An SOS from planet Earth

A group of passionate individuals gathered in the Procrastinator Theater on Wednesday, Jan. 22 for a special showing of the movie “Footprints: Population, Consumption, and Sustainability.” Co-sponsored by student organizations at MSU such as Thrive on Plants and Students for Choice, the event strived to educate, inform and encourage the topic of sustainability.

Around the theater screen, tables boasted petition sheets, free food, flyers and stickers. Students and community members milled around until two taps on the microphone called for everyone to be seated. Caroline Stahl and Anna Campbell, co-presidents of MSU Students for Choice, opened the event by introducing the speakers and thanking the audience for their support.

Uma Rye Graham, founder and co-president of Thrive on Plants Montana, started with a look into our everyday consumption, saying, “There is enough plant food [available for human consumption] on the planet right now to feed 3 billion more people than are currently living.” Her following presentation detailed the hard facts of caloric waste and the dangerous consequences of inaction. Using a cow as an example, Graham mentioned that a high input of plant calories will result in a much lower output of meat-based calories. In short, animals are extremely inefficient bodies of conversion and transmission. The discussion then shifted through the topics of overpopulation, food supply, plant genetics, and sustainable living.

“Footprints: Population, Consumption, and Sustainability” began and the audience settled in to see a peek into population, overconsumption, climate change and the problem of limited resources, as well as hear experts analyzing each issue. During the showing, an expert touched on the single-use plastic problem, saying, “We use eight football fields worth [of single-use plastic water bottles], which is 1 million every five minutes in the United States.” The movie intricately depicted the pressing issues of sustainability that currently affect the human race — issues that, if not addressed, may severely impact the future of the planet as we know it.

Ali Moxley, an MSU graduate student in health and human development, spoke about her research during the panel following the film. Moxley brought a new lens to the conversation when she explained that, “Female health, specifically birth control, is one of the only ways we can stop the overpopulation problem. We just need to start the conversation.” In addition to Moxley, the panel included Graham and two other passionate and local supporters of sustainability. Following a short explanation of personal backgrounds and current studies, the panel opened up for questions from the audience.

If you are interested in pursuing more information about birth control and/or associated topics, Moxley, in collaboration with the MSU Women’s Center, will be hosting an open conversation titled, “Let’s Talk About It: An Open Conversation around Birth Control” on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in SUB 168.