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Published On: Mar 17, 2007 02:40 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Mar 17, 2007 02:40 PM
Inconvenient Truth
OK. Since I am a "greenie", I had to see "The
Inconvenient Truth".
What's a "greenie" you ask? One of those nuts who
cares about the environment enough to actually change their lifestyle to match
their desire to have a nice, clean, unpolluted, green Earth. I got solar panels
for my home, wished that I could own an electric car and even went out to buy a
hybrid Toyota Prius last year.
Anyway, "The Inconvenient Truth " is one of those movies that a "greenie" like me would appreciate. It stars "Al Gore" (yes, the guy who won the popular vote in 2000 presidential race, yet lost the Whitehouse) giving a multimedia presentation on his Macintosh titanium about global warming and climate change.
I should also add that I have been a big "Al Gore" fan for a long time that had nothing to do with being green. When I first started teaching computer classes on the "Internet" Al Gore had just rode into the Whitehouse in 1994. He dramatically altered things. For the "first" time there was a website for the Whitehouse and you could e-mail the president (not that he even replied to me). Al Gore even made sure that the information superhighway was upgraded. New fiber optic cables and a stronger internet backbone were established all thanks to Al Gore's influence on the Clinton administration. And hey, the icing on the cake is that Al Gore uses a "Macintosh". What a man! :-)
OK. back to the movie. What I enjoyed most about it was Al Gore's scientific explanations of the global warming trend. Most of the information he presented was not new to me. I had already read a book on Global Warming over 2 years ago and thought the science was quite credible back then.
Let me just mention the facts (not the speculation):
1) Once Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is generated it takes 100 years for it to fully dissipate from the atmosphere.
2) Since the industrial revolution started in England in the 1860's there has been an increase in CO2 emissions that have been accelerating.
3) Carbon Dioxide does vary in the atmosphere depending on what time of year it is. During the Spring and Summer while the plants are growing, more Oxygen is being created from CO2. During the Fall and Winter there is a greater CO2 buildup when there are fewer plants changing CO2 to Oxygen.
4) Carbon Dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect. This effect is a dichotomy. One one hand without CO2 in our atmosphere the Earth would freeze into an ice age. Too much CO2 and the Earth gets "hot".
Everything I have just stated is scientific fact. What the debate is about is over the following questions:
Is the current "global warming" just a natural warming peak, somewhat like the antithesis of the ice age?
How dramatically would a global warming trend affect us?
How far would the oceans rise and how warm will it get?
Can the world truly change the way they live in order to combat "global warming" (that is of course if it is even acknowledged)?
I think all of these questions are equally valid and what I really like is how Al Gore handles these questions and answers them in his presentation.
Is the current "global warming" just a natural warming peak, somewhat like the antithesis of the ice age?
According to ice core samples that go back well over 420,000 years the current "blip" of earth-wide temperature increases has never happened before. Even when you look at the ice age extremes in weather you will find that the overall temperature of the Earth did not change as quickly or as dramatically as it is currently changing.
How dramatically would a global warming trend affect us? How far would the oceans rise and how warm will it get?
Now that's a really good question. Even among scientists there is room for disagreement. I have heard speculations from anywhere from 3-100 meters (9-300 feet) rise in ocean levels. Since I am not a scientist I can't tell you where to draw the lines. Al Gore actually uses a conservative estimate of the ocean levels rising at least 20 feet, which would devastate coastal areas worldwide. On a more personal note I live at 3 feet above sea level (in Davis, CA a.k.a. the Flatland). So if this is all true then I really need to hightail it out of here sometime soon. My only problem is convincing my husband to move. Davis is a wonderful place to raise a family and the public schools are great. But that won't be too much help if we're all under water.
As far as how warm it will get, you will have to understand that different areas of the world will be affected differently. From the book I read it stated that the California area would start to experience the amount of rainfall that Seattle has. Wet and rainy Seattle can handle rain better than dry and arid California. The affect of such rainfall here will be increased flooding and mudslides. You can see from the news headlines that this has indeed been happening. Other parts of the world (near the equator) will experience increased drought (for example, Darfur in Africa). So different parts of the world will be effected differently. But the change will be dramatic.
Can the world truly change the way they live in order to combat "global warming" (that is of course if it is even acknowledged)?
That's the best question that can only be answered by time. If you do indeed believe that "global warming" is something that is happening, then we have a moral imperative to change the way we live. I am quite heartened to see many "Evangelical Christians" who believe that global warming is happening and have been telling George Bush to do something about it. This group of people who tend to be the most conservative of voters are telling leaders that they have a "moral" imperative to change. Changing our government is good, but I truly believe that the effort starts at home.
