An Inconvenient Truth
What a perfect title. It cuts across a pervasive national, international and personal blindness to what has now become as close to truth as we will come in dealing with humanity's future. Until now, most people and some political parties here and abroad have knowingly looked away, found excuses, deferred seriously considering the implications of the "coming unpleasantness". It is called global warming. If nothing else, a summer movie will hold our eyes and minds on the issue, hit us in our guts, and force us to face the truth of what is happening to this planet, no matter how inconvenient it might be to our personal plans, political policies, or hopes for business-as-usual.
An Inconvenient Truth is the culmination of 25 years of interest and concern about this largely ignored issue. Al Gore has pursued this issue as a matter of personal passion even while a would-be votership has placed far more political support behind far lesser social and environmental problems. My hope is that the movie will be viewed on its own merit without regard to who belongs to what "party". We have this window of time to confront a terrible truth: that without changes in the way we live and work, travel and shop, build and pollute, future generations may face an altogether different and less healthy planet. The party is over. We may be too late and too little to affect a change. But to look the other way from an inconvenient truth is unconscionable, a kind of Grand Lie. Maybe--just maybe--this summer movie will be the catalyst to spark a conversation we've put off for far too long, and goad us to turn our new resolve for our children's sake into action.
You can hear interviews with Gore about the movie and the matter on Fresh Air or on the Diane Rehm show.
Opening is being staged over the summer (why?) and will be opening in Roanoke at the Grandin only (why?) on June 30. I'm hoping an armada of Floydians will go down mountain together and see it, discuss it, and keep the discussion going for the future. Floyd is poised to become a (small rural) center for "green" technology development. Maybe even very small towns and grass-roots bloggers like you and me can face and confront this very large and inconvenient truth.
Comments
I am going to San Diego,CA this weekend and I am looking forward to taking my sister who has 3 gas-guzzeling SUV's in her small family. I have been an avid reader and speaker regarding global warming since the 70's. People used to laugh when I brought it up, now they don't.Every single person can make a difference, we just have to make them aware of that fact.
Posted by: dusty | May 31, 2006 10:26 AM
you probably know this, but one simple thing that the average person can do is replace their regular light bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs. i read that if every household in the u.s. only replaced one bulb, it could reduce global warming pollution by 90 billion pounds over the life of the bulbs. plus, it saves on the consumer's electric bill.
Posted by: Amy F. | May 31, 2006 11:32 AM
I love the title too and am impressed with Gore's perseverance. The News Hour covered this pretty well...gonna go give the interview a listen.
Posted by: colleen | May 31, 2006 2:08 PM
The poster picture for the movie is exciting and scary and ... unfounded? Increased frequency of hurricanes can result from global warming, but the link between emissions and hurricanes is a leap because noone has separated the impact between emissions and natural climate variability on global warming. Nevertheless, I am taking the wife to this movie as it will no doubt result in some good discussion.
These are just some questions I wonder about:
Why will Floyd focus on green technology? Are Floydians particularly environmentally conscious compared to other places? Will it provide a financial boost to an otherwise economically isolated area? Does it lend an intellectual cache to the place? Do Floydians have the skills and training to develop and operate such an initiative? Could any developments from Floyd be successfully distributed to the rest of the world?
If I were President/King I would consider instituting telecommuting where possible, and a la Mike Bloomberg, I would cover all flat rooftops in urban areas with solar panels if the $/kwh allowed it as a start to carbon reduction.
Posted by: Jim | June 2, 2006 11:17 AM