Let me start by saying I am not “green.” I drive an SUV and I don’t recycle. (By now you either love me or hate me. Wait! It gets better…) I also procrastinate which is why I am writing about a movie that has been out for some time. (Though it has come to my attention that many of my friends and co-workers have not viewed it either.) You’ve probably seen it or at the very least have heard about it. I need to talk about it.
As if I don’t have enough to do, along comes a movie that expects even more from me. Please! I’m not looking to add to my already hectic schedule. I put off viewing this flick because deep down I knew it would affect me. I hope it affects you too. I admit, I had a lot to learn.
So, I got together with some friends and we viewed, An Inconvenient Truth. I will spare you the long discussion and heated, yet friendly (OK! OK!, semi-friendly) debate that ensued, but here are the composite views:
“It’s about politics!”
Yes, it is, especially when you learn of a leaked memo advising to:
“…reposition global warming as theory rather than fact.”
“It’s about morals!”
Yes, it is. It is morally wrong to harm the Earth and its inhabitants (assuming of course, that you believe as I do, that all life has intrinsic value). But do we care enough to fix it? Consider the following quote by Upton Sinclair that appears in the film:
“It’s difficult for a man to understand something when his salary depends upon not understanding it.”
“It’s a choice. Economy vs. Environment! How do you choose?” (Well, if we don’t have an environment in which to live do we really need to worry about an economy?)
“It’s about our kids and their future!” Yes, it is about that too.
“It’s about ice caps and *Kyoto Protocol and polar bears!” (Oh my!)
It is about all of these things and so much more. Mr. Gore wears many hats throughout this movie – Former Vice President, Comedian, Concerned Parent, and Educator, just to name a few. He grabs you and holds you, beseeching you to understand our plight and the truth about global warming. He is serious, comedic, well informed and passionate. It is that didactic combo that holds your attention and commands your respect. He won’t let go of you until you’ve heard, understood, and learned the truth. I learned that I still have a lot to learn and I can make a difference.
Al Gore made me think. He made me question many things (including, once again, our current administration, but I digress). He asked if I was ready to change the way I live. The 10 things he asked of me will not make my life any more or less hectic. They may however, make my life better – and yours too – and even future lives. So, here’s what we can do:
1. Change a light (switch to compact fluorescent light)
2. Drive less
3. Recycle more
4. Check your tires (proper inflation improves gas mileage)
5. Use less hot water
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging
7. Adjust your thermostat (just 2 degrees down in the winter and 2 degrees up in the summer!)
8. Plant a tree
9. Turn off electronic devices when not in use
10. Be part of the solution - visit www.Climatecrisis.net
I am adding one more to the list.
11. Please, watch, share and discuss: An Inconvenient Truth
As the movie comes to a clima(c)tic end, an old African Proverb appears:
“If you believe in prayer, pray that people will find the strength to change.”
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*The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an amendment to the international treaty on climate change, assigning mandatory emission limitations for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the signatory nations
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol
Kellie
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4 comments:
Hey Kellie,
Do you think your opinion of Al Gore, or anyone's opinion, impacts their view of the content? Is it truly a documentary, or does it come across as having an agenda, like a Michael Moore movie?
Does Gore come across as non-partisan, or does he appear to be "policticking" in this film? One might argue that he did this to jump-start his 2008 campaign.
I'M not saying that, mind you! :-)
I'll also withhold my personal political views (don't assume, they'd probably surprise you in this case!)...
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
It took me a little while to warm up to politics in general.
As for the topic of global warming, it was actually an environmentalist friend of mine (yes, a "tree hugger") who first got me interested in the subject and specifically, the Kyoto Protocol back in 1998. We wrote letters to the President asking him to sign and ratify the protocol. I took notice of Vice President Al Gore in November 1998, when he "symbolically" signed the protocol. (It was never ratified so it's non-binding). It is important to note that as of 2005, the United States was the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels. Not very impressive.
Later, we took pen to paper once again and wrote letters in support of the ban of oil drilling in Alaska's Bristol Bay. *“A presidential drilling ban, ordered by former President Bill Clinton, was in effect until 2012”. This was impressive. (However, President George W. Bush lifted that ban in January 2007. Many believe lifting this ban will prove to be quite detrimental to the marine environment and serve to keep us ever dependent on oil.)
So, to answer your question, my opinions about global warming lead me to Al Gore. The impact he is having on the issue continues to draw my focus. There are straightforward scientific facts presented in this film, and you leave with a great deal to think about.
That being said, this is definitely a "hot" topic encompassing many things, including politics. Naturally, this could serve to be the "IT” factor that "jump-starts" Mr. Gore's 2008 campaign. If that's on his agenda, he's off to a great start! That doesn't necessarily mean he gets my vote. There are a myriad of other issues on the table. And then there's Hillary…
Kellie
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* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_protocol
Bear with me as I play devil's advocate...
Here's what one of my friends pointed out to me (and I saw on USA Today as well):
"The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh-more than 20 times the national average," the Tennessee Center for Policy Research said in a news release.
Don't you think that hurts the impact of his film? Does he "practice what he preaches?"
Personally, I hope the movie separates the person and the politics from the topic (and I'd say that no matter who made the film). I think it's a topic definitely worth discussing. My only fear is that the film was done with an agenda, and must be digested with a grain of salt.
Ahhh, yesssssss! The lengths that skeptics must go to in order to suppress action on global warming! Interesting. I believe this was dubbed "The Inconvenient Hypocrisy!" Right wing vs. Left wing and all the mud slinging too. (Oh my!)
I'd hate to see those figures BEFORE he started going "green."
Can I please see the "before and after" figures. What's "average?" Is it the "average" of mansions or the "average" of a home like yours or mine? I need more info. Facts and figures can be distorted. That being said, I'll respond from VP Gore's Office with:
1) Gore's family has signed up for 100% green power, installling solar panels and using compact fluorescent bulbs and othe engery saving technology.
2) Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offest the family's carbon footprint - a concept the right-wing fails to understand.
"What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible."
Kellie
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/26/gore-responds-to-drudge/
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