When you first saw Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, there ‘s a good chance you were left somewhat stunned and speechless. I frankly spent the next few days in disbelief, asking myself a lot of questions. “How could we have let this happen?” “What is wrong with us?” “What next?” “What can I do?” Luckily, I wasn’t the only one asking questions. And now some ten years later, and because of our inaction, we are starting to witness the climate changes envisaged in An Inconvenient Truth — climate changes but the truth about climate does not.
Image source: 24 Hours of Reality, Climate Reality Leadership Corps
Climate Changes, Truth Does Not
Over the last ten years, An Inconvenient Truth has motivated millions around the globe to take action to prevent a climate crisis. Public awareness of climate change and its impacts has risen dramatically. And climate science has now proven that human-made greenhouse gases are the most significant contributors to global warming.
The modern climate movement, which I’m a part of today, has been largely shaped by the groundbreaking film and Al Gore. Gore has single-handedly started a wave of climate awareness which will not subside. And yet, the work to develop a sustainable future is just beginning.
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power will continue the existential fight humanity faces to avert a climate crisis . It will help keep all eyes on the Paris Agreement signed by 195 countries in December of 2015. But more significantly, it will drag even non-believers into the third industrial revolution — the clean energy transition. It will support the fight to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
Published on Mar 28, 2017
Standard YouTube License
In theatres July 28, 2017. #BeInconvenient
A decade after AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Vice President Al Gore continues his tireless fight traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy. Cameras follow him behind the scenes – in moments both private and public, funny and poignant — as he pursues the inspirational idea that while the stakes have never been higher, the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion. (Source: YouTube)
My Personal story
About a year ago I did a post about how and why I joined the climate movement. I wrote then that I’m a Climate Activist Because of An Inconvenient Truth. The urgency conveyed by the movie was a wake-up call. There was no time to lose – I got to work. I created my own website/blog and started publishing articles – over 450 posts to date. I ran for political office in 2007. I became a Climate Reality leader in 2013, joined 350.Org and the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. I’ve been in climate marches, published letters to newspapers, given presentations on climate change and lobbied elected officials. I speak at climate cafes, rallies and public meetings. Thank you Al.
The Next Phase of the Climate Movement
An Inconvenient Sequel is coming at just the right time. The climate movement needs to refocus and double down to ensure that none of the progress realized to date is blown away by the likes of Donald Trump and his entourage of climate skeptics.
In fact the very opposite is starting to happen. We’re seeing unprecedented breakthroughs in clean energy technology, plummeting renewable energy costs, exponential growth of computer processing power and data storage, all providing strong impetus to the energy transition away from fossil fuels. We are on the cusp of the third industrial revolution.
There is no more worthwhile endeavor than being engaged in preserving the planet for future generations — our children and grandchildren. It’s wrong to remain passive by avoiding climate truth. It’s right to give them hope.
I think the key is preserving the health of the Iceans of the world.
I thought I write “Oceans” maybe I just coined a new word. After all we do have to preserve the ice! Anyhow Canada faces three key Iceans of the world and has a responsibility to be a world leader leader in preserving these three important Eco Systems!
Welcome to Below2°C Elmer.
Of course Iceans is not a word but I get what you mean. We all have a responsibility to preserve and enhance the health of our oceans and Canada’s role is critical as you point out.
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Actually, I am feeling quite positive in many respects despite the obvious political negatives occurring across the globe.
Yes, it would be better if governments stopped acting like spoiled children throwing their toys out of ‘prams, and yes, it would be better if we could throw any amount of money at the problems to come up with solutions. But since neither of those scenarios are likely to occur, we have to ignor our government ineptitudes and create the world we want with our own demands. Why? Because the corporate world wants your money and will do anything to get it!
One of the biggest contributes to greenhouse gas emissions is livestock production for meat. And, there is an increasing movement, especially amongst younger generations, to move to a more sustainable plant-based diet. It is just one of many grass roots movements to change thinking, and more importantly, spending patterns.
Cargill is a little known corporate name, but it is one of the largest agricultural food supply chains in the world, controlling vast swathes of stock in just about every food available. And Cargill has just announced that it is getting out of the meat business….slowly, but most assuredly. It has just sold off four of the biggest cattle feedlots in the US. This is significant, and is in direct proportion to the reduction of meat consumption by the population.
Tyson Foods (massive food packing corporation dealing mainly in meat production and processing), has just announced that they are starting up a plant-based food division in a direct response to the ‘Vegan Movement.’
So, the individual choices we make are in direct proportion making corporations rethink their operations.
Governments will lag behind until the corporate influences that do most of the political prodding demand new legislations that benefit their bottom line. So it is up to us (the paying consumer) to show corporations what we are willing to pay for, and more importantly, what we are not. Every single one of us has to play our part if we are to survive as a species in the years going forward.