An Inconvenient Truth: Now Playing In Theaters
A letter sent to CenLamar: Lamar, please forgive me while I preach a little, but I’ve awakened to a crisis that we all share. I saw An Inconvenient Truth Saturday, and emphatically commend it to your attention. It is an extemely important film that should be shown in every public school in the US, but won’t because of the messenger. Al Gore presents the science in a clear, compelling, and very human way. He has studied this subject for decades and knows his stuff. He doesn’t scare the pants off you, but the science should. The graphs charting CO2 measurements over the life of our planet, the photos of what is happening to glaciers and polar ice caps, stories of polar bears drowning because they can’t swim the distances they must to get to ice, disturbing storm patterns- these images all combine into a big wake up call. After presenting the evidence that our planet is in grave danger, Gore implores us not to go from denial to despair, but to do something. This email is my first attempt at doing something. Complacency is not an option.
A letter sent to CenLamar: Lamar, please forgive me while I preach a little, but I’ve awakened to a crisis that we all share. I saw An Inconvenient Truth Saturday, and emphatically commend it to your attention. It is an extemely important film that should be shown in every public school in the US, but won’t because of the messenger. Al Gore presents the science in a clear, compelling, and very human way. He has studied this subject for decades and knows his stuff. He doesn’t scare the pants off you, but the science should. The graphs charting CO2 measurements over the life of our planet, the photos of what is happening to glaciers and polar ice caps, stories of polar bears drowning because they can’t swim the distances they must to get to ice, disturbing storm patterns- these images all combine into a big wake up call. After presenting the evidence that our planet is in grave danger, Gore implores us not to go from denial to despair, but to do something. This email is my first attempt at doing something. Complacency is not an option.
There are good suggestions made for changing the alarming trends caused by excess CO2 in the atmosphere. Even if you’ve been a better conservationist than most, the suggestions bear repeating. I dislike fluorescent light, but I’m buying compact fluorescent bulbs anyway. I’ll keep the thermostat on just comfortable, not cold. I’ll keep promoting more trees and less grass…(trees absorb lots of CO2, while grass requires energy for maintenance.) I’ll reduce my consumption of packaging materials and garbage in general. I’ll turn off lights and computers and TV’s. My next car will be a hybrid. I’ll look for leaders to elect who make the environment a top priority. This link is for a pdf file listing ten suggestions for reducing CO2. It’s on the website associated with the film: http://www.climatecrisis.net/pdf/10things.pdf .
Thanks for listening, and consider sharing this with your blog readers.
Margaret Waring
CenLamar 
Your first mistake is to believe in anything Algore says. Hell, he still believes he got the most votes in Florida when it has been proved that he DIDN’T. Just wait a few more years and the earth will begin another cycle of cooling off and Algore will be shown for the fool he really is.
The earth travels around the galaxy and naturally is not in the same place as it has ever been before so how can anyone predict what will occur other than the fact that it will change. If it warms up it’s not through anything man has done. If it cools down, same thing is true.
Wow, I guess we should believe you just because you hate Al Gore. Actually Gore is only the messenger in the movie. Scientists and photographers supply the facts.
Since you haven’t studied the subject, you should. There are many independent websites, books, and science journal articles that have nothing to do with Mr. Gore, but present current studies by cutting edge geologists, meteorologists, biologists, entomologists, and practically every other environmental science discipline. The evidence of global warming is overwhelming.
Gorehater,
First of all, your ability to cut through the science and state simply that “the earth travels around the galaxy and naturally is not in the same place as it ever has been before…” is very impressive. Don’t worry about the data, the litany of independently-funded research, or the support of practically every professional who has ever studied global warming, if Al Gore says it’s true, then it must be discounted.
Instead of being purely politically biased, why don’t you step out and look at this information objectively?
But again, maybe it’s possible that you are smarter than all of these so-called “scientists” and perhaps you’ve conducted your own research on global warming which leads you to believe that climate change is cyclical and that despite the numerous voices who beg us to wake up and hurry up, we’d be better off if we reduced everything to Al Gore and the Florida debacle.
I have a challenge for you: Watch the movie and then come back with a real, substantive counterargument that doesn’t include the word “Florida.”
Why shouldn’t we see it, after all, Gore invented the internet, didn’t he?
