An Inconvenient Truth
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Movie Reviews of An Inconvenient Truth
Movie Review: "Consensus as the one that has developed around [global warming] is rare in science"
Summary: 5 Stars
"Out of 925 recent articles in peer-review scientific journals about global warming, there was no disagreement [that it is occurring]. Zero."
The above is just one of the facts you will learn from viewing this Academy Award-winning, riveting, easy-to-understand, and surprisingly non-boring documentary about climate change, specifically global warming. It features former U.S. vice-president Al Gore standing on a stage before a large screen lecturing to an audience.
Generally, Gore reviews:
(1) the scientific evidence for global warming (he has access to many scientists)
(2) the politics of global warming
(3) the economics of global warming
(4) its consequences (those happening now and those that are predicted)
There seems to be some confusion as to what exactly the contents of this film entails. To alleviate this problem, I will give the title of each scene below and where I feel it is necessary, a comment in parenthesis:
(1) The river (this is one item in an introductory sequence)
(2) Continental drift (at one time major land masses were together but slowly drifted apart)
(3) Basic science of global warming ("traditional explanation")
(4) Global warming cartoon ("better explanation")
(5) Professor Revelle (first person who proposed to measure carbon dioxide (a major culprit causing global warming) concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere. Gore attended classes given by Revelle)
(6) Carbon Dioxide measures since 1958
(7) Glaciers receding (around the world)
(8) Ice cores (can be used to measure carbon dioxide concentrations for a particular year in the past)
(9) Carbon dioxide levels back 650 thousand years
(10) *Albert's accident (Gore's son)
(11) Rising temperatures
(12) Hurricanes (as well as tornadoes and typhoons)
(13) *2000 election (Gore versus Bush)
(14) Precipitation and Evaporation (these are increasing and relocating due to global warming)
(15) *The Gore farm
(16) The Arctic (predictor of global warming)
(17) The ocean conveyer (responsible for heat transfer)
(18) *Resistance to change (humans find it difficult to change their ways)
(19) Troubling signs (of global warming)
(20) Antarctica (another predictor of global warming)
(21) Sea-level rise
(22) *China (contrary to what you may hear, China is doing its part to curb global warming)
(23) (Human) population explosion (puts pressure on Earth's resources)
(24) Old habits + new technology (= dramatically altered consequences)
(25) *Working tobacco
(26) Is there (really) a controversy (with regard to global warming)? (Gore talks about skeptics who want to "reposition global warming as a debate")
(27) Science fraud (just like that which perpetuated the myth that smoking cigarettes does not cause lung cancer)
(28) Balancing the economy and environment (or money versus the Earth)
(29) *City by city (Gore goes to cities around the world with his message)
(30) The solutions are in our hands (to solve the problem of global warming)
(31) Are we (humans) capable of doing great (environmental) things?
(32) Our only home (the planet we call------EARTH)
(*These items are personal in nature.)
Gore is an engaging person thus making this documentary (on a serious subject) a treat to watch. The pictures, graphs, animation, etc. that appear on the screen behind Gore are well done and illustrate exquisitely each point he's making.
The accompanying book of the same title is more detailed than the documentary. The book reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in July 2006.
The film's distributor, "Paramount Classics," is donating 5% of the box office receipts and Gore is donating all his proceeds from this film to "The Alliance for Climate Protection." Also, this was the third highest documentary at the U.S. box office (at the time this review was written).
Finally, the DVD (the one released in 2006) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has many interesting extras.
In conclusion, I want to leave you with the words of the late, great Dr. Carl Sagan that I feel summarize Al Gore's fascinating documentary:
"Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. [To see that the Earth is truly a "speck," refer to the picture of the Earth as seen from about 3.5 billion miles by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Gore includes this astonishing picture both in this documentary and his book.] In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world we know so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which [the human] species could migrate. Visit yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we must make our stand."
(...)
