A Sea Change: Imagine a World Without Fish

World Oceans Day Q&A with Filmmakers of A Sea Change

Following a screening of A Sea Change at the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, Barbara Ettinger and Sven Huseby answer questions about the film and ocean acidification. The plan was to receive tweeted questions and emails from other venues screening for World Oceans Day. Well, we couldn't get online: Verizon decided to test its cables during that one-hour period, alas. So no live webcast.

However, we did receive some questions from Spain. From Vilanova i la Geltrú, to be exact, in Catalonia. Outreach coordinator Angela Alston fielded those.

Moderating is Beacon Institute CEO John Cronin.

Our thanks to John and the Beacon Institute staff for making the screening and this video possible.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv)

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.

KOMO ABC Segment on A Sea Change

Sven Huseby interviewed on KOMO ABC Seattle. Sven co-produced and stars in A Sea Change.

KGO ABC7 News covers A Sea Change

Barbara Ettinger and Sven Huseby of Niijii Films interviewed on KGO, ABC 7, just before the West Coast premiere of A Sea Change at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

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.

A virtual Sea Change

We were delighted to be invited to participate in a web conference for marine educators on Monday. Sven was our intrepid pioneer into virtuality. The event was put together by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, as a lead-up to the Fishers Forum in Honolulu.

Moving forward, we're eager to create more opportunities for robust, virtual presence. A super way to lower our CO2 footprint and put our $ where our mouth is. Though (twist here) we wouldn't say no to the occasional jaunt to, say, Bora Bora, if we can optimize our carbon expenditure.