From Snopes.com
Internet of Lies
Claim: Vice-President Al Gore claimed that he “invented” the Internet.
Status: False.
Origins: Despite the derisive references that continue even today, Al Gore did not claim he “invented” the Internet, nor did he say anything that could reasonably be interpreted that way. The “Al Gore said he ‘invented’ the Internet” put-downs were misleading, out-of-context distortions of something he said during an interview with Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s “Late Edition” program on 9 March 1999. When asked to describe what distinguished him from his challenger for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey, Gore replied (in part):
During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.
Clearly, although Gore’s phrasing was clumsy (and perhaps self-serving), he was not claiming that he “invented” the Internet (in the sense of having designed or implemented it), but that he was responsible, in an economic and legislative sense, for fostering the development the I also invented the microphone technology that we now know as the Internet. To claim that Gore was seriously trying to take credit for the “invention” of the Internet is, frankly, just silly political posturing that arose out of a close presidential campaign. Gore never used the word “invent,” and the words “create” and “invent” have distinctly different meanings — the former is used in the sense of “to bring about” or “to bring into existence” while the latter is generally used to signify the first instance of someone’s thinking up or implementing an idea. (To those who say the words “create” and “invent” mean exactly the same thing, we have to ask why, then, the media overwhelmingly and consistently cited Gore as having claimed he “invented” the Internet, even though he never used that word, and transcripts of what he actually said were readily available.)
If President Eisenhower had said in the mid-1960s that he, while President, “created” the Interstate Highway System, we would not have seen dozens and dozens of editorials lampooning him for claiming he “invented” the concept of highways or implying that he personally went out and dug ditches across the country to help build the roadway. Everyone would have understood that Ike meant he was a driving force behind the legislation that created the highway system, and this was the very same concept Al Gore was expressing about himself with his Internet statement.
Whether Gore’s statement that he “took the initiative in creating the Internet” is justified is a subject of debate. Any statement about the “creation” or “beginning” of the Internet is difficult to evaluate, because the Internet is not a homogenous entity (it’s a collection of computers, networks, protocols, standards, and application programs), nor did it all spring into being at once (the components that comprise the Internet were developed in various places at different times and are continuously being modified, improved, and expanded). Despite a spirited defense of Gore’s claim by Vint Cerf (often referred to as the “father of the Internet”) in which he stated “that as a Senator and now as Vice President, Gore has made it a point to be as well-informed as possible on technology and issues that surround it,” many of the components of today’s Internet came into being well before Gore’s first term in Congress began in 1977.
It is true, though, that Gore was popularizing the term “information superhighway” in the early 1990s (although he did not, as is often claimed by others, coin the phrase himself) when few people outside academia or the computer/defense industries had heard of the Internet, and he sponsored the 1988 National High-Performance Computer Act (which established a national computing plan and helped link universities and libraries via a shared network) and cosponsored the Information Infrastructure and Technology Act of 1992 (which opened the Internet to commercial traffic).
In May 2005, the organizers of the Webby Awards for online achievements honored Al Gore with a lifetime achievement award for three decades of contributions to the Internet. “He is indeed due some thanks and consideration for his early contributions,” said Vint Cerf.
Last updated: 5 May 2005
“During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.”
Duh, sounds like he invented it to me.
Again, the word “invented” is different than the word “created.” Argue it until you turn blue in the face, but Gore never said he invented the Internet.
Point taken, Lamar. Just kidding you. I do not like Al Gore, not too crazy about “W” anymore, either.
Although I am a registered Republican, I don’t vote party, I vote for the best candidate.
For all the scientists who argue for this massive crisis that Algore warns of, there are just as many REPUTABLE scientists who claim just the opposite is true.
Name ONE reputable scientist, including all credentials and qualifications, who believes that global warming is a myth, and I will concede your point.
The truth, as you will find, is that things are different now than they were ten years ago. Ten years ago, you may have been able to find someone with qualified knowledge to argue THEORETICALLY that global warming was a myth, but nowadays you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone speaking out against this who isn’t employed by a lobbying group for industries who contribute to CFC pollution (and other causes of the crisis).