Movie Review: Al Gore's Journey Is Now Ours
Summary: 5 Stars
I can describe this movie in two words: a journey. It is Al Gore's journey of heart, soul, spirit, and mind through a lifetime of stewardship and also growth. For as much as this movie is a clarion call to all of us to now take our own journey for our planet, ourselves, and our children, it is also Al Gore's reckoning with himself. He lays his soul bare to warn us of the consequences of our inaction now regarding this crisis, because it relays to the events in his own life in the past that brought him to this point as well.
The scenes showing his early years in Congress, his son's car accident, the 2000 election (yes, I cried here,) and the very poignant scenes of him with his sister Nancy who died of lung cancer revealed to me a man not doing this out of any selfish political intent, but of a man who is telling you, the viewer, that even he has had to experience loss and near loss in his life in order to realize what he lost and how much of a part he played in it. I think those scenes were shown in direct correlation to this climate crisis and his message that we must not make the same mistake now with our planet.
Will we look back years from now regretting that we continued the very behavior that is contributing to this crisis even knowing what it is doing to our planet? Or will we take the necessary steps to change our ways and heed the warnings before it is too late? That is the question of this movie and there is no alarmism whatsoever in the presentation of the solutions we have at our disposal. Mr. Gore relays the facts starkly, calmly, and at times humorously, and clearly lays out what we can do to mitigate this crisis. And the scientific consensus cannot be denied that we as a species are contributing to it and it is having a definite effect on our world.
His statistics on Co2, invasive species, species loss, ice cap melting, population growth, etc., intertwined with footage from around the world showing the effects of the statistics he showed was all very well presented and backed up. I also never got the impression that any of this is about him in any other sense than him using himself as an example of someone who had to reach the bottom in order to reach for the top.
I laughed, I cried, and I saw before me on the screen a man who has surely come full circle with who he is and what his mission is, and that is handing that mission and truth to us. He says he is not a hero, and frankly, I didn't see a hero in this movie and that is a good thing. Heroes have a tendency to be placed on pedestals and forgotten. I saw something much more. I saw a prophet, a missive, and a trailblazer who has full faith in our abilty to save our planet. And we must not let our planet down, and that also includes those in government and the corporate world whose indifference to this issue can no longer be tolerated.
This is a movie that will make you see the world in a whole new light. And you must see it. And you must make sure those you love see it, especially your children. My teenage son watched this movie with me, and after it I asked what he learned from it. He said it told him that it was time to wake up and do something. I say, amen to that.
So thank you Al Gore, Davis Guggenheim, Laurie David, Lawrence Bender, Jeff Skoll, Paramount Classics, and Participant Productions for giving us this journey to now guide us on the greatest challenge we will ever face. And we will face it, because we must. And whether you even like Al Gore or not is not the point, for this in no way is a partisan political movie. The point is that this world belongs to all of us, and unless we learn to see the slow boil we will surely reap the consequences. It truly is a moral issue. So do I recommend this movie? Yes, with every fiber of my being, and as the credits rolled, I noticed that there was not the usual rush to get out of the theatre. People continued to sit watching the credits and listening to Melissa Etheridge sing...then it went quiet. That was when I stood up and clapped exclaiming, 'Thank you, Al Gore!'... and the entire theatre then clapped with me, and it felt good, for I too had waited a long time to be able to show this man the depth of the gratitude I have for him. Now it is up to us to continue to spread his inspirational and crucial message where it left off in the theatre. May we have the strength and will to do so.
Movie Review: Powerful message
Summary: 5 Stars
Congratulations to Al Gore for taking on a subject largely regarded as anathema by the US political establishment. In both the book and dvd, the information is presented starkly but in a nonetheless straight forward format. For those already with an interest in global warming, most of the issues raised will probably be what you have already come across but nonetheless be prepared for some new information or insights. For anyone who has yet to examine the scientific concerns on global warming, then this is a very good place indeed to start. Some have criticised the inclusion of Al Gore's real life experiences. I, however, think that they actually complement the information that is being put across. Yes the science is still unsure on many of the issues, however, it IS becoming increasingly apparent that C02 emissions from industry, petrol engines etc are contributing to driving global temperatures upwards. That said, there is truth though that global warming is a natural event because thanks to analysis carried out on ice samples from the Greenland permafrost, thousands of years old, we have a clear record of many natural warming cycles going back millennia.
