I saw An Inconvenient Truth at the Main Art Theatre last night. I have been interested in seeing this movie to learn a bit more about global warming. So glad I did take the time to see this. It was a true teaching film that I felt was executed in a very educational, yet entertaining way. In between the "lecture" portions the viewers were given small personal glimpse's of Al Gore's life. Regardless of political views, I felt the film is one worth viewing. The pictures of the earth were beautiful and serves as a reminder that we are responsible for the future of our planet. Al Gore describes this not as a political issue, but a moral one. There were some excellent quotes and a couple of small, animated scenes to further describe global warming. Suggestions on how to personally help with this issue were only presented in the credits at the end of the film, but it definitely motivates a person to learn more about the issue. The purpose of the movie was to try and dispel current misconceptions about this issue and educate the community at large what scientists are saying about what is happening with the earth's temperature over time.

I really want to see this.

Me too, but I'll have to either drive somewhere to see it or wait for the DVD.

Cher

It was truly an excellent film. I alreayd knew quite a bit about global warming, but Gore's "lessons" were entertaining, accurate, and I learned even more.

Mosre importantly, his point, that this is a moral issue, is something important. As a Christian person, I have always been irritated with the evangelical veiw that sees the world as disposable, where the Bible seems to see the world as something over which we have stewardhsip -- i.e. we're supposed to answer to God for how we take of it. Gore seems to be coming from a similar POV.

And, he frames it as a security issue. Why is it that the only threat to the homeland we take seriously is terrorism, when the threat posed by increasing global warming is more severe and more likely? He points out that Katrina was as powerful as it was partly because of increased ocean temperatures (hotter water = stronger hurricaines) and that if global warming continues unabated, we'll see more and more serious storms.

Yep, I agree... this was a well-done film.

(as an aside, if Gore had shown this much personality when he was a politician, he might have been much more popular... he was quite entertaining! Clearly a smart dude, as well... and right or wrong about his data/ideas, he definitely believes it...)

Educational flick to be sure, and I have to say that I doubt a helluva lot of this is refutable, except on political terms. It's unfortunate that politics is very much like publicly traded companies, insomuch as the primary goals involve near-term benchmarks... because fixing this problem is going to take far-sighted leadership and the resolve to be unpopular among many at the outset for the sake of those many, and all others, in the end.

damn troy. nicely stated.

i wish i had said that (no worries, i probably will ).

I just saw this on a rental.

The personal touches added to the film mixed it up a bit. No one wants to watch a movie chock full of charts and shrinking glaciers.. It was good way to keep me interested in the content without being bored.

People had told me that it was a well done film that worked on several levels.. Before seeing it, it seemed incomprehensible that it could've been as good as it was. It was immensely enjoyable and watchable.

Since going to a marketing seminar by marketing guru Seth Godin in NYC a few years ago, presentation style has mattered to me a lot more. Al gets it right in this one. He seemed far more human than any other time I've seen him speak.

Brucie, are you SURE you're from the West Side of Cincinnati?

NO! I'm from a few hours away, and just LIVE in the Bermuda Triangle that is No Man's Land between Colerain, I-75, and I-275....

I watched this on DVD last night.
I thought it was excellent. I learned a lot about global warming and our part as humans on planet Earth in causing this to happen. Most importantly, it pointed out the irreparable consequences of our not paying attention. The scientific projections of our current trends show the devastation we will be meeting and soon, too.
Scary stuff.
It was presented in a way that kept my interest and was easy to understand.
Makes me want to go out and buy a hybrid to drive and erect a wind turbine or solar panel for power.
I'm serious!

My brother Ken gave everyone in the family this DVD for Christmas. I watched it the other night and I was really impressed with the film. I particularly liked Gore's style which, surprisingly, does not get in your face. Nothing worse than walloping people over the head with a touchy issue. Instead, he presents some incredible facts and data with a warm and humorous style.

