box office record set by the finalHarry Potter film. That other film, The Avengers , features several popular Marvel Comics heroes including IronMan, Thor and The Incredible Hulk (the greenest of the superheroes pun intended) who are recruited, one byone, to defend against a global threat. Apparently, I wasn t the only one who was making thiscomparison. Last Call water expert Jay Famiglietti posted his superhero take on The Avengers at National Geographic last Friday . Last Call , directed by Jessica Yu ( recently featured as one of Our Heroes) introduces us to a very different set ofidols including scientists and environmental advocates: real-lifeheroes fighting against the global water crisis, a more formidablefoe than whatever disaster The Avengers are up against. Jay is too humble to have included himself in his roundup of waterheroes, which includes Sierra Club Water Sentinel and Michiganfarmer Lynn Henning, biologist and herpetologist Tyrone Hayes andLas Vegas water manager Pat Mulroy. But he makes my list. Jay, a hydrologist and professor at University of California at Irvine, has an astounding abilityto communicate hydrologic and Earth System modeling to a generalaudience. Jay has a particular interest in groundwater depletion caused, in part, by poorly planned development and industrialagriculture. Jay also captures the attention of New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, who says that the hydrologist s findings are thorough and clear, and hepresents them with good-natured patience. For the most part, thatis. At one point, contemplating a future of unchecked consumptionand political paralysis, he sums it all up in blunt layman sterms: We re screwed. (Who says today s films lack memorable lines ?) As A.O. Scott notes in his review, The calm, knowledgeable voicesof the experts make "Last Call at the Oasis"especially scary. Nothing is more unnerving than predictions of anapocalypse delivered by a reasonable person in friendly,conversational tones. But is anyone listening? For Scott, that is the $64,000 question. One way the question is answered or perhaps finessed is bythe optimistic, encouraging tone that tends to sneak in at the end.Most examples of the We re screwed documentary end on a noteof Yes, we can. While Last Call at the Oasis does end on a hopeful note, if you re not paying close attentionyou might miss the call to action. The film, inspired by AlexPrud homme s book The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Fresh Water in the 21st Century , may leave some asking, What can I do? After thescreening, I hosted a brief Q&A where several people asked thisvery question. According to Participant Media , the public is the key to protecting water resources, and TakePart, the Social Action Network of Participant Media, providessome excellent take action resources, from no-brainers like don t flush garbage down your toilet to signing the Water Bill of Rights . People can encourage others including friends, family andco-workers to see this film. Word of mouth was a key componentto the success of such films as An Inconvenient Truth and The Cove . The film Gasland , another great example, has brought greater awareness to some ofthe myths propping up hydraulic fracturing. If you have an interest in, or are involved with, environmental andconsumer issues, then this film is a must-see. By inspiringmillions of Americans and people around the globe to stand up forwater, Last Call will no doubt help shape the dialog around water issues for yearsto come. In The Avengers , it is up to supernatural superheroes to save the planet. It willtake some heroism from each and every one of us to reverse thedamage that has been inflicted on our water resources and fight forclean water for all. The recruitment has begun. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Motorola OEM Housing , iPad LCD Screen Replacement for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits iPhone Touch Screen Digitizer.
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