The divisions that we see in society are a result of the differences in ideologies of people, and people’s ideologies are a product of their worldview which also is a result of the things that they have been exposed to. There are simple topics that make it clear for everyone to see why these differences exist, like the differences between those who support abortion and those who are against it; a simple reason for this is that most religious people will be inclined to support abortion, while those that think that the government should not dictate how anyone manages their body will be inclined to be against it. Subjectivity will continue to prevail as far as ideology is concerned, and with the precipitation of multiple issues that continue to divide society, it appears that we are gradually gravitating to a place where we cannot unanimously agree that the sky is blue. Every single thing these days has become a topic for debate, and most times, it will appear that there is growing support for arguments that defy fundamental reasoning. Most times these arguments may even make you question your reasoning.

Amongst the topics that seem to be at the forefront of most debates, the one that seems to be the most complicated or misunderstood is the issue of climate change. In comparison to other divisive issues like immigration and abortion, this appears to be the most incomprehensible to most groups irrespective of whether they are for or against it. This could be attributed to people’s inability to take the time to research and perhaps understand the scientific drivers that could lead to the claims from scientists that purport that the world is going to go up in smoke someday if we do not improve our relationship with our environment. So what does a prelude about the climate change debate have to do with an article that should be about the Aquaman movie? This is because of the complexity associated with explaining climate-related issues, and the effort that this movie makes to give a basic understanding to the complexity associated with it. Surely, this movie does not present itself as a tool that will be sufficient to persuade the climate change deniers, it just offers a basic explanation with the hope that most viewers will see a correlation.

The only character trait that was known about Aquaman was that he made every effort to keep the ocean clean but most of these comic books at the time were not written with a clear pointer to environmental consciousness. Environmental awareness was still a precipitating topic as scientists continued to observe how industrial waste like oil spillage impacted ocean life. At this time, climate change or global warming was not a buzzword that riled up a younger demographic within the populace, it was not one of the elements that would define who an informed or uninformed voter was. However, scientists continued to release data to educate the public on the relationship between humans and the environment as well as the associated impending doom that will befall our planet if nothing changes. People who have been able to key into the science of it all are beginning to think differently; these days it is a topic that is even placed on the ballot and in some cases the main issue that most politicians have recognized that they need to tread carefully during political debates that precede election season. Some believe that climate deniers engage in willful ignorance to serve their selfish interests; these are people representative of companies that engage in some of these spillages or harmful gas emissions that harm the environment. Others are triggered into an antagonistic posture because they perceive these selfish interests on the part of these companies and their representatives and because of this, they are in full support of positive climate initiatives that will threaten the profits of these companies. Then there is the other group that is too involved in mundane activities to care. Between all of these parties, it will not be surprising if the greater percentage of them knew nothing about the science, and how it relates to the issue that they are fighting for.

As Vibranium is to Wakanda, so is Orichalchum to Aquaman’s home Atlantis. When radioactive materials are added to fictional stories, most viewers will deem it unnecessary to figure out if these materials exist, and even if they do; are they capable of causing the damage that the story purports? The only knowledge of orichalchum that is easy to access, was in the Critias by Plato; which describes orichalchum as a metal of high value, of which Gold was the only object that would have a higher value than it. This underwater fantasy centers around how the wrong people got a hold of this substance and used it to emit the all-dreaded greenhouse gas that is linked to global warming. Interestingly, this story is laid out in a manner that presents the friction between land and sea; how man’s pollution of the sea affects Atlantis, and how this current emission of gasses accelerates global warming on the surface. The citizens beneath the surface believe that the humans on land are the problem with their constant pollution of the sea, while the humans are unaware of the brewing politics on the senate floor of Atlantis, and how the sea-dwelling politicians see the elimination of the surface dwellers as a solution to maintaining environmentally appropriate hygiene within the ocean. The story is built around how Aquaman will not be part of these kinds of politics and how he navigates this political terrain with the sole purpose of bringing surface and sea dwellers together.

The movie is not bereft of Aquaman’s intermittent humor, sometimes amidst action sequences that get tapered down because of the light-hearted injection of comedy, but the message of the movie is not missing as it coasts to its climax. The underwater war and its resulting effect on the surface becomes worthy of top news media on the surface world. In as much as most viewers will be lost in the very colorful underwater explosions as Aquaman and his partners from Atlantis battle with antagonistic forces that threaten to destroy Atlantis. This is a family-friendly movie, especially for parents who wish to socialize their younger ones in comic culture. The ones on the lookout for metaphorical connotations (like yours truly) will not only see the strange in the ordinary but will get the main message intended by the storytellers. The political divide caused by the disagreements that we see in society will probably continue to grow because we are in a time where people just disagree for the sake of disagreeing, we have been asked to trust alternative facts in the face of blaring evidence, so you can imagine the length of the mileage that will need to be covered to bring most people up to speed as regards complex topics like global warming. For those who believe in the molecular build-up of this planet, and how there is an interrelationship of everything that keeps the earth in a healthy balance, it will be easy to get the message that this movie intends to put out there. Those who believe that the outcomes of this earth are being controlled by some external forces that are unrelated to our environment will always have their arguments against global warming. It is very easy to deny science when the repercussions may not be witnessed in one’s lifetime, but most scientists will be willing to place a bet that people who willfully deny the existence of gravity will be the last to jump off a ten-story building.