Al Gore's Cosmos
A Movie Review
A number of years ago I read a biography of Al Gore that stated the then Senator had hopes of turning his book Earth in the Balance into a documentary mini-series along the lines of Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Since Gore ended up running for, and of course winning election to the office of vice-president in 1992, his documentary plans were not realized, that is until recently. According to The Nation the film An Inconvenient Truth, which is based on Gore's oft presented global warming slide show, was not initiated by him. No it was the film makers, including director Davis Guggenheim (a vetrine of several episodes of the Fox show 24), that came to Gore.
An Inconvenient Truth is an engaging documentary that revels Gore to be both an excellent teacher, and not the wooden cartoon he is often viewed as. The film does delve into elements of Gore's personal and professional life including, his childhood, the near death of his six year old son in 1989, the death of his older sister from lung cancer, and his defeat in the famously disputed presidential election of 2000. The focus of the movie however is on global warming, and Mr. Gore's case is overwhelming, this is no 'Manbearpig' phenomena. Through a glossy multi-media presentation (including a Futurerama clip), the former vice-president brings the satistical and photo-graphic evidence for our planets increased warming scarily to life, calling for a re-birth of 'political will' to address this issue while its effects are still relatively manageable.
Many have commented that this film appears to be part of an attempt by Gore to 'test the waters' for a possible presidential run in 2008. While the films start will dispute this, the more I think about it the better the prospect of another Gore campaign, and indeed a Gore presidency seems. Al Gore is, in my opinion, probably the best option for the country two years from now. This movie is only part of my gradual conversion to Gore fandom, something I'd like to see spread among others. If honestly addressed the issue of global warming could be faced, and even largely resolved by our generation, and possibly even serve a step towards a greater sense of unity of purpose in our land. So see An Inconvenient Truth and start thinking of a running-mate, I'm cerial.
posted by Nate Dredge @ 2:46 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Say it's not so!!! I would highly recommend reading Michael Crichton's novel"State of Fear." As a student on anthropology and more specifically archaeology I would side with my liberal professors who proclaim that global warming is part of the natural cycle of the earth. Sure we can effect it to a (very) small point, but we are not the cause nor the solution. He did a lot of work and references a lot of published scientific peer reviewed papers that you could also look up. Besides all that there is a charecter who is supposed to be Martin Sheen playing the president on a show VERY similar to "The West Wing." That alone should should make you want to go out and get it. Above all, however, it is a very interesting, thought provoking and entertaining read. Please don't sell your soul yet!!
Crichton's book did stick in my head while watching the movie, and maybe there is something there. However Gore's case is well documented, its hard to dispute before and after shots of glacers all over the world melting, and it does coincide well with increases in man mad pollution. Gore shows charts refrencing previous climate change rates based on ice core samples and other sources going back 600,000 years. None of them however is anywhere close to the variances we are seeing now in the time frame we are seeing it. Sampeling of peer-reviewed science articals and papers on globel warming shows that scientic dispute on its occurance and causes is practicaly non-existant. General readership articals on these same matters show close to a 50/50 divide on the subject however, though these are presumably the same journalists the right generly holds in ill-esteme. I should probably look at the "State of Fear" index and check-up on a few of those articals though.
Post a Comment
<< Home