In November 2020, under Donald Trump's Presidency, the United States was the first nation in the world to officially withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. Yet, the country had never before faced a greater threat from natural catastrophes. Illogically, of all Western democracies, the United States is one of the prime advocates of climate science and the country which has the most citizens who deny the existence of global warming. The United States is caught up, between denial and progress, in a political and ideological divide that has a global impact.
How has this country, which is seemingly a land of plenty, dealt with the threat of global warming? Why is there such forceful denial of reality?
To understand what provokes this complicated relationship, you must look back at the United States' history. From the arrival of the first settlers, to look at the roots of the concepts of the "Wilderness" of the promised land, to the notion of "American exceptionalism", which claims to exploit and protect nature simultaneously. This film chronicles the fascinating and enthralling history of the Americans' relationship to the environment. From an unusual perspective, we understand why their relation with nature and the environment is a cultural and political issue.
Direction: Cédric Tourbe
Production: La Générale de Production for France Télévisions