I implore you to do some objective research on the crisis of global warming. Ignorance and blind partisan allegiance should not be tolerated on this issue, because it truly is the biggest single threat to our planet. And as such, it is important for us to act as quickly as possible. That’s why Mr. Gore made this movie. All proceeds from the movie, by the way, will be donated to additional research on ways to solve this problem.
Honestly, I think your information is just outmoded. It’s easy and convenient for people to arrogantly shrug off the science; once the problem manifests itself to the point at which someone like you could be “convinced,” it will be too late to solve it.
Even if we agree that the earth is heating up, can we not also agree that it has heated up in the past? And if we agree on that point can we also agree that these previous events were not caused by the same factors that may be causing the current event? Perhaps they were caused by dinosaur farts, or some huge meteor that hit the earth. Point is, it has happened before, and the earth survived. Our 100+ years of climatological data are miniscule in comparison to the billions of years that the earth has been in existence. It seems impossible to establish any sort of credible trends from historical data that is a mere fart in a windstorm. For now, I chose to keep my head in the sand and pray that they are wrong.
The point isn’t that climate change is cyclical; the point is that we have, at our disposal, ways to reverse a trend that threatens our resources and endangers our health. Global warming is a phenomenon that can be prevented. If you’re using grand scale climate change as the basis for your belief that global warming doesn’t exist, you’re missing the point. The earth definitely goes through periods called “ice ages,” but as our planet matures, the degree of fluctuations decreases. What we’re witnessing today is entirely preventable; it is not part of our planet’s maturation process. But don’t trust me: Read anything by a contemporary climatologist, geologist, or environmental scientist.
Global warming exists. The best way to ensure that your prayers come true is by waking up and working toward a solution.
See the movie. There is actually climatological data extending back through several ice ages and thaws that have been gathered through various scientific methods. On June 22nd, John Heilprin of the Associated Press wrote: “The Earth is the hottest it has been in at least 400 years, probably even longer. The National Academy of Sciences, reaching that conclusion in a broad review of scientific work requested by Congress, reported Thursday that the “recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years and potentially the last several millennia.”” This is excerpted from Forbes, not generally considered liberal media.
Also, Gore didn’t make the film, he’s just the “star”. Paramount Classics and Participant Productions made it and it was directed by Davis Guggenheim.
For whatever it is worth the latest information reveals that the earth is cylcic as far as heating/cooling periods. Studies show that the present increase in heat cycle (based upon historical data, has a year or two more in the heating period. One of the facts used to substantiate this theory is the dust bowl days. I think that was, up until this one, the last recorded heating cycle.
One thing that was stated is that carbon emmissions account for only 4 per cent of the factors that influence the earth’s temperature.
I have no doubt that the earth is warming, the evidence is there to give credence to that fact. My doubt is that man has the vast effect that gore (lcop) claims. Just as soon as he and all the liberal wackos who are claiming man has so damaged the planet give up their fat cat life styles and become models for what they preach, then I will do the same. Barbara Streisand for instance, has a 12,000 square foot air conditioned BARN. As soon as algore (lcop)disposes of his half million shares of Occidental Petroleum for something to do with wind farms or when Senator Killer Kennedy gets behind the wind farms off the coast of Nantucket which he is currently blocking, I’ll get on board with cutting back as much as I can, which can’t be much more than I presently have.
And to get back to the film, from what I’ve heard about it, it’s little more than a 2008 presidential campaign rally cry intertwined with some pictures.
I agree that we should all put our actions in line with the convictions we espouse. Barbra should get some solar panels hooked up to power her barn’s a/c.
Myth: The earth is warming.
Fact: The earth is warming.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the global average surface temperature increased about 0.6 degrees Celsius over the 20th century. WOW
If our fossil-fuel burning is responsible for the warming, something doesn’t add up. Half of the global warming of the past century happened from 1900 to 1945. If man is to blame, why wasn’t there much more warming in the second half of the century? Not much from the alarmists about that, though.
Dr. John Christy, professor of Atmospheric Science and the University of Alabama at Huntsville and Dr. Patrick Michaels, author of the Association of American Geographers’ 2003 Climate Paper of the Year are two such scientists.
Alsucks,
First I’m glad we agree on the existence of the global warming crisis we face. It’s such a mess, and I wish, as you probably do, too, that we need to find a way of taking politics out of a problem that all of humanity needs to tackle for our own good.
