Chasing Ice, the movie is on a role, as the ice keeps melting.

I was innocently sitting in the Cafe of Alfalfas, Boulder’s original Natural Foods Market, when I overheard some great news, O.K. I was eavesdropping, but the tables are really close together.  Really, you know the feeling, how can you not hear what your neighbors are saying in tight quarters? Before I share the great news I heard, allow me to give you a little background.

Apparently, the only thing heating up faster than our planet is the Oscar season for some courageous and bold folks from Boulder, Colorado.    The Extreme Ice Survey was founded in 2007 as a long term photography project giving a “visual voice” to the planets changing ecosystems. For the past 5 years, award winning photographer, James Balog has been documenting the rapid disappearance of our Earth’s Cryosphere. Books have been published, talks have been given, Boulder’s local congressman, Jared Polis, has twice arranged a presentations to members of the U.S. Congress and other public policy makers in Washington D.C —he’s a true hero for education and action. Even late night TV is catching on. Here’s a recent clip from the David Letterman Show. Although Letterman waxed pessimistic the discussion held the viewers attention for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLTmUG3wgO0

The great news I heard is in addition to Chasing Ice’s Sundance Film Festival Award for Best Cinematography, and another 8 or 9 awards, this awe inspiring film just won The International Press Academy award for Best Documentary.

As it turns out, I was sitting next to Lindsay, the film Director Jeff Orlowski’s assistant, as she was studying for her final exams at the University of Colorado.  Well she wasn’t exactly studying at that very moment, she was sharing the news of this fantastic award, yup, they won Best Documentary from the International Press Academy. Lindsay was also excited to share with her friend on her cell phone that Chasing Ice has made the “short list” for Best Documentary for the Academy Award nominations.  We’ll find out if it gets nominated on January 10th.

The film has been described as important, scary, infuriating, powerful, informative, amazing, enlightening, helpful, disturbing, provocative and on and on.  Here’s an example of the impact it had on a 60 year old climate change denier who believed every word Bill O’Reilly ever spoke.

If you want to sign a petition, get involved as a volunteer, learn where you can see this film that a bunch of Boulder, Colorado locals created (the whole team is from Boulder)  go to their web site.  Or visit the Earth Vision Trust site and get involved with the awakening of our planet.  The movie is currently showing at the Dairy Center and in case you didn’t sense my enthusiasm … GO SEE IT, … and if it’s overlooked by Oscar, let the academy know what you think and how you feel.

onward with courage