An Inconvenient Truth "A"

Used To Be The Next President

What I learned from this documentary:
1. Global warming is a planetary issue that few people if any recognize.
2. Scientists don’t disagree on the issue of global warming, politicians do.
3. Al Gore is a thoroughly engaging, dynamic and charismatic speaker.
4. PowerPoint presentations can be interesting.

I don’t usually comment on documentaries because they are either far reaching or slanted in their point of view. What I do have to mention is that this is no ordinary documentary. The film “An Inconvenient Truth” is Al Gore’s way to spread the message, in fact he says it himself that he has done this presentation all over the world at least 1000 times. Boy does he have it down pat.

What should the average person take away from this?
Everyone should be required to watch this eye opening and engaging film. It’s based on the fact that we are in a worldwide crisis. No, it’s not terrorism or the fight for freedom but something much more threatening. We humans are polluting the air so badly that it’s going to be very tough to live on this planet in a 100 years, heck it’ll be tough in 50 years. Now, I don’t have children, nor do I intend to, but it seems to me that with all the talk about how “children are our future”, blah, blah, blah, that we would take an active interest in what kind of future our children will be living in. Makes sense, right? This movie will give you the basics on global warming, what is happening to our world right now and what the projections are in 20 or 30 years. From here look up the facts, get knowledgeable and make the determinations yourself.

What’s scary is not the fact that the polar ice caps are melting or that it’s getting hotter worldwide or that even a rise in global temperature triggers more violent hurricanes (Katrina anyone?) but that on Thanksgiving day the damn temperature here in Phoenix was in the 90’s! What is that bullshit? Doesn’t anyone realize that my air conditioning bill is STILL over 100 bucks a month?? Don’t you care??!???!?!! Actually, I’m only half joking. While locals remain apathetic and simply say it’s the desert, I say bullshit! I have lived here 10 years and it has never been this hot this late in the year!!!!!

I’m sick of apathy. We live in a consumer based society that screams “if it doesn’t affect me, than I don’t care”. This is the problem.

As I watched this documentary with a touch of sadness a few things popped into my head. Things like, “I wonder how our country and world would have been different if this deeply caring and eloquent man who won the popular vote in 2000 was President?”, and “we might as well kiss off our future now because people will never relinquish their cars or vote to curb emissions”, and finally, “I wonder what my air conditioning bill will be this month?”

So watch this documentary if you want, unless something important comes up like watching the football game or you have to clean out your sock drawer.

Apathy, it will be the end of us (or not).