Movie Review: An Inconvenient Truth

You need to either see An Inconvenient Truth or accept its conclusions. By now there should be no doubt that we need to do something about global warming. Al Gore does an effective job of making the case that it’s for real, showing the retreating glaciers and ice shelves, the CO2 and temperature graphs, and the increasing hurricane severity.

I’m now convinced that Gore would have not only been a better president than GW Bush, but also Clinton. In 2000, I was not convinced that Gore was the best choice, in large part due to his ties with Clinton. In the movie, Gore lists his efforts on the issue, including the Kyoto protocol, but according to Wikipedia, the Clinton administration never sent it to the Senate for ratification. In eight years, Clinton-Gore never improved automobile fuel efficiency standards. And let’s not forget running mate Joe Lieberman, who is now teetering on the edge of Republicanism. In the beginning of the movie, Gore comes clean, admits failure, and wishes he had done more during his years in office.

Sometimes I don’t know what to make of Gore. My son and I saw him at a fundraiser for Wellstone years ago, and he had a lot of good things to say. I think this movie is made possible by the changing political landscape, which is in turn made possible by the changing environmental landscape. For one thing, Gore is no longer running for office, so he doesn’t have to worry about the corporate media or big business contributions. Also, Bush’s approval rating is down to about 1 in 3 people. Everyone saw what happened after Katrina. The consensus of scientific opinion is starting to sink in. Add in the success of Fahrenheit 911 and this movie becomes a great idea at the right time and the right place.

In 2002, I ran for state senate. Even though it was a local race, I emphasized global warming and ways to fight it at the state and local level through renewable energy and mass transit. I got 2 percent of the vote. Maybe Gore knows something I don’t about timing. If he ran again, I would view him more favorably, but I would still prefer a Green solution. Nader recounted how he tried to work with Clinton-Gore and couldn’t get the time of day.

Interestingly, Nader appeared in one of the previews, for a movie, Who Killed the Electric Car? The other preview was for The U.S. vs. John Lennon. Both movies look very good.