Last Hours

About LAST HOURS

The film “Last Hours” describes a science-based climate scenario where a tipping point to runaway climate change is triggered by massive releases of frozen methane.  Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, has already started to percolate into the open seas and atmosphere from methane hydrate deposits beneath melting arctic ice, from the warming northern-hemisphere tundra, and from worldwide continental-shelf undersea methane pools.

Burning fossil fuels release carbon that, principally through greenhouse effect, heat the atmosphere and the seas. This is happening most rapidly at the polar extremes, and this heating has already begun the process of releasing methane.  If we do not begin to significantly curtail the use of carbon-based fossil fuels, this freed methane threatens to radically accelerate the speed of global warming, potentially producing a disaster beyond the ability of the human species to adapt.

With this film, we hope to awaken people to the fact that the earth has experienced five major extinctions in the deep geologic past – times when more than half of all life on earth vanished – and that we are now entering a sixth extinction.  Industrial civilization with its production of greenhouse gases has the potential to trigger a mass extinction on the order of those seen in the deep geological past. In the extreme, it could threaten not just human civilization, but the very existence of human life on this planet.

An asset for the climate change movement, “Last Hours” will be disseminated globally to help inform society about the dangers associated with climate change and to encourage the world community to chart a path forward that greatly reduces green house gas emissions.  We encourage you to explore this website and the highlighted actions you can take to address climate change. We look forward to bringing you additional films about the challenges we face and the solutions that exist over the next few years, in the lead up to COP21, the 2015 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris.

“Last Hours” is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, presented by Thom Hartmann and directed by Leila Conners.  Executive Producers are George DiCaprio, Earl Katz and Roee Sharon Peled. Last Hours is produced by Mathew Schmid and was written by Thom Hartmann, Sam Sacks, and Leila Conners.  Music is composed and performed by Francesco Lupica. Last Hours is brought to you by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and produced by Tree Media.

TESTIMONIALS

"Carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels is changing our climate and transforming our world. From more destructive and more frequent climate-related extreme weather events and rising sea levels, to climate refugees, crop failure and water scarcity, the consequences are profound. Last Hours expertly explains how we got here, and what will happen if we don't work together to stop it. It is a needed and urgent call to action."

- Al Gore, Chairman, The Climate Reality Project

"Last Hours" is a captivating, extremely compelling appeal meant to awaken politicians and business leaders to take climate action and stop runway catastrophic climate change. Few films have managed to capture the sense of urgency as well as 'Last Hours'. In the context of science telling us that emissions need to peak by 2015 and then come down, and with politicians doing little to reflect this urgency, this is a a much needed asset for the climate movement."

- Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director, Greenpeace International 

"LAST HOURS is a jolting wake-up call for humanity about the sleeping methane giant that could kill off nearly all life on the planet if we don't act now to slash carbon emissions. Earth is sending us an urgent message that we ignore at our own peril."

- Tom Weis, President, Climate Crisis Solutions

"Last Hours is an alarming video that captures the state of emergency we face with climate disruption--yet at the same time we must recognize that there is real hope: the clean energy industry is rapidly growing, we are making headway in reducing carbon pollution, and by working together we can turn things around."

- Michael Brune, Executive Director, The Sierra Club

"This is an important video.  We have to deal with our carbon dioxide problem now, so we don't have to deal with the methane bomb down the road".

- Lester Brown, Founder and President Earth Policy Institute, Founder of Worldwatch Institute

"In the 18th century, Edmund Burke wrote that 'Those who don¹t know history

are destined to repeat it.' Many years later, Last Hours makes

clear how much we have to learn from our planet¹s history  to truly

understand the potent threat of trapped methane. This  film acts as a

call to action on climate that we must heed."

- Maggie Fox, President and CEO, The Climate Reality Project

"I'm happy to endorse this important film."  

- Robert Kennedy, Jr. 

 "The fossil fuel industry has broken lots of human laws over the last century.  Now the big laws -- Nature's laws -- are catching up to it.  As Last Hours makes clear, humankind must choose to rein in its carbon emissions now, or Nature will rein them in for us."

- Denis Hayes, President, the Bullit Foundation, Founder and Honorary Chair, Earth Day Network

"LAST HOURS is a jolting wake-up call for humanity about the sleeping methane giant that could kill off nearly all life on the planet if we don't act now to slash carbon emissions. Earth could not be sending us a clearer or more urgent message."

- Tom Weis, President, Climate Crisis Solutions

  

"Last Hours is essential viewing for anyone who cares about preventing the distastrous effects of global warming."

- Thu Pam, Executive Director, Rachel's Network