Gore's "Inconvenient Truth"

It came out on DVD yesterday and I went to rent a copy. I found it interesting in a couple of ways. (Rated PG for ~mild thematic elements~ Huh?)

Conventional wisdom would have you scoffing at the idea that policy wonk Al Gore, stiff Mr. what-the-hell-is-a-soundbite could carry what is essentially an environmental lecture without boring you to death. He may be too pedantic in snippets but given an hour and a half he relaxes and warms up to the task. The production of the movie is top notch, with a stern warning about global warming interspersed with family history, videos and animation. Gore's dedication to his cause is obvious and he should be commended for that. His presentation is persistent and convincing.

Gore's been really excoriated by the reich wing for years, unfairly in my opinion. Those early swift boat-like attacks for the internet, Love Canal and environment hypocrisy were all either fabricated or blown way out of proportion. Questioning his devotion is as stupid as questioning the reality of the subject he presents in his book and movie. And global warming is viciously denied by them for years even as the evidence for it piles up by the day.

Monied interests consistently smear efforts to curb warming and try to suppress real science with the problem. Gore advocates action to control carbon emissions. The phony free market advocates should be embracing that course of action with enthusiasm because the innovation of the free market would ensure powerful breakthroughs with new technology. But monied interests don't believe in a free market, and they believe they can do whatever the hell they want without facing consequences for their actions.

As a matter of fact, Gore leaves politics out of his presentation except for mention of the 2000 presidential imbroglio and a few humorous digs at Commander Codpiece. It's a warning about warming brought about by rising CO2 levels and the disastrous effects we are now starting to experience. You gotta wonder how things would have been different if this man were President.