June 19, 2006
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MONDAY READING
An Inconvenient Truth
by Al GoreSince the book was published at the same time as the film came out, I’m using it for today’s post even though I haven’t read it yet. I did see the film yesterday and was fascinated and even more impressed than I expected to be. The local cineplex put it in one of the tiny theaters in its group so there were probably only 100 people in the room, so hopefully they were all people who will spread the word. From the clapping at the end I’m guessing they will. Al Gore has been working tirelessly for the environment for years, presenting this particular lecture at least 2000 times all around the world. One turning point in his life was when his only sibling, a sister, died from lung cancer causing the family which had raised tobacco to totally close that part of their lives down. He was turned on to the issue of global warming by an early professor in school and became passionate about it. The film uses cinematography, and very clever visual graphs, charts, cartoons, etc. to make its points. One of my favorites is when Gore gets on a hydraulic lift and has it raise him along with the rise in heat levels over the past few dozen years as they shoot almost straight up on a graph. His delivery is easy to listen to and humorous in spite of how serious the subject is. The point is made that various economic interests have swayed media reports to try to paint the crisis as all a big nothing mistake. But a survey of actual scientists found that not a single one disagreed with the iminent disaster coming if major action isn’t taken Soon. I’m sure some who read this little post are convinced global warming is all a hoax and we should calm the heck down. All I can say is see the film, read the book, visit this web site that Gore recommended, and then let’s talk. My opinion is that, while we can begin doing lots of environmentally forward small things in our daily lives, the real power we have is to contact our politicians and make sure they know just how concerned we are. For that go here.
Deep Thought: “Once, when I got lost in the woods, I was afraid that eventually I might have to eat Tippy. But finally I found my way home, and I was able to put Tippy back in the refrigerator with my other sandwiches.”
Today I am grateful for: Lie detection
Guess the Movie: “Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage, and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution.” Answer: Lawrence of Arabia, 1962.
Winner: ChattyCat02.
Medicare Part D Plans Significantly Raised Drug Prices Since Program Began
New Study Shows that Virtually All Medicare Part D Plans Recently Increased Their Prices for the Top 20 Drugs Prescribed to Seniors (Rest of article here.)
Comments (31)
Your guess the movie quote reminded me of another movie I’ve been watching.
Marimeia Khushrenada: History is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever.
Thanks. I wasn’t planning to see it.
Now I will take friends.
A hoax it is not,thanks for the links.
People who don’t believe in the global warming have their heads up their butts. If you have been alive for more than 40 years, you can SEE the changes. Thanks for the movie review.
It’s unfortunate that many politicians do not take global warming seriously – in fact, studies that show that temperatures are rising have been supressed by government officials. Our newly elected (Canadian) conservative government is trying to reneg on the Kyoto accord.
I am doing my part – aside from raising awareness, starting next year I will be walking/bussing to work, and our air conditioner is off – unless the heat is really unbearable.
Our Canadian arctic is rapidly changing as a result of global warming. the polar bear is in danger of extinction as it loses its natural icy habitat. Ice caps are melting. This is not the result of natural global changes – it’s happening way too fast for that!
Thanks for the review!
Glad you saw it….and liked it…Amen!!!
I’m not wholly convinced, but I’m thinking about it. What makes me hesitate are things like, when Lief Erickson settled Greenland…it was wonderfully warm and the oceans were clear of ice farther north than they have been in my lifetime, and they had many decent-sized settlements….all of which their descendents had to abandon because the climate changed and such cold temperatures reigned that they couldn’t raise crops nor livestock. The ice returned, too. There were previous recorded extreme climate warmings and coolings before that – in northern Europe, also…all with similar results.
I’m not saying you are wrong, though. I’m just not wholly convinced…and my head is not COMPLETELY up my butt, either. : c /
I wish I knew what move that quote came from….sounds like a good one….ummm…”All Quiet on the Western Front”?
John
Global warming may be a naturally occuring phenomenon. But that doesn’t mean we have to do our bit to hasten it or make it any worse. And Al Gore is a personal hero. I’m hoping to go see it this weekend. If not, as soon as it hits DVD, I will own it.
that’s really intresting imma make a note about trying to see this movie
I personally think that Al Gore was robbed, & no one in the Senate was there to back him up….which is why I am so disappointed in my Senators: Boxer & Feinstein. Just imagine what our world would have been like if he hadn’t been so unjustly robbed. No war in Iraq or Afghanistan….we wouldn’t have lost those 2,500 soldiers.
I will go to see this documentary, & I am concerned about global warming. I think too many in power only think of their world, not the world that our grandchildren are going to inherit. Thanks for the positive review.
Could the quote be from “Lawrence of Arabia”??