What I have done:
1) I have solar panels on my home and currently the state of California will pay for 50% of the installation. You also get about $60 off your electricity bill every month (while of course feeling better about the environment).
2) I bought a hybrid car, the "Toyota Prius". I love it and it gets 50 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway. I average about 42 MPG. I also only fill up my tank once a week with about 8-9 galloons. It's quite a savings from my husband's SUV that gets only 15 MPG and fills up with over 20 gallons twice a week.
3) I use florescent light-bulbs when I can and I have been looking for LED light-bulbs (if you see them, get them they use about 5% the energy of regular light-bulbs).
4) I have the thermostat set at 68 degrees during the Winter and I have the air conditioner off during the Summer unless it is over 100 degrees outside. Living this way sucks, but with $600 electricity bills from PG&E I would have to do this anyway...
5) I'm currently begging my husband to move out of the California Central Valley. I'd hate to end up like the Katrina victims...
6) I've been praying...
Some closing thoughts from the end of the film:
Are you ready to change the way you live?
The climate crisis can be solved.
Here's how to start. Go to: http://www.climatecrisis.net/
You can reduce your carbon emissions, in fact you can even reduce your carbon emissions to zero.
Buy energy effient applicaiances + lighbulbs
Change your thermostat (use clock thermostats) to reduce energy for heating and cooling
Weatherize your house, increase insulation. Get an energy audit.
Recycle.
If you can buy a hybridcar.
When you can walk or ride a bicycle.
Where you can use light rail or mass transit.
Tell your parents not to ruin the world that you will live in.
If you are a parent, join with your children to save the world they will live in.
Switch to renewable sources of energy.
Call your power company and see if they offer green energy. If they don't ask them why not.
Vote for leaders who pledge to solve this crisis.
Write to congress.
If they don't listen, run for congress.
Plant trees, lots of trees.
Speak up in your community.
Call radio shows and write newspapers.
Insist that America freeze CO2 emissions + join international efforts to stop global warming.
Reduce our dependence on foreign oil; help farmers grow alcohol fuels.
Raise fuel economy standards; require lower emissions from automobiles.
If you believe in prayer, pray that people will find the strength to change.
In the words of an old African proverb, when you pray, move your feet.
Encourage everyone you know to see this movie.
Learn as much as you can about climate crisis.
Then put your knowledge into action.
Anyway, "The Inconvenient Truth " is one of those movies that a "greenie" like me would appreciate. It stars "Al Gore" (yes, the guy who won the popular vote in 2000 presidential race, yet lost the Whitehouse) giving a multimedia presentation on his Macintosh titanium about global warming and climate change.
I should also add that I have been a big "Al Gore" fan for a long time that had nothing to do with being green. When I first started teaching computer classes on the "Internet" Al Gore had just rode into the Whitehouse in 1994. He dramatically altered things. For the "first" time there was a website for the Whitehouse and you could e-mail the president (not that he even replied to me). Al Gore even made sure that the information superhighway was upgraded. New fiber optic cables and a stronger internet backbone were established all thanks to Al Gore's influence on the Clinton administration. And hey, the icing on the cake is that Al Gore uses a "Macintosh". What a man! :-)
OK. back to the movie. What I enjoyed most about it was Al Gore's scientific explanations of the global warming trend. Most of the information he presented was not new to me. I had already read a book on Global Warming over 2 years ago and thought the science was quite credible back then.
Let me just mention the facts (not the speculation):
1) Once Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is generated it takes 100 years for it to fully dissipate from the atmosphere.
2) Since the industrial revolution started in England in the 1860's there has been an increase in CO2 emissions that have been accelerating.
3) Carbon Dioxide does vary in the atmosphere depending on what time of year it is. During the Spring and Summer while the plants are growing, more Oxygen is being created from CO2. During the Fall and Winter there is a greater CO2 buildup when there are fewer plants changing CO2 to Oxygen.
4) Carbon Dioxide contributes to the greenhouse effect. This effect is a dichotomy. One one hand without CO2 in our atmosphere the Earth would freeze into an ice age. Too much CO2 and the Earth gets "hot".
Everything I have just stated is scientific fact. What the debate is about is over the following questions:
Is the current "global warming" just a natural warming peak, somewhat like the antithesis of the ice age?
How dramatically would a global warming trend affect us?
How far would the oceans rise and how warm will it get?
Can the world truly change the way they live in order to combat "global warming" (that is of course if it is even acknowledged)?
