The Human Element

American photographer James Balog has been tracking human-caused changes to our planet for over 35 years. Disturbed and motivated by what he has seen, The Human Element documents how the earth's four elements – water, air, fire, and earth – have all been impacted by a fifth element, homo sapiens. With breathtakingly rich and innovative photography, he illustrates issues ranging from rising sea levels to pollution's impact on asthma cases to focus us on a call for change. (San Francisco International Film Festival)