Gah! The hurricane on that movie poster is going THE WRONG WAY. Sorry. I know that’s irrelevant to the subject of the post (and also very US-centric, as they *do* turn clockwise south of the equator), but I can’t actually read the post because it’s like a big giant eye-magnet. arg. (goes to copy-and-paste text into Word Pad so she can read it)
Lawrence of Arabia is correct! That was a hard one.
I’ve always admired Al Gore’s dedication to the environment. If only more people were as concerned.
RYC: Ah…but no! That photo is directly from my camera! *wink*
Thanks for visiting my site! And this is a movie I intend to see — I appreciated reading your review.
RYC: Why no, but I’ll be sure to look it up!
I agree, karma is a trip. The relationships between things aren’t always clear. I just try to do the best I can each moment. The past is gone. The future is only anticipated. All I really have to work with is the moment I am in.
Have a great day!
I am very sure that even politicians are concerned but nobody dares to open their mouth. Therefore energy- and transport monopolies are too powerful and it is actually those monopolies that pull the strings in politics.
“How much does it cost and what is in it for us?”
The corporate world is eagerly awaiting an icefree arctic during summertime so that the big oiltankers can ship through the so called “North-West-Passage”, cutting transportation routes and increasing profit margins. There is little worry that the entire polar- and subpolar wildlife is being pushed to the brink of extinction or that the melting permafrost poses the danger of releasing unbelievable amounts of methane gas into the atmosphere.
Afterall, the bill for the clean-up and damage of enviromental desasters is being forwarded towards the taxpayer. We all remember the desaster of hurricane Katrina! The costs are being put on the national debt while oil companies recorded record-profits due to profiting on this tragedy by price-gauging!
I often hear we have to do something but few would join in to boycott the gas prices for a couple of days and leave the car in the garage. The only way to send a clear message is to cut into the profitmargins of the big polluter monopolies! I envy those nations where people go out and protest for every little thing and get something moving. We however have got too comfortable than to get up and give up a little bit of our conveniences in order to make changes. So, get informed about global warming, how to cut down on the use of energy, how to preserve and recycle! Most of all, use only as much as you need and not as much as you can afford!
In the end it is more effective than signing a virtual petition, conveniently sent through high speed internet right from you snuggly warm and comfy home!
Astronomers have been observing signs of possible global warming also occurring on Mars and Jupiter at the same time it seems to be occurring on earth. Isn’t it amazing that our manmade pollutants have traversed so many millions of miles of the vacuum of space to wreak havoc on the ecosystems of other planets too? …….. Or just maybe could this global warming business have a little something to do with the periodic fluctuations of the sun’s energy output or some other larger-than-mankind cause? Naaaaahhhhh, how ridiculous. That wouldn’t advance the party line would it?
I suppose the comment by phre3D was supposed to be funny. Global temperature fluctuations are of far more complex nature than to say, energy output of sun is up and it gets warmer everywhere.
I wish I could join the group of those monkeys that see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing just to keep living happliy without worrying. I am not a friend of hyped up apolcayptic news and messages. However, everyone still believing that present global warming is still within natural limits and not fueled by global man-made pollution, thinks and acts neglient to a very serious issue.
While my generation might only experience “the beginning of the drama” future generations are left to deal with the whole desaster yet to fully unfold in 50 or 100 years. I find it very difficult to understand that we want the best for our children and at the same time take away their fundamental living rights, such as clean air to breathe or a sustainable, rich and diverse natural enviroment to grow up and live in.
Good ole’ Walt Whitman
It sounded awfully familiar, but I did have to look it up. Thanks, it’s a great poem.
Thanks for visiting my site and for your kind words.
Hugs
That’s Alec Guinness in “Lawrence of Arabia” talking to Peter O’Toole. I love that movie! Thanks for the post on global warming too. It’s really important but nobody seems to be listening. Kev
I’m glad you shared this. There was a TV program here recently in England about how the US government is covering up the environmental issue, I’d meant to blog it myself.
i saw a review of this from Epert & Roper. what they had to say was mostly postitive. They said it was like a disguised documentary. It was entertaining, and educational.. in all good.
It sounds like a good one
also, thanks for the concern, but alles gut. this is my last day in Germany after 3 weeks. My foot is basically healed.. a little bit of drainage and a few small openings, but they’re mending themselves. No infections.. not much bleeding. I can ride a bike(which is nessisary here), and walk around fine. I think my limp is gone actually.
anyway nice review. If it’s still out in theaters when i get back i’ll try to see it.
auf weidersehen
That is what I am doing. I am trying to figure out if the people I call friends are friends or just people I know. I am beginning to think they are just people that I know.
thanks for visiting my site..ill sub you as well
It really doesn’t matter how true the movie is, what matters is that it gets more people thinking of ways to take care of our mother, Earth. Let’s not push her to the point she decides she’s better off without us, I think that is the gist of what Al Gore is saying – There may be a point of no return for humanity.
I agree with you..we should do little message one by one and expect to effect movement for earth or our life….and thanks your comment…..*/N
i want to see it