Racing Extinction Documentary – Review. Change Starts With One Thing.

Air Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 9PM E/P on Discovery Channel.

Rating: ★★★★★

WARNING – the images and video shown in this documentary are graphic and heartbreaking. There is video of a group of fisherman in Indonesia that hunt for manta rays; it’s brutal to watch. There is also video of illegal whaling that is graphic.

Is mankind causing a mass extinction event? From Oscar®-winning film director Louie Psihoyos (THE COVE) and producer Fisher Steven, Racing Extinction is one of the most visceral and gut wrenching documentaries I’ve seen in a long while. The brilliant undercover work by The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS), and other dedicated and passionate activists like Shawn Heinrichs, Paul Hilton, Dr. Heather Kelly, and Charles Hambleton showcase the brutality of the trading industry for certain endangered species; their investigative reporting is both awe inspiring and eye opening. When I first heard about Racing Extinction, I originally thought it was about global warming and its effects on the planet. While there is mention of climate change and how the pollutants have destroyed our eco-system, Racing Extinction goes deeper. It exposes the underbelly of some of our global population’s ridiculous obsession with so-called Chinese medicines that have not been scientifically proven to cure any viable ailments, other than to satiate the neurotic minds of the desperately ill.

Shark fin soup is a widely popular dish in China; supposedly, it has healing properties. The fact is it doesn’t. Stripping the fins off the sharks and leaving them defenseless, unable to swim away is pure animal cruelty. Most of these fishermen aren’t even utilizing the entire shark. Watching a scene where a small shark sinks to the bottom of the ocean, unable to swim or propel itself away from other dangers nearly brought me to tears. And the manta rays are hunted and slaughtered only for their gills. The audacity of one of these fishermen and traders astounds me.

Dr. Stuart Pim, Conservation Ecologist at Duke University stated, “Each year, about one in a million species should expire naturally. In the next few decades, we’ll [mankind] be driving species to extinction a thousand times faster than they should be.” I shudder to think that I won’t ever to get to see some of this planet’s animal kingdom and not for lack of trying. I may never see them because they may not exist by the time I am able to go on an African safari. I’ve always wanted to go whale watching so I better get a move on before it’s too late.

Did you know?

There have been five previous extinctions:

Ordovian – 443 million B.C.
Late Devonian – 374 million B.C.
Permian – 252 million B.C.
Triassic-Jurassic – 200 million B.C.
(K.T.) Cretaceous-Tertiany – 65 million B.C.

Did you know?

Phytoplankton produces half of the oxygen we breathe? Dr. Boris Worm, a Marine Research Ecologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia provides an interesting segment during Racing Extinction. You may not think much about microscopic phytoplankton but knowing it creates oxygen should make you pay more attention.

Whale Shark
Photo Cr: Shawn Heinrichs

You don’t have to be an animal activist or even an animal lover to understand that we as human beings are driving certain species into extinction. During the documentary, there is a segment on endangered species including the last Rabbs’ Fringe-limbed treefrog on earth. Although a fungus wiped them out, we don’t know how or why the fungus spread so wildly. While the thought of a tiny tree frog may not upset you, illegal commercial whaling should. Whales are a protected species and when one restaurant in Santa Monica, CA called Hump served “whale” on their sushi menu, it raised eyebrows.

We as a global society should think about the repercussions of our actions. Dinosaurs and Dodo birds are extinct. At one time, the bald eagle was nearly extinct. If we continue with blatant disregard for our planet’s diverse species, soon our children, grandchildren, and their children in the next ten years will learn about these animals only through photos and video. National Geographic photographer David Doubilet said, “As underwater photographers, photojournalists really, we’re documenting a time and a place that, in the future, may not be there and the clock is moving.” As we speak, the Great Barrier Reef is all but gone. In a scene during this documentary, they show the first underwater panoramic photo of the reef and just 20+ years later, it’s completely decimated.

At the end of Racing Extinction, hope prevails. The hope that we [mankind] can save our planet is beautifully displayed with a mobile video unit mounted onto a TESLA that projects images and video of beautiful and interesting creatures that inhabit our planet. The imagery is projected onto buildings and walls, and even on the smoke from a refinery. We are all on this earth together. If we continue to destroy our planet – our home, the repercussions could be cataclysmic, not just for animals, but for humans as well.

The task is daunting but you don’t have to take it all on at once. You can start with one thing and challenge your family and friends to do it with you. It can be as simple as recycling. Use a water filter and reusable containers. Take public transit twice a week to cut down on emissions. You can even go vegan once a week! This documentary has a very eye-opening segment about bovine methane emissions. Who knew these cows produced that much methane? There are small things we can ALL do that can make a huge impact. #StartWith1Thing is the hashtag to use when sharing your ideas of what you will do to make a difference.

For more on the documentary and how you can help, go to http://racingextinction.com/startwith1thing.

Tune into Racing Extinction on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at 9PM E/P on Discovery Channel.

Website: www.racingextinction.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racingextinction

Twitter: @RacingXtinction #startwith1thing

Instagram: racingextinction

Film credits: Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea and Discovery present an Oceanic Preservation Society film. In association with Vulcan Productions, Earth Day Texas, JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation, Diamond Docs and Insurgent Media.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.