The question we have to ask ourselves is do we really need to be adding to this natural process to the point of endangering our environment and even our existence?
Increasingly powerful hurricanes and storms like Katrina will become more common. As ice flows shrink, there will be corresponding rises in sea levels, and more heavily populated areas will experience the horror that hit New Orleans.
However, I would like to add some new scenarios into the already troubling possibilities:
Firstly, Science has established that thanks to the reduction in the use of CFCs we are seeing an improvement in the Ozone hole over the Antarctic. However, scientists are now concerned that heavy C02 releases in the northern hemisphere could cool the upper atmosphere to the point that new holes in Ozone layer open up over the Arctic, bringing the danger of UV rays with them as they do so...
Secondly, before the age of the dinosaurs, there was a period known as the Permian. The end of this period saw the biggest ever mass extinction that this planet has ever seen, where upwards of 90% of all life perished. It was thought that the killer was a meteorite bigger than the one that took out the dinosaurs. Recent science has found that there were in fact two killers, and neither was a meteorite.
The first was massive volcanic action in the region of Siberia which was so huge that it raised global temperatures by 5C. This killed off many species of life. However, once the seas had heated up by 5C, then this was the key that released the second killer from its confinement - Methane Gas. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gasses in existence and releasing large quantities of it into the atmosphere will cause warming on a greater scale than that caused by emissions of C02.
Surrounding the coastlines of all continents are huge pockets of methane that are stored in the ocean floor, and have come from millennia of decaying organic matter rolling off the continents and into the sea. These deposits are called Methane Hydrates. What happened is that after the temperatures rose at the end of the Permian, the sea temperature rose by 5C, causing the Methane Hydrates to release vast quantities of Methane into the atmosphere. This promptly raised global temperatures by a further 5C, killing off virtually all marine life and even more of the life on the land.
So there you have it folks. A temperature rise of 10C caused the greatest mass extinction that this world has ever seen. And here we are, contributing our own gasses to a warming cycle..... despite the fact that there are huge quantities of Methane Hydrates just offshore (just ask the oil industry as to the hazards they create for offshore drilling). Scientific tests have shown that if water temperature in the oceans rises by 5C then the Methane Hydrates will release all their gas......
As the song says "Something better change..."
Movie Review: The must-see film of the century!
Summary: 5 Stars
The title is no hype because if we don't change our way of doing things, there won't be a planet to live on. Well, the planet will be here, but humans won't if we continue adding to greenhouse gases, warming the planet beyond what the human body can sustain. This documentary is like a prophetic warning about what might occur if we continue business as usual.
When I saw this film in theaters (I even went for a second time, bringing a friend along, and then I went to the actual presentation by President Gore in person), it had the amazing effect of making me finally let go of my anger and outrage over the stolen election of 2000. This film's success proves that there are second acts in politics. While I still believe Gore would have been a great president and we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now if he was allowed to assume the presidency, I think what he's doing as a private citizen is far more important for our world than the mere presidency. He's a true statesman, speaking his passion, with the knowledge he's accumulated during his time in public service.
One of the most surprising facts presented in this film is that American automakers cannot sell cars in China because our cars don't meet their auto emissions standards! China is fast becoming the world's largest economy and for our auto companies to be shut out of that market is not helping our big three get out of the red, as they continue to shut down factories and laying off American workers. Yes, there is a better way of doing business. The future of business is green and Europe is well ahead of the game on that. What makes capitalism successful is innovation and competition for the best product at the lowest cost...yet here we have these bloated oil companies who don't want to grab onto new technologies until after the all the oil is consumed. By that point, it will be too late and our economy will suffer. Change needs to begin, like, yesterday!