And, yeah, it really blows that Barbara Streisand (hypocritical witch that she is) dares to preach to moi about global warming. How dare Al Gore, who obviously suffers from mental illness, and a poor sense of comic timing, tell me what I can do to stop global warming, too. He’s such a snake oil seller.
My word! As long as hypocrites are the ones telling me about the dangers we face from global warming then I’ll go ahead with my complacent lifestyle, driving my Hummer, bathing in CFC aerosol sprays, and using thirty year old refrigerators. On second thought screw the world and everyone else. Ted Kennedy’s a liberal nut case who preaches one thing and acts completely opposite. I can’t wait to be just like him: to lecture people on doing the right thing, only to do just the opposite myself.
Your ethical argument is so clear that I can’t wait to find more normative principles for my life from it. Thanks for the enlightened input.
Anonymous, whether or not the warming climate patterns can be blamed on man’s activities (and, if so, to what extent)can be debated, but global warming cannot. If humankind wants to help slow the warming trend to avoid associated negative effects, reduction and mitigation of CO2 emissions are required measures. Since you cited findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, I’ll share more information on their work and 2001 report. Probably more than you want to know, but I wanted to know.
The IPCC is organized within a political institutional framework, but is a scientific body made up and led by leading scientists from around the world. To remain true to its scientific mandate and maintain scientific objectivity, the IPCC avoids making policy recommendations or shaping research programs. The assessments of the IPCC are the most comprehensive and balanced evaluations of the climate change issue, so its work is probably the single most important basis on which climate policy is built, i.e. Kyoto Protocol, etc. The IPCC is organized into three working groups, a variety of task forces, and a small secretariat in Switzerland. Scientists from 120 nations participate in the preparation of the IPCC reports. For the Third Assessment Report of 2001, Working Group I was charged with assessing the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change. Working Group II was charged with addressing the negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to them. Working Group III was charged with assessing options for limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other types of mitigation, as well as economic issues. A separate Task Force oversees a program to compile national greenhouse gas inventories. Each of these four bodies has two co-chairs — one from a developed and one from a developing country. The entire IPCC met in April 2001 to approve the contributions of the three Working Groups, and then again in September 2001 to approve the Synthesis report. The key findings of each of the three working groups are listed below:
Working Group One “Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis”
* The average global surface temperature is projected to rise by 2.5 to 10.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the period of 1990 to 2100.
* It is very likely that 1990 to 2000 was the warmest decade and 1998 the warmest year since 1861.
* There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities.
* Global sea level in the past century has risen at a rate 10 times faster than during any time over the last 3,000 years and it is projected to rise by about 3.5 to 34.6 inches between 1990 and 2100.
* Northern Hemisphere snow cover and sea-ice extent are projected to decrease further.
Working Group Two “Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”
* Recent regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases, have already affected many physical and biological systems.
* There are preliminary indications that some human systems have been affected by recent increases in floods and droughts.
* Natural systems are vulnerable to climate change, and some will be irreversibly damaged.
* Many human systems are sensitive to climate change, and some are vulnerable.
* Projected changes in climate extremes could have major consequences.
* The potential for large-scale and possibly irreversible impacts poses risks that have yet to be reliably quantified.
* Adaptation is a necessary strategy at all scales to complement climate change mitigation efforts.
* Those with the least resources have the least capacity to adapt and are the most vulnerable.
* Adaptation, sustainable development, and enhancement of equity can be mutually reinforcing.
Working Group Three “Climate Change 2001: Mitigation”
* The nature of the climate change mitigation challenge is unique.
* There are many options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance sinks.
* The costs and ancillary benefits of mitigation options vary by various assumptions and measurement techniques.
* There are many ways and means to make mitigation effective and affordable.
The next and 4th major report of the IPCC is due out in 2007. Should be interesting to see what’s transpired in the past 6 years in their view.
Hi there! I realize this is kind of off-topic but I had to ask.
Does operating a well-established website such as yours take a massive
amount work? I’m completely new to running a blog however I do write in my diary on a daily basis.
I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience and thoughts online.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions or tips
for brand new aspiring blog owners. Thankyou!