It's taken a while, but I've finally watched An Inconvenient Truth. Let me tell you one thing right at the start of what will inevitably become a rant:
On the large scale, it is a GOOD thing that Al Gore didn't become President of the USA in 2000.
Mr Gore has had the opportunity, having stepped back from politics, where frankly he was doing no good, to actually develop a serious platform with the potential to actually benefit mankind.
He has some seriously bad points, personally. For a Democrat, he's far too conservative for my own politics, and he was inevitably (as wife Tipper was a driving force) involved in the PMRC, which I've always thought of as a major assault on free speech, but what does that matter in the long run? If the message makes it through on this issue, I think an abortive, doomed attempt to ban "Catholic Girls" will just be viewed as a speedbump in the road.
Now, what right do I have to speak of US politics this way? I'm a UK citizen living in Australia. I have no vote in US politics but it's inevitable that US politics have a trickle-down effect on my own countries, forming as they do the pivotal points of the Axis Of Evil Coalition of the Willing. From this, I really feel I have a right to bag out US politicians
The film itself is flawed. In my opinion it dwells a little too much on Gore the man and not Gore the messenger. Perhaps this is required, though, to combat residual scepticism. The data, though, are stunning. And Gore's presentation tunes the data to the point that they really have some impact - none of this information is new to me, but Gore's presentation actually pulls it all together with admirable eloquence.
Hypocritically, while I sit here and pontificate on global warming, I'm using my own aircon to keep myself cool. I'm using two laptops and a desktop. My XBox is sitting upstairs on standby, using amperes as we speak. I'm a major consumer of resources. Surely I'm a hypocritical fuck? Yes I am, but I'll try. You should maybe try too. And if you haven't seen the film, see it. Hell, I'll buy you a DVD if you email me. Get on with it!
posted @ Saturday, November 25, 2006 5:49 PM