What if the only way to find common ground in the conversation about climate change is by leaving science out of it?

Perhaps that’s a bit too extreme, but the point still stands: how important is the science? It dominates the conversations about climate change, but while science has a role to play in informing the public, it shouldn’t overshadow other perspectives, values and communication strategies. After all, it’s not science that disagrees, it’s people – so people should be considered equally as important as science.

Common Ground is an environmental documentary that deviates from the standard narrative about climate change. This film approaches the issue from an unconventional perspective and tosses aside the rhetoric that dominates media coverage. Rather than presenting scientific data as the focal point for a call to action, this film draws on social values, using empathy and cooperation as the foundation for social change.

Recent events in the United States have revealed a massive social divide. The Pew Research Center reported that the enmity between the Republican and Democratic Parties has deepened so significantly that almost half of each group is afraid of the other, and considers the policies of the other to be a threat to the nation.

In a country torn apart by political turmoil, a divisive issue like climate change stands not only to bear the brunt of political hostility, but also to further widen the gap. This is a turning point of unprecedented importance, and what we do now will have consequences that affect the social fabric, environmental security, and economic prosperity of every nation, and every person on the planet.