I agree with Troy's comment that Gore's personality was not portrayed this way during the 2000 election.

I still know people who claim there's no such thing as global warming. How is it a political issue?? That drives me nuts and is one cornerstone of why I hate Fox News.

i picked this up from the library today as part if my weekend viewing.

as for gore, he really needs to project the light side of his personality more. a friend of mine took a class he was teaching at mtsu -- thought it was going to be a snoozer but said she loved it. said gore is a natural teacher who knows how to share the info in a way that kept people interested.

don't know if he's still teaching (ROGER, DO YOU KNOW???), but kind of makes me want to drop in on a class to see it for myself.

peace,
zayne

I liked what Glen Beck said the other night about Al Gore preaching the woes of global warming while his own carbon footprint is that of 4 average families.

Sometimes Glen gets it right.

Sounds typical... an ad hominem attack when he [Glen] doesn't have anything productive to say about the actual content, eh?

~fff

and it's par for the course with these guys...if you can't attack the message, attack the messenger.

I just thought it was funny because it was so true. It's now fashionable for celebrities (and celebrity wannabes) to be green. When in truth it's just a song and dance--do as I say, not as I do--hypocritical BS. Now if Al got rid of his fleet of SUVs and started composting, that'd be a start--you know, keeping it real. Otherwise he's just another in a long line of silly preening posers who whore themselves out for media attention and worthless slaps on the back from others of the same ilk. And for the record, I think Glen Beck can be lumped into the same group.

(Shrugs)

The average carbon footprint for people in the U.S. is somewhere in the 3's (or higher). My wife and I consider ourselves green... we drive a Prius, we bring our own cloth bags to the grocery, we don't eat meat (which does increase a global footprint), we don't utilize more land than a 2-person family needs, our recycle basket usually has more in it than our regular garbage, we have replaced as many of our household lights with compact fluorescents as we can (the dimmer ones don't work with fluorescent)... yet when I last calculated it, my own carbon footprint was still upwards of 2.5.

Living in suburbs and the overall mindset of "not reducing consumption" has a lot to do with it. But I think Al Gore is helping in that he is trying to get people to alter their behavior. Moving down from 4 to 2.5 is probably my trend of the past 5 years. Dog willing, I'll be able to reduce it further by living closer to work/school in the near future, and being less of a consumer. But just because I have a 2.5 doesn't mean that I'm not trying to create a downward shift.

For Al Gore, who travels a lot due to his high profile job, to have a 4 isn't "too bad." And what's missing, is where did he come from (5? 6? 7?)... is there a downward trend in Al's footprint? I think his work on the subject via his lectures, his writings, and this movie help draw attention that 1) it is a serious issue, and 2) there are simple ways to reduce our own affects on global warming.

The ad hominem attack by Glen Beck trivializes the important work that Al Gore is currently doing on the very matter of his and others' global footprints.

~fff

Who said Al was at a 4? I said he was probably 4 times the average US footprint, which is not commendable. And while I agree that the work he is doing is worthy of recognition, he is still a poser.

OK. "4 times the average US-er"... where did Glen get his info?

I still would defend Al against the poser moniker.

me too ... the whole trajectory of the discussion is engineered away from the crux of the biscuit. not that we haven't seen THAT before!

al's a poser and glen beck is a legitimate reporter/broadcaster (or at least one worth quoting)? sorry mark, that's just laughable. he's nothing but a right wing shill, in the vein of rush or hannity, nothing more, nothing less (that and an effort for CNN to appear more fox news"ish"). no surprise that he's attacking al (again, attacking al & attempting to discredit him, not his message). none at all.

but al's recent surge in popularity (and that 4+ hour lovefest on the oscars) must be scaring the hell out of them for them to be coming after him already.

I think he got it from Gore's electric company...

http://drudgereport.com/flash.htm

Look at the About Us link on their website ... looks like an libertarian agenda-based anti-tax group.

They don't have an ax to grind or anything ...

