ASHLAND — The National Geographic Documentary Film “Paris to Pittsburgh” will be shown Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. in Ashland University’s Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium as part of the College of Arts & Sciences’ biennial Symposium Against Indifference, which is focusing on “Liberty and Responsibility.”
Co-sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence, the free, public event will also include a panel discussion immediately following the film’s screening with Craig Hovey, director of the Ashland Center for Nonviolence; Patricia Saunders, associate professor of Biology; and William Vaughan, professor of Philosophy.
Premiering last December in the U.S. and airing globally in 172 countries and 43 languages, “Paris to Pittsburgh” brings to life the impassioned efforts of individuals who are battling the most severe threats of climate change in their own backyards. Set against the national debate over the United States’ energy future — and the Trump administration’s explosive decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement — the film captures what is at stake for communities around the country and the inspiring ways Americans are responding. To view the trailer, visit ParistoPittsburgh.com.
Spotlighting the cities, states, businesses and citizens taking action, “Paris to Pittsburgh” explores the very real social and economic impacts of climate change-fueled disasters, from America’s heartland to the nation’s coastlines. The film features voices from local leaders as well as everyday Americans presenting the stories behind climate-related recovery and resiliency, as well as tireless innovative efforts to reduce carbon emissions, including boomtowns formerly reliant on coal such as Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, led by Mayor Bill Peduto, is now a city committed to energy efficiency and is one of the many examples of bold economic and climate leadership in the film. Other locations featured in the film include Puerto Rico, California, Iowa, Florida and New Jersey.
“Paris to Pittsburgh reveals the inspiring steps communities across the country are taking to confront the severe health and economic threats posed by climate change,” said Geoff Daniels, the head of unscripted programming for National Geographic. “From innovative ways to improve our food supply chain through Fleet Farming, parking lots shaded by solar paneled roofs to passionate college students making an impact in sustainable energy jobs, this documentary provides a hopeful roadmap for the future.”
The College of Arts and Sciences at Ashland University inaugurated the Symposium Against Indifference in 2001 as a biennial series of events and lectures dedicated to overcoming apathy in the face of human concerns by raising awareness and promoting compassionate engagement. The Symposium seeks to challenge the University community — as well as the wider Ashland community — toward a deeper understanding of difficult issues and toward creative personal and corporate responses.
For more information about the Symposium Against Indifference, visit cas-symposium.blogspot.com or contact Tricia Applegate, coordinator of CAS Communications, at [email protected] or 419-289-5950.
