A Sea Change: Imagine a World Without Fish

Grist reviews A Sea Change

"One reviewer has called it a “global warming horror documentary.” And there is certainly plenty to fear as Huseby—and the audience—learns more and more about the threat of ocean acidification. He interviews scientists who tell him 118 billion metric tons (or 118 billion VW Bugs worth) of CO2 have already been absorbed by the ocean. He watches the enamel of a human tooth quickly dissolve after sitting in a cupful of carbonated water. He listens during a conference where scientists ask each other how they missed this big issue—and whether we’re already screwed (answer: probably).

But despite all this, A Sea Change emerges as more love story than horror flick. . . .

Huseby is more energized than ever in his quest to publicize the dual threats of ocean acidification and global warming. During a panel discussion following a Seattle International Film Festival screening, Huseby announced that he’ll be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December and will be showing the film there. He’s also planning screenings for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a UN delegation. He’s even been asked to testify on the topic in front of Congress.

“We have a 10-15 year window to make some noise,” he said. “I would love to see the term ‘ocean acidification’ become part of the political discourse.”

And thanks to this film—and Huseby’s love of the ocean—it just might."

—Sarah van Schagen, Grist

Read the rest of van Schagen's story here.

Testimonial for A Sea Change from a Climate Project presenter

"I received A Sea Change after I returned home from work Monday. I finally had a chance today to sit and watch it and I was beyond impressed!  It is a wonderful journey of discovery that Sven and Elias takes us on. So perfectly made. BRAVO!!! 

I hope with all my heart that as many people as possible watch this. I will do everything I can to forward those to your social network pages, and please let me know if there is anything more I can do.

Like Sven and many others in A Sea Change, once I learned about the problem of ocean acidification I have been able to think of little else.The dire message of ocean acidification is beautifully conveyed in the film and does a wonderful job of highlighting the duty of us all to become educated and called to action.

THANK YOU so much for arranging to send this. I cannot wait to bring it to Nashville!"

—Jess Reese, The Climate Project Presenter

The Climate Project consists of 2,600 dedicated volunteers from throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Spain, and the UK, all personally trained by Al Gore to educate the public about climate change. TCP presenters have reached a combined 4 million people worldwide. Jess will be presenting A Sea Change at TCP's North American Summit in May.

A Sea Change reviewed by Prof. Jeff Levinton, Stony Brook University

"The feeling that we have stolen something from our children falls heavy on the old, who wonder whether they have done right by themselves, their family, and their society. Sven Huseby feels this deeply as he discovers that his generation has profoundly changed the atmosphere by adding carbon dioxide. The ocean will acidify and perhaps extinguish a large part of the base of the oceanic food web. Sven’s parents met amid the bounty of fish that could be caught and sold in Norway, and then his family moved to Alaska where you could walk on the fish schools. Now will his grandson face a world without fish?

This gentle film follows Sven’s journey, from his Norwegian roots, to a new life in the United States, to his idealistic days as a teacher in a progressive school in Vermont, to his retirement and longing for a way to tell his grandson Elias how special the world was when Sven was young and how much it will take to keep it that way.

The journey is not linear, which makes it all the more compelling. Sven meets scientists, hoteliers, fishermen, conservationists, and environmental entrepeneurs, all who tell an alarming story but end it with the glimmer of hope that can make an idealist like Sven positively giddy. As the movie comes to a close, Sven hears about green technologies and his childlike wonder tell all about his evanescant and hopeful personality. The movie is clearly of the documentary mode, but it is beautifully shot and moves from place to place in North America and Norway in a smooth and effective track. Sven learns, thinks, shows his deep love for his grandson, but never forgets his mission to communicate the future and the consequences of inaction.

[A Sea Change] is the opposite, as much as is possible, of the hard-hitting An Inconvenient Truth. Instead of a starring personality who sucks the air from all around him, we see a thoughtful person who thinks and moves carefully, and never makes you feel sorry for him or the planet. When he asks questions, you feel that you want to help him and talk with him. I never felt that for a second about Al Gore, to be truthful. You will be charmed by Sven, his conversations, and his lovely smart grandson. You will leave the theater hopeful. You will find Sven ever kind, but ever persistent. Don’t expect piles of facts or even the complete story about ocean acidification from this film. That is not the point. Mr. Huseby wants you to test the roots of your idealism, your resolve, and your hope for the future and its children."
—Jeffrey Levinton, Director, Marine Biology Web Page, Distinguished Professor, Stony Brook University

NBC DC reports on A Sea Change

Anchor Wendy Rieger produced a story on A Sea Change last week, leading up to our premiere Saturday in the DC Environmental Film Festival. Below is an excerpt. Wendy reports on environmental issues regularly in her series "Going Green" on NBC 4 in Washington.

Matter Network reviews A Sea Change

Erica Gies reviewed A Sea Change March 6. Here's a brief excerpt (read the whole review here):

"Ocean acidification is such a scary problem that many people would rather not think about it — kind of like climate change. But “A Sea Change” goes a long way toward making this uncomfortable topic oh-so-human."

In case you're not familiar with Matter Network (we weren't!), here's their self-description:

"MatterNetwork.com reports on emerging green technologies and clean energy and their economic, political, and lifestyle impacts. In addition to creating original content, Matter Network aggregates the leading editorially-independent websites that cover topics ranging from green building and alternative energy to cleantech and responsible investing – all resulting from the shift toward sustainable business practices and products."

Washington Post reviews A Sea Change

Ann Hornaday reviews A Sea Change in today's issue of The Washington Post (March 12). An excerpt:

"The story of a retired educator who becomes interested in, and finally consumed by, the declining state of the world's oceans, the film [A Sea Change] brings a crucial and little-known issue to the attention of filmgoers. The movie, which takes the audience to some of the globe's most attractive locales, brings to surprisingly absorbing life the subject of ocean acidification. That's what happens when carbon dioxide -- released by cars and other fossil-fuel-burning culprits -- ends up in the sea, thereby fatally changing its chemistry. . . .

"A Sea Change," which was co-produced by Huseby and directed by Barbara Ettinger, looks terrific, with lots of breathtaking footage of the natural world, from the tiniest pteropod (the fluttery, planktonic sea snail that is most threatened by acidification) to the most majestic Norwegian scenery. And, at a time when plenty of documentaries want to be the "Inconvenient Truth" of fill-in-the-issue, "A Sea Change" brings a genuinely important subject to the fore with a welcome lack of jargon and preaching."

Read the complete review here.