When this film came out, so many reviewers asked where this funny, personable Gore was in 2000. What a wash! Though Gore did play it safe in 2000, he's still the same as he was in 2000. The media has their own amnesia going on, as Bush was the one who faked his way to the oval office. The media preferred to focus on the false scandals of analyzing every statement Gore made and playing it up as "lies" (case in point, Gore never claimed to invent the Internet, only that as Senator, he took the initiative in helping to bring the technology about so the private citizen can benefit from what was once a military/national security way of communicating). By their blind scrutiny of one candidate instead of another, it turns out the biggest liar got into the White House while the exaggerator had to find new work.
Though I am a huge supporter of Gore and wish he was the president, I'm not sure the success of this film is enough to rightfully bring him to the White House. Cleaning up Bush's mess will be a big part of the next administration and the surplus won't be there to make the kind of changes that a President Gore could have made in 2001-2009. I personally think his role is more important...that of statesmen, bringing this message and prophetic warning about global warming to mass consciousness in the world (not just in America). So, with that, please see this film and get everyone you know to see it. More importantly, please make lifestyle changes to lessen one's impact on our environment. After all, the Native Americans were on to something when they said that we don't pass on the environment to our children, we BORROW it from our grandchildren.
Movie Review: Important religious implications
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit that I was not a big fan of Al Gore when he ran for President in 2000. Yes, I agreed with a lot of his views but he seemed to have the air of the elite about him. I voted for him because "he's not GWB" almost as much as because of his platform. However, in recent years that has changed. I was thrown by his outward presentation style just as many in the U.S. were. In truth, he's quite an informed and dedicated public servant.
As such, now 6 years into the W administration, I see how the environmental issues of not just the U.S. but of the world have been swept under the carpet of "more important issues". Are the subjects of prayer in school, gay marriage, the war on terror and social security and health care reform important issues? (*insert expletive here*) YES. Of course they are important issues. They tend to divide our nation. Any issue that does that is important. But somewhere along the line our poisoning of the earth got lumped together with the "religious" issues I just mentioned. Public opinion seems to say that if you support taking action towards solving global warming you then support those hot issues listed above (restricting religious teachings in public schools, allowing even civil unions for gays or a revisiting of how we have approached the war on terror). Hence, supporting the fight on global warming has become against Christianity and (unfortunately) against America.
And just look at our administration. They are doing NOTHING to combat it because they are under the impression that it will irrevocably hurt the commerce in our nation. And, yes, I was concerned about the commercial aspects of "radical" change in our environmental policy ... until Al Gore revealed that the diminishing of ozone destroying emissions has been successful.
Did you know that? I didn't. And I didn't because of 2 very important facts:
1. I never heard about it from the media.
2. I never heard a big industrial corporation complain. Never.
It works and with barely a speed bump in our industries.
I'll end with the following; If those who follow the teachings of modern Christianity are so literal of their interpretation of the Bible, why does the earth come under the category of something we can abuse? If God gave us free reign over the earth to do as we will, does it necessarily mean that we should mistreat it? We don't tolerate spousal or child abuse. Why tolerate the poisoning of our world? And what of the idea that God puts hardships in front of us to test us? Could it not be that He gave us free reign over this planet in order to see if we might destroy it, hence, failing this test?
And what of the perspective of "sins"? I have heard it put that homosexuality is the most grievous sin imaginable. Could someone please explain that to me? A gay relationship involves 2 people just as any committed relationship involves. Two. In poisoning the earth we threaten (nowadays) billions. That tells us something; we have a MAJOR problem that concerns everyone in the world including Christians. (Who, by the way, are part of the single most popular religion on the planet. Persecuted? I don't think so.) Regardless of the hotbed issues the U.S.A. has been focused on, preserving our planet for future generations of Christians and Muslims and Jews and Republicans and Democrats and liberals and conservatives (to name just a few) alike seems far more important.
Let's save these other issues for a time when we're not facing world-wide crises that affects every faith.