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Sci-Fi Films Like 'Snowpiercer' Exemplify 'Futures Thinking' on Climate Change

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • Science fiction films like "Snowpiercer" and "The Day After Tomorrow" serve as important examples of "futures thinking" by engaging with plausible, provocative scenarios.
  • These films explore critical climate issues such as solar geoengineering and the collapse of ocean currents, prompting viewers to consider the urgency of global warming.
  • The concept of futures thinking, grounded in present facts and leading to action, was also evident at the UN's Summit of the Future in September 2024.

Science fiction works like Bong Joon-ho's "Snowpiercer" (2014) and "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004) are more than just entertainment; they function as crucial tools for "futures thinking," engaging audiences with plausible, provocative stories about potential futures. These films, while fictional, often grapple with real-world scientific concepts and potential consequences, prompting reflection and action.

"Snowpiercer" depicted a failed attempt at solar geoengineering, where spraying CW-7 into the atmosphere to combat global warming triggered a new ice age. Similarly, "The Day After Tomorrow" explored the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) due to global warming, leading to catastrophic superstorms. While the films' scientific accuracy has been debated, their warnings about climate tipping points and the impact of weakening ocean currents now appear increasingly relevant.

These cinematic explorations of climate disaster highlight the importance of futures thinking, defined by Susanne Forchheimer as a process grounded in present-day facts that uses synthesis, sensemaking, creativity, and visualization to craft resonant stories about possible futures. Such stories aim to inspire different actions today. This approach was notably present at the UN's Summit of the Future (SotF) in September 2024, where global delegates convened to forge an international pact for safeguarding future generations.

During the SotF, science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, whose novel "The Ministry for the Future" was recently translated into Korean, spoke at a UNESCO BRIDGES panel. His novel opens with a catastrophic heat wave in India in 2025, illustrating the potential for devastating climate events. The film "The Day After Tomorrow" also brought attention to the AMOC, a critical ocean current system, and the serious climate impacts associated with its weakening, a concept that has gained traction among scientists.

Global warming can no longer be ignored.

— newscasterin the prologue of "Snowpiercer"
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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