1972 Film Imagined An Apocalypse In 2000. Is It Happening Slowly?

This provocative environmental awareness documentary film was made in 1972. The host narrator is Hugh Downs. Hugh Downs, widely known for his career in broadcasting, also had a notable concern for the environment. He often used his platform to advocate for the environment. Downs was a prominent American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer. He had a career that spanned several decades, and he became one of the most recognizable figures in American television. The early 1970s, when this film was made, marked a significant period for the environmental movement, witnessing the crystallization of many environmental concerns into organized actions and policies both on a national and global scale. The period saw the birth of several environmental legislations and the establishment of environmental agencies. Here are some key points regarding the environmental movement during that era and their predictions: The publication of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring“ in 1962 had already heightened awareness regarding environmental issues, particularly the dangers of pesticide use. This awareness blossomed into more widespread activism by the early 1970s. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, which mobilized millions of people across the United States to participate in rallies, demonstrations, and educational programs, signifying a strong public interest in environmental issues. Several environmental advocacy groups, like Greenpeace (founded in 1971), grew or emerged during this period. In the United States, significant environmental legislation was enacted, including the Clean Air Act (1970), the Clean Water Act (1972), and the Endangered Species Act (1973). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to address environmental issues at a federal level. Globally, the United Nations held its first major international conference on environmental issues, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, in Stockholm in 1972. Some of the predictions made by environmentalists at the time were quite dire, reflecting concerns about rapid population growth, pollution, and resource depletion. The 1972 book “The Limits to Growth“ sponsored by the Club of Rome warned that if current trends continued, the world would experience a significant societal and economic collapse within a century. Some predictions related to resource depletion, particularly of key minerals and fossil fuels, and extensive pollution leading to a decline in living standards by 2000, were not accurate in their timelines or severity. The early 1970s was indeed a pivotal time that set the stage for ongoing environmental awareness, activism, and policy making. While not all the predictions made during this time came true by 2000, the foundational concerns about sustainable resource use, pollution control, and biodiversity conservation continue to drive environmental discourse and action. If this environmental film interested you, please support my efforts to present more films like this by clicking the thanks button below the video screen or by becoming a patron of my efforts at Thank you David Hoffman filmmaker