An Inconvenient Truth

[The EnForcer]

This is a serious thread...I know it's a change for me but please read.

I have been profoundly moved this weekend by watching the movie by Al Gore "An Inconvenient Truth". If you do not already know, it is a documentary featuring a presentation by Al Gore on global warming. I have known of many of the issues for a long time but like many have not really understood the whole picture and the imminent effects we are facing.

I urge you to watch this movie and to take it seriously. I'm not a greeny, hippy or any type of activist but what I am is an engineer with the usual attributes, which help me to make decisions based on what I know is fact.

Everybody has there point of view and it is good to discuss but when you have governments putting policies in place which have huge economic implications then it is time to sit up and take notice.

I could go on but I'll save it for future discussions. Please make the effort to watch this movie, if you already haven't, and let's discuss.

[chook]

Was the movie any good?

[frontrow]

My missus reckons it was OK, but hard to follow at times...I haven't seen it yet though...I definately want to, is it similar to the style of Michael Moores "the Awful Truth", or "Bowling for Columbine",i like the way they were shot...( that is not a terrible pun by the way)...

[The EnForcer]

Was the movie any good?

It's good in the way that it provides a load of facts in a concise and understandable fashion. If you are looking for high drama and thrills then it does not have any of that. It is mainly a film of Al Gore doing the presentation that he does all over the world and gives a bit of a background on why he is doing it, which was another eye opener for me. He's a pretty amazing guy from what we see on the movie.

I found it interesting but some parts were a bit too Americanised for me. Overall though it works and should be compulsory viewing, in my opinion.

[Burgs]

I haven't watched it TEF however I do remember at the time of release MANY involved in the field coming out and slamming much of the "factual" content.
I am no expert and I am sure that it would do little harm to follow his advice however it is just one opinion.
Let's not forget that, as with the Marines in the US, there is no such thing as an "ex-politician".
Don't go moving to Kalgoorlie just yet

[Thequeerone]

Ok like many I find all of this grim stuff a bit hard going - what if anything can an ordainary person do actually do (apart from eating less beans !) to save the planet

[The EnForcer]

Burgs, As I said I'm no hippy activist and have been following this subject for a long time. Doesn't make me smarter than anyone else but just more informed than some. It's not the one opinion that I'm taking, it's the fact that the movie has galvanised my ideas and opinions. That is why I have decided to come out of the closet and state my long held beliefs and encourge others to maybe have a wee look see..

TQ1, there is a load of small things that you can do that costs nothing but a little effort, there are others that may cost up front but atkes longer to realise the cost savings and others that are a personal choice issue that wil cost money with no long term return. Just punch in something like "energy saving in the house" into google and you will find loads of ideas.

[Terri]

Speaking of - pretty sure it was Saturday gone - did anyone switch off their lights for an hour?

[The EnForcer]

We did, we used candles instead, so I think technically we negated the good that we were doing but that wasn't really the point was it.

[Goldmember]

Only Percy Montgommery could change the orbit and tilt of the Earth around the sun. This is probably the best way to significantly cool/warm the earth. I'm not a climatologist, but I think we have mini ice ages every 50 or so years??

In fact, our human carbon emissions might even event prevent the next ice age. Perhaps we could ask Scotland to subsidise our fuel costs for preventing them from freezing over.

You're right Burgs. Once a politician, always a politician.

[Terri]

Heh well I think not by directly meaning to I did... I was walking home from the trainstation for about an hour after 8 (well staggering - long day at Freo!) and before that they'd been off for a few hours since my bro left home ... so we did good

[Lonzy]

I thought it was just in sydney they were doing that ... and I had no idea it was happening until the sunday .... soooo ... no I didnt switch of ... infact .... I'm pretty sure my computer was running all day!!

[The EnForcer]

In fact, our human carbon emissions might even event prevent the next ice age. Perhaps we could ask Scotland to subsidise our fuel costs for preventing them from freezing over.

You're right Burgs. Once a politician, always a politician.

Haha, but to expect any money out of Scotland is like getting blood out of a stone my friend.

Yup, politicians, as I have said before, are down there with the bottom feeders. No argument there but they're as much a source of information/disinformation as any other media, if you are interested you have to read/listen/watch as much as possible so as to make an informed judgement.

It's not going away.

[Happy]

Only Percy Montgommery could change the orbit and tilt of the Earth around the sun.

yeah but he'd get a Gold Percy for it and miss to the right ... AGAIN!

[JediKnight]

Maybe it's a Scottish thing (clean living, clean environment etc) but I'm with TEF on this one.....there are too many people in too many countries with their heads in the sand (or somewhere a whole lot less pleasant) regarding this subject matter.

Whatever your thoughts about political agendae & ex-politicians, we are destroying the world we live in and if we carry on without taking heed it will be a much less pleasant place to live in for our children & our children's children.

I find it hard to understand the current Australian government's standpoint....Australia is perceived as being clean, green & environmentally aware but has an appalling record on greenhouse emissions & seemingly no willingness to do anything about it. Howard's comment about coal industry jobs being at risk is a smokescreen (pardon the pun!).....there'll be no jobs for anyone if we screw the world up. Whatever happened with moving with the times & embracing new technology.

Yes, there are many other countries with worse environmental policies but they tend to be developing countries and it could be argued that they are only doing now what 'Western' countries did during the years following the Industrial Revolution. It is the Western world's responsibility to educate these developing countries on the impact of what they are doing.

ALL OF US CAN & MUST MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!