An Inconvient Truth
Michael and I got this documentary by Al Gore from Netflix the other day and I was a little skeptical about it, expecting it to be heavily slanted and politically laced. It was not, sure there were a couple little jabs at both Bushs but if you see them as jokes (which I feel they were) rather then insults, they are harmless. I do think it is important to note too that Al Gore does not get paid for the slide shows, like the one he is presenting in the film. He does it because he is passionate about the issue. (And for the longest time I thought politicians were all about the money.)
Anyhow, back to the documentary. I know people think:
Al Gore + Documentary + Scientific Nitty Gritty = Snore, BIG Snore
I did. I did not realize though, how passionate the man is about this cause and it really does come through in the dvd, but it does not feel overbearing. He does not come across as overtly political, the blame lies with everyone who does not act, not one political party. Gore is very good at breaking down the scientific nitty gritty into completely understandable terms and his facts are right on (look them up all you want! But please use a variety of sources, not just media hype.) His facts are scary, they make you want to go into denial but it is important to act, not sulk.
The film is interspersed with flashback-type moments of Al Gore’s life and how they have brought him to where he was. I have heard a lot of people bash the part where he talks about loosing the American presidency but I do feel it was necessary. It shows how he has refocused his efforts on this one issue since.
There were a few errors and things he could have touched on. I am sure people have picked them to death already. I feel he could have touched on the meat and agriculture industries impact on the environment, but unless you already know about that, it is not missed. Also on polar ice - you cannot tell the differences in years in polar ice by looking at it, unless you are a human microscope. If it makes you wonder how many of his other facts are wrong, please see the film AND THEN research his facts.
Flaws aside, I feel a picture is worth 1000 words. And many of the shots he showed throughout the documentary hit me way deeper then any chart he showed or thing he said. I was left speechless and any remaining skepticism I have has more or less vanished (I think it is good to still keep a little of it around though, it keeps the mind open.) I really enjoyed how he explained that investing in renewable energy will not make us all go broke and it will create new jobs. I feel that really needed to be said.
Let me say this, before I ever saw this dvd, I had come to the conclusion that Global Warming (or better labeled - Climate Change) it is very real and at least partially our fault. Climate Change is not a political issue, no matter how much some people try to make it seem like that, it is a Human Issue. The Earth is our only home, no amount of money will buy us another one. We should be alarmed at the slightest thought that we could destroy our home, because if we do we will destroy ourselves and our children.
At the end of the film there is a call to action and it does invite the viewer to tell people to see the documentary. This is my call to do so. See it before you promote or criticize it and decide for yourself if it is fact or fiction.
February 19th, 2007 at 9:45 am
I too was very impressed and deeply impacted by this film. I had a period of time where I was feeling very depressed about this issue but eventually that faded and yielded to a commitment to act.
I did have a question about this part of your post:
“Also on polar ice - you cannot tell the differences in years in polar ice by looking at it, unless you are a human microscope.”
Can you elaborate on that? Are you referring to the ice cores that they drilled in Antarctica?
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February 19th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Yes, the cores from Antarctica. At one point in the documentary he says that he could see the different in the ice sample (when they point out where one of the bills Gore helped pass was in the ice.) As far as I have read, any visual difference in ice cores is due to pressure not small molecular differences (ie: differences in c02) that can only be measured with a lab equipment.
I really enjoyed the documentary it definitely has made its mark on me. I am a proactive person by nature so with the impacted my will to make even more changes and support others in making them has increased.
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February 19th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
That very well could be. I thought that it was the amount of discoloration due to industrial particulates that caused the ice to change color. But I am not sure.
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