I think all of these questions are equally valid and what I really like is how Al Gore handles these questions and answers them in his presentation.
Is the current "global warming" just a natural warming peak, somewhat like the antithesis of the ice age?
According to ice core samples that go back well over 420,000 years the current "blip" of earth-wide temperature increases has never happened before. Even when you look at the ice age extremes in weather you will find that the overall temperature of the Earth did not change as quickly or as dramatically as it is currently changing.
How dramatically would a global warming trend affect us? How far would the oceans rise and how warm will it get?
Now that's a really good question. Even among scientists there is room for disagreement. I have heard speculations from anywhere from 3-100 meters (9-300 feet) rise in ocean levels. Since I am not a scientist I can't tell you where to draw the lines. Al Gore actually uses a conservative estimate of the ocean levels rising at least 20 feet, which would devastate coastal areas worldwide. On a more personal note I live at 3 feet above sea level (in Davis, CA a.k.a. the Flatland). So if this is all true then I really need to hightail it out of here sometime soon. My only problem is convincing my husband to move. Davis is a wonderful place to raise a family and the public schools are great. But that won't be too much help if we're all under water.
As far as how warm it will get, you will have to understand that different areas of the world will be affected differently. From the book I read it stated that the California area would start to experience the amount of rainfall that Seattle has. Wet and rainy Seattle can handle rain better than dry and arid California. The affect of such rainfall here will be increased flooding and mudslides. You can see from the news headlines that this has indeed been happening. Other parts of the world (near the equator) will experience increased drought (for example, Darfur in Africa). So different parts of the world will be effected differently. But the change will be dramatic.
Can the world truly change the way they live in order to combat "global warming" (that is of course if it is even acknowledged)?
That's the best question that can only be answered by time. If you do indeed believe that "global warming" is something that is happening, then we have a moral imperative to change the way we live. I am quite heartened to see many "Evangelical Christians" who believe that global warming is happening and have been telling George Bush to do something about it. This group of people who tend to be the most conservative of voters are telling leaders that they have a "moral" imperative to change. Changing our government is good, but I truly believe that the effort starts at home.
What I have done:
1) I have solar panels on my home and currently the state of California will pay for 50% of the installation. You also get about $60 off your electricity bill every month (while of course feeling better about the environment).
2) I bought a hybrid car, the "Toyota Prius". I love it and it gets 50 MPG in the city and 35 MPG on the highway. I average about 42 MPG. I also only fill up my tank once a week with about 8-9 galloons. It's quite a savings from my husband's SUV that gets only 15 MPG and fills up with over 20 gallons twice a week.
3) I use florescent light-bulbs when I can and I have been looking for LED light-bulbs (if you see them, get them they use about 5% the energy of regular light-bulbs).
4) I have the thermostat set at 68 degrees during the Winter and I have the air conditioner off during the Summer unless it is over 100 degrees outside. Living this way sucks, but with $600 electricity bills from PG&E I would have to do this anyway...
5) I'm currently begging my husband to move out of the California Central Valley. I'd hate to end up like the Katrina victims...
6) I've been praying...
Some closing thoughts from the end of the film:
Are you ready to change the way you live?
The climate crisis can be solved.
Here's how to start. Go to: http://www.climatecrisis.net/
You can reduce your carbon emissions, in fact you can even reduce your carbon emissions to zero.
Buy energy effient applicaiances + lighbulbs
Change your thermostat (use clock thermostats) to reduce energy for heating and cooling
Weatherize your house, increase insulation. Get an energy audit.
Recycle.
If you can buy a hybridcar.
When you can walk or ride a bicycle.
Where you can use light rail or mass transit.
Tell your parents not to ruin the world that you will live in.
If you are a parent, join with your children to save the world they will live in.
Switch to renewable sources of energy.
Call your power company and see if they offer green energy. If they don't ask them why not.
Vote for leaders who pledge to solve this crisis.
Write to congress.
If they don't listen, run for congress.
Plant trees, lots of trees.
Speak up in your community.
Call radio shows and write newspapers.
Insist that America freeze CO2 emissions + join international efforts to stop global warming.
Reduce our dependence on foreign oil; help farmers grow alcohol fuels.
Raise fuel economy standards; require lower emissions from automobiles.
If you believe in prayer, pray that people will find the strength to change.
In the words of an old African proverb, when you pray, move your feet.
Encourage everyone you know to see this movie.
Learn as much as you can about climate crisis.
Then put your knowledge into action.
Posted: Mon - January 1, 2007 at 01:58 PM