D NY Have an idea for a story? M arts@theotherpress.ca Hard to swallow anthems » Environmentally-aware songs Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor f anything can pump you up to save the planet, it’s music—but not just any music. Heavy, fist-pumping ballads and rock scores are uniquely powerful in honing spirit and vigour. Here are three of my favourite “headbang while planting trees” tunes. “Earth Song” (1995) — Michael Jackson When I think “song about the environment,” Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” is immediately at the forefront of my thoughts. The first time I heard this masterpiece was in 2010 while playing Michael Jackson: The Experience on the Wii. Among brutal lyrics asking, “Did you ever stop to notice all the children dead from war? Did you ever stop to notice this crying Earth, these weeping shores?” my 10-year-old self, adorned with an oversized bejeweled white glove, was just a little traumatized. Visuals in the game consist of lightning strikes, flying debris, and a vast firestorm engulfing the forest in the background. Amongst this chaos, Michael Jackson is shown screaming, pumping his fists, and falling to his knees, properly conveying the desperation of the ballad. The official music video looks much the same, highlighting animal corpses, villages suffering famine, and natural disasters. “Blood // Water” (2017) —- Grandson “Blood // Water” is a roaring rock song calling attention to greed and corruption in politics and corporations. The heavy sound is composed of screeching guitars, a focus on bass, and pounding drums, with the uncommon characteristic of electronic sounds driving the song forward. Grandson is the alias of Jordan Edward Still from music video for 'Earth Song' by Michael Jackson Benjamin, a Canadian musician. Artists such as Rage Against the Machine are easily identifiable as inspirations for the socially- aware content produced by Benjamin. Benjamin’s music is gritty and hard to chew, but necessary to swallow. The song’s blatant jabs at the government, while tying together the working class with “we” statements, easily split society in half. Now ¢ Vancouver sculpture illustrates the importance of water e ‘Earth Under Water’ documentary review ..and more! ona side, the high-energy song invokes vigour to do better as a civilization. Benjamin candidly states the situation at hand, singing, “When the last tree's fallen, the animal can't hide. Money won't solve it. What's your alibi?” Once humanity has gone too far in using up the Earth’s resources, we won't be able to restore the ecosystem no matter how much money we throw at it. “Gods” (2018) —- Nothing But Thieves “Gods” is yet another politically-charged rock song. With less grit and more melodic tones, I can find myself dancing to this one. The central idea behind “Gods” is that we are already living amongst the gods of the next religion, which is fame and power. The entire song, with a repetitive chorus, makes you feel trapped in the tune, just as the lyrics cry of being unable to escape the people of power. Nothing But Thieves tells you that the gods are everywhere—polluting the air, in the cloud, on the television, and on all covers of the news. “I don't understand why they need me / Why I feel like a flaw in the system / Why I don't get a chance to resist them,” the lyrics impart. The song even touches on the lack of communication between the government and the rest of society, resulting in ignorance with regards to the decisions being made behind the scenes. Climate change to drown major cities > ‘Earth Under Water’ documentary review Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor Nw disasters are the scariest thing ever—not Michael Myers, roller coasters, or even spiders. Earth Under Water is a 2010 documentary by National Geographic that explores the ever-rising sea levels threatening to drown out civilizations. The closest I’ve been to a natural disaster was in Toronto, 2010, when my family and I missed a tornado by a mere 20 minutes. We watched the news as all the ceilings of stores we had just been at were ripped off entirely. The sky was jet-black that day. However, natural disasters occur every day. We as British Columbians face the constant threat of annihilation with the looming inevitability of the “Big One’—a megathrust earthquake and ensuing tsunami long overdue to hit Canada’s West Coast. That is, if we’re not underwater already. Antarctica holds vast amounts of frozen water, locked up in ice. If melted, this ice would dramatically raise sea levels—and the melting has already started. Scientists have calculated that Antarctica holds about go percent of the ice on Earth. Together with Greenland, that is enough ice, if melted, to cause the global sea levels to rise by 70 metres. Manhattan, Berlin, Paris, and of course Richmond are just a few cities that would find themselves underwater. Water rising is not a myth; it could happen again, just as it’s happened before. During Earth’s most recent ice age, which only ended about 12,000 years ago, ice sheets expanded so that land mass grew as sea levels fell. However, as the Earth grew ever warmer, sea levels climbed as the ice receded and eventually became the levels we have on Earth today. Due to the large amount of fossil fuel consumption, global temperatures are rising again. Predicting exactly how much the sea levels are going to rise is difficult because humanity has never had the Promotional image for 'Earth Under Water' technology to produce mass carbon dioxide before. Like any National Geographic documentary, Earth Under Water is filled to the brim with scenic shots, including beautiful drone views of Antarctica and cities that may not exist in the next 100 years. CGI incorporated into the film enhances many of these city shots with added flooding, allowing you to see what many of the Earth’s coastal cities will look like once sea levels have risen enough. The documentary also shows possible sea defences that can be implemented to protect our civilizations. Some defences are already being put in place, such as a large structure in the ocean to protect New Orleans from further flooding. CGI even illustrates the potential for floating cities in the ocean. Acknowledging there’s a problem is the start to finding a solution. Next is educating yourself on the problem, and National Geographic is a great step in that journey. Earth Under Water is a terrifying documentary of a far too real threat posed by global warming. Despite ignorance being bliss, climate change can't be ignored forever—or humanity will suffer the consequences.