Movie Review: "An Inconvenient Truth"

By Number Six

Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at 04:02 PM

There are many constants in this universe in which we live, as there are constants to living down South as I do, among such is one called "The local theatres don't dare show such things, I end up waiting on the DVD"......

So, a dear friend, for a belated Xmas gift, hands me my very own DVD copy of "An Inconvenient Truth", you know, the documentary starring Al Gore, his traveling slide show, all about Global Warming, and what's caused it. Being something of the resident neighborgood scientist, I think many wanted me to go over it and check the data, and hopefully to explain away what, to so many, is truly rocket science. Okay, popcorn popped, beer ready, let's watch!

The Science

Honestly, folks, what's presented in this movie does not even approach quantum 101, let alone warp, hole-electron motion phenomena or Heisenberg-Schroedinger: It's pretty straightforward basic weather science. The film covers the bases, much of which starts off with Al telling us of a beloved teacher who was studying CO2 levels all the way back to the very early 1960's. His question? "Why is it going up and not down?"

And how far up are the CO2 levels going to go? At the risk of a spoiler, the term "Off the charts" is aptly illustrated, you may poop at the scene when it shows. The amount forecast is somewhere between "Oh dear God!" and "You have GOT to be smoking one, DUDE!"

And, it's all backed with facts, facts of which I've already read over, from stories on Frontline to stories from all over the many blogs, the many science sources, and yes, overseas news sources such as Guardian: This is reputable science, not hoke, nor smoke, nor mirrors.

Even more chilling is the study shown of ice cores, reading the chart of weather, CO2 and other goodies all the way to 650,000 years past. Those who "write off" our current climatic weirdness take note: Along this 650,000 year plot, there are peaks, there are valleys...and one big spike occurring just recently. Yeppers.

It doesn't take long for Al's show to hammer home the point and title: We did this. Just us humans. This is our fault.

Worse, some heart-tugging it tossed in: A lone polar bear, attempting to find a piece of ice on which to call home, and cannot. Fiction? Nope, at current rate, this will happen around 2050. After the North Pole, Antarcitca and Greenland thaw out. Then, add to that horrific scenario, oh, neat stuff, like saying farewell to Miami, London, Myrtle Beach, Los Angeles....the list goes on and on and on.

And along the way...

Along the movie, we take nice pauses to listen to Al talk about his life, the bad election of 2000, and how, as a student, this concept of CO2 haunted his early politics, stunned at how so many just ignored the warnings.

And sadly, the warnings are still going ignored: Mostly due to the fact that any attempt to undo the damage will royally piss off those who wield power, wield big money, and big influence. Clips show little snipes from Papa Doc Bush, from many politicos, all with the same smugness of ignorance. Is it really ignorance, even I wonder?

No, again, back to the very title: Realizing that global warming is real is terribly inconvenient. To repair, to make changes means sitting Big Oil, Big Industry and Big Money down and talking to them collectively like the spoiled brats they truly are: You cannot have your cake and eat it, too, assholes.

Conclusion?
I strongly suggest this movie as a "must see" and not just for fellow progressives, but more for those who consider themselves lost in the issue, torn between the extremists of both sides, and yes, there are extremists on both sides, no doubt about it.

And yet, AIT presents these facts in a courtroom-like manner, it's up the viewer to draw the conclusions. Al shows you the data, tells you the facts, by movie's end, you will be left in one of two camps: Either the thing is real and a danger to Sol III, or it's pure lunacy.

Oh, don't bother handing a copy to the Rethugs, the fascists, the neocons, shit, they won't even bother; it stars a Democrat, their minds are already jaded and saturated with triglycerides such as it is. They sit back, sell their oil shares and grin, meanwhile, out in the Atlantic, another CAT 5 will soon approach the east coast, another glob of artic ice will melt, and it won't be long before we can surf....in downtown Orlando.

Science, A+. Story content, B. Overall? Six says two hands folded in prayer: Please watch it.