I didn't vote for him.

Just wanted to jot down some thoughts on the movie.

Over the last couple days, I've had several conversations with people outside of our class about 'Inconvinient Truth'. Some were heated debates, which made me not like my friend, and some were barely conversations. It seems everyone has an opinion, informed or otherwise.

I don't like the term "global warming". Generally, I use the typically Republican term of "climate change". Not because I'm republican, I don't associate with either party, I vote on issues. Global warming is too definative a term to describe what is going on, especially when there are too many unanswered questions left.

Anyways, my issue with the movie is the fact that it was a movie. I have a very hard time taking this film seriously when I know Al Gore is at home polishing his Oscar and counting his money. It's very convinient how he came across all this information that was not preciously available to the public. Politcal influence and name dropping go a long way, don't they Mr. VP? Had this been a Discovery Channel special, or National Geographic special developed and backed by a reputable scientist or scientific community, I would be more apt to take this to heart.

I don't know if you know this, but Al isn't a scientist, and he didn't invent the internet. If you believe that he is, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you. He is a man on a very commendable crusade to get American people to change their environmentally damaging ways. I have no problem with that. That's great. That's amazing. I'm sure his family is proud. While more people are likely to listen to Al Gore than a scientist with 12 degrees from varying institutions, who is the more reputable source?

It's crazy how all these diagrams, graphs, maps, facts, and figures are just now available to the general population, thanks to Al's investigation. Apparently they were always there, the ubiquitous "they" just didn't want "us" to know about it.

There are 3 ways this could go:
1. This movie does for the EPA what Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" did for the meatpacking industry. Regulations out the ass, but for the betterment and protection of society. We all become accutely aware of what is going on and make a conscious effort to change it. Al Gore is elected president.

2. We find out in 3 months, years, decades, whatev, that all his "facts" were exaggerated and misconstrued. We lose trust in yet another gov't official, and become more confused about the state of the environment.

3. Someone rebuts this film with facts, figures, diagrams, blah blah blah demonstrating that is not a "world crisis" but an expected event consitent with previous warmings and coolings of the earth. I mean, c'mon, this thing is like 6 billion years old, this was bound to have happened once before.

I'll buy parts of it. I'm glad it got people talking, and at least considering reevaluating the way they live. Maybe it's the best scare tactics ever developed.