In the Wee Hours

There are so many stories out there about people seeing Al Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth and kind of freaking out. It’s actually become a cliché now. So even though I’m a fairly environmentally conscious person, it was with some skepticism that I sat down to watch this movie with my boyfriend the other night. Although I wasn’t disputing the accuracy of the information presented, I was simply doubtful that I would react strongly to it. Um, right…

The movie scared the sh*t out of me! I already knew a lot of these things, and had even heard about the glaciers breaking up in Antarctica, but the way the information was revealed in the movie, so clear and understandable (no science jargon here) brought everything home to me. What was also distressing about this movie, besides the overwhelming scientific evidence that supports the “theory” of global warming, is the revelations about our country’s role in not only causing it, but preventing any progress in the other direction. For one thing, I am permanently boycotting all American cars until the auto companies agree to raise their fuel efficiency standards to meet those of the rest of the world. So, yet another thing that makes me ashamed of my country!

I think that everyone should watch this movie, or should at least look into the data and find ways to reduce their carbon footprint. So, here are some helpful links:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/ - This is the official website for the movie. There are links that explain the science behind global warming, and there’s a downloadable educational companion for teachers. There’s also a convenient (no pun intended) carbon calculator to find out what your particular carbon footprint is, and how to reduce it.

http://www.globalwarming.net/ - This is the site for the Global Warming International Center. This site provides up-to-date information about global warming and environmental policy.

http://www.nrdc.org/ - The Natural Resources Defense Council’s website not only provides valuable information about global warming, but also about Green Living, water pollution, and alternative fuels.

Unless drastic and fundamental changes are made in environmental policy, this problem will reach crisis proportions very soon. But there are some small things that everyone can do to make a difference. For instance, last night, cities and people across the world participated in Earth Hour. From 8:00 to 9:00 pm, everyone was supposed to turn off their lights and electrical appliances. We did it. We even unplugged our clocks, our microwave, our televisions…everything. Did you do it? Did you even know about it? Not a lot of people in the U.S. knew about it…another symptom that the American government and even the American press don’t give a lot of attention to the environment.

I hope that all of you will take the time to watch An Inconvenient Truth. It may seem like old news, but it isn’t. The effects of global warming are seen every single day, all over the world. It’s all happening now.