It's pretty obvious, no? I'm surprised they haven't begun attacking Ed Begley, Jr. for his greeness. If you haven't caught his show on HGTV (Living With Ed), you should try. He's been living green for years.

Cher

Politics is ugly.....real damn ugly. Both sides

sadly, no arguement there. and they wonder why more and more people, especially the young, just tune out the whole process.

Bingo !

I never said I liked or valued Glen Becks commentary. I think he's just as worthless as Al Gore on a scale of 1-10. Matter of fact, I hate all politics (99%) and am getting more and more cynical as I go...

Whatever...

Going back to Dan's point of this being an ad hominem fallacy, what makes your viewpoint of Al Gore being worthless have any weight at all to the message? It seems you are missing the message by focusing on the messenger of global warming.

Well, I've never said anything about global warming, because I don't have anything to say about it. I said what I said, that I thought Beck's comment was funny, because that's what I meant.

I'm not trying to undermine any message, or attack any messenger. The global warming campaign will not suffer because I don't believe Al Gore is sincere. Whatever I decide to do (or not do) about the issue, I decide independent of Gore.

It's just my opinion, feel free to refute it.

Well, facts are facts, though right. There's even a phone number to call with questions.

BTW, thanks Chris for posting this enlightening info. This was a very good first post!

Have you seent the movie, Mark? It's quite captivating, regardless of preconceived notions of Al Gore.

And it's not a political movie or political issue. Due to Al's career, there are political biographical sidenotes, but overall, it's a very apolitical movie.

"Global warming isn't a political issue, it's a moral issue."

~fff

my dad looked at me funny when i brought it in a stack of films to watch with them on one of our visits (a very rainy weekend). he said something about not wanting to be subject to "big al's lies." ahem. can you tell where he generally falls politically and with regard to al?

he soon realized he was being closed-minded and initiated the viewing of this particular dandy. both he and my mom said they learned a lot and were pleasantly surprised. and then they tried to chew on the implications for business in years that are tapering away mighty quickly...

overall, it was a wonderful exchange and bipartisan evening for my fam.

Thanks DustyVolume. I should probably go over to the noob thread and introduce myself, huh?

That would be a great idea Chris!

And no, Dan, I haven't seen the movie. Not so much because of it's content, but mostly because I haven't been into movies much lately. When I am ready to start watching again, I doubt this will make it onto my list.

* sigh *

Seemed such a real passion for Al Gore, that he believed it. And then THIS.

HOW DID I MISS THIS THREAD?!?!?!

holy crap, this was a GREAT movie.
everyone and their grandmother should see it.
seriously.
it's so important.

and for this movie only, al gore is my hero.
other than that, he's pretty much just al gore.

Oh my goodness! That was SO funny! You got me and I almost didn't even click on it and now I'm so glad I did!

Will Ferrell... *giggle*

I bought and watched the movie tonight, in response to the news that Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I was mocked by my conservative roommate, and decided to do a little reading up on the allegations of inaccuracies in the data presented. I found the following review helpful: http://www.wunderground.com/education/gore.asp?MR=1. In general, I thought the main message of the film was convincing and well presented, though it did seem a little too political.

Now I'm trying to figure out why I bought it instead of renting it. Anyone need to see it and want to buy it? I'll cover postage!

I really NeeD to see it this morning...

Today, I woke uP & it was 4° November 27, 2007 - Golden Valley MN
time to get the ol face mask stocking hat out

it was 2° at my co-workers home this a.m.

p.s. 9:20 a.m. it has warmed uP to 6°

brrrr.... -1° this a.m.

Without sounding political, how did the movie seem "too political" to those of you that have indicated that? In what specific ways?

Hey all,

I am sorry, I will not post on this thread anymore, other than this post ;-)

I was just trying to be a little funny & sarcastic.

it is pretty hard for this Minnesotan to get to riled uP about Global Warming...

DaLe