I wanted to recommend a movie to everyone I know. I don’t think it’s gettin enough attention. I’ll admit it’s pretty scary, but I think we need to be scared. It’s not about the war, or gas prices, or the economy, or any of the rest of our substantial problems. It concerns global warming and it’s called An Inconvenient Truth. I think one of the reasons it’s not getting enough attention is it’s not a sexy subject, not everyone believes it, and Al Gore is the narrator and producer. We have long memories and remember his performance during the 2000 election and didn’t much like that Al Gore. But this Al Gore is different and quite convincing.
I think the weather in Phoenix has changed since I first moved here in 1951. Many of my friends say it’s because of the tremendous increase in population and the spread of the city. And maybe that’s true, but what I see is in the winter we used to get 3-4 months of freezes and now we may get 2 or 3 days of freeze. I can remember at practice while I was coaching of jumping up and down to stay warm. We never have days like that anymore. Maybe it’s my memory but it seems the summer is getting longer and longer and the number of days over 110 degrees seem to have increased. It just seems Phoenix is getting hotter.
Maybe I don’t know my history, but it seems like these forest fires are more prevalent and larger and are getting closer and closer to towns and cities. Recently in the newspaper there was a report that the forest fires all over the west were caused by global warming. Of course there seems to be more hurricanes in the gulf region and they seem more destructive. Weather experts say we are in a 20 year cycle. This of course effects the amount of gas and oil available because most of it comes from the gulf area.
Anyway these things are coming up and an election is on the horizon and we are going to be asked to make educated decisions on some of these issues and it isn’t too soon to educate ourselves, and Gore’s movie isn’t a bad place to start. His warning is we are 10-15 years from the tipping point, the point at which it will be too late to change things that will effect global warming.
The nation’s top climate scientists recently gave “An Inconvenient Truth” five stars for accuracy.
I have not seen the movie. Does it offer any suggestions for how to change this problem? You called it “pretty scary.” Is that it’s intent, or does it offer hope, rather than just doom and gloom? I hate seeing movies or hearing news stories that just scare me but offer no hope.
Given Mr. Gore’s track record, I would say he is again running for president. Most major politicians publish a book at the beginning of their campain. Mr Gore produced a movie. Having heard Mr. Gore interviewed about his movie, I would say it is rubbish. In one interview I heard he claimed that Greenland was possibly going to sink into the ocean. His tactic is what I call ‘FUD’… Fear Uncertainty Doubt. Oldest sales technique in the book!
Do I think we are in a warming cycle? yes. Is it all caused by burning fossil fuels? no
Have you seen the movie? If you go I’ll send you the cost of the tickets. Hard to criticize what you haven’t seen. I found Al Gore to be sincere. He was not a very good candidate for President in 2000, and I would not like to see him run again. I will also mail you his hour long interview with Charlie Rose if you have an open enough mind to see it. If he is right and you and many others are wrong, and we go by the tipping point, we are doomed through negligence and care of the world we live in. Do you believe that disasters like Katrina are caused by gobal warming? Do you think we are prepared based on our performance with Katrina and the Gulf Region to deal with natural disasters? Have you seen any of the pictures of New Orleans one year after Katrina? What do you think Gores Motive is if he is genuine and not running for President? Is it a money making scheme of profit from his movie.? That’s for writing. I always enjoy duking it out with you.
Gore’s movie offers a great number of suggestions on how we can avoid the outcome of natural disaster, but first we have to agree that it is possible. The US so far has rejected most of the treaties other nations have signed concerning greenhouses gases. I have one suggestion. Let’s go back to a 55 mph or 60 mph speed limit on the freeways. I know many people will continure to drive 70-75 mph, but if even half of the drivers slow down we will save a significant amount of fuel, and that would be a step toward not being so dependent on oil from unstable governments. Using alternative forms of energy. Tom Friedman, the writer of the book The World is Flat, has suggested that Green technology is the next great wave in economics. Those who come up with great ideas in green technology will profit greatly and we’ll all benefit.
Probably won’t see the movie. I have seen Mr. Gore interviewed by Rose. Lacks mega credibility with me. My conclusion is that Mr. Internet wants to be president.
I agree that our dependency on foreign oil is a huge mistake. I’ve been reading some about our oil resources. According to the U.S. Energy Department, in Utah and Colorado alone we have 8x as much oil as Saudi Arabia. More than 2 TRILLION barrels. A statement by Orrin Hatch: “The amounts of oil are staggering. Who would have guessed that in just Colorado and Utah alone, there is more recoverable oil than in the Middle East?” In addition we have the capability of producing huge quantities of Ethanol which is certainly a cleaner burning fuel than oil.
But solving our dependency on foreign oil does not solve global warming.
According to one source I have read the earth’s current average temperature is still several degrees under the earth average temperature for the last 6000 years. So more work and research needs to be done.
To say that the tipping point is ten years away is simply irresponsible! As I called it before … FUD
Bush said he wouldn’t watch the movie, which I thought was lame. It’s one thing to simply state, “Maybe I’ll catch it sometime, maybe not.” But he flat-out said he would not see it. I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of the messanger (Gore), rather than because of the message.
Our problem is credibility. Most Ã…mericans, even if they believe it’s a problem don’t think it’s that bad, but I think Katrina should have been a wake up call. Anxious to hear you comments after you see the movie.
Does anyone know how much money the major oil companies pour into PR over this issue? They are the ones creating the doubt that greenhouse gases are causing global warming. Even Pres. Bush recently conceded that greenhouse gases are the culprit. What does it take to convince us? Forget about the movie. Just look at the facts – all of them. Look at who the skeptics really are. Do some real research. And before you critique a movie, it would be a good idea to watch it.
Seems to me that all you folks in the valley of the sun should turn off your air conditioning. Just think about how much that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It ain’t major oil companies that the problem, it’s their customers. Think about it!