AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

My close friends know that I avoid political discussions whenever possible, partly because as a journalist I must be Little Ms. Switzerland-neutral, but much more so because I grew up in a household where any divergence from an extreme right-wing posture was considered blasphemy -- and I hated to listen to the parental lectures. As a teenager in the generation-gap 60s, I quickly learned to keep my mouth shut and/or deftly change the subject at the family dinner table.

But even today, I don't enjoy "debates" about politics, and I'm hopelessly cynical about politicians. If pushed, I'd probably define myself as a moderate middle-of-the-road blue stater: socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and downright Libertarian on issues like the First Amendment and separation of church and state. Probably a typical New Yorker.

I started hearing good things about the new movie, An Inconvenient Truth, but to be honest -- resisted seeing it because I figured if Al Gore was behind it, it would probably be preachy and overtly political. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Well, last Tuesday, about four hours into my 11 to Kauai, I had already read all my magazines and decided it was time for a movie. United's PS service offers DVD players and a choice of about 8 discs to business class travelers, and lo and behold, there it was. I figured, "what the hell," if it's awful I can just jettison the disk, so I turned it on. And was mesmerized all the way through this AMAZING movie.

Forget ALL your preconceptions about Al Gore. GET THIS MOVIE!  It's incredible, and is packed with science, documentation, images, etc. (Yes, there are a few moments of self-indulgent whining about the election, but you can hit mute if you are a Republican for that section).  Its message is: "pay attention everybody, this isn't about politics -- it's not about borders --- it's not about countries -- it's about the pure survival of our planet." It's incredibly well done, with minimal partisanship -- just science, science, science.

The bottom line: Whether we are blue state or red, we all need to be GREEN. I was absolutely positively blown away by this film. When I got off the plane, I wanted to march right over to the nearest Ford dealership and order a hybrid. (Seriously, I WILL order my next Escape at Millerton Ford as a hybrid.)

I've been thinking a lot lately about how blessed I am, and how much I want to do more for the causes I believe in. More than just write checks. I've always supported music, domestic violence programs, animal protection, and health and sports charities, but as much as I believe in environmental charities, they've been lower on my pro bono agenda. Not any more. My focus in 2006 was dominated by Katrina -- well, guess what -- Katrina is part of this issue. I'm pledging in 2007 to focus a good chunk of my time and effort (and money) on environmental issues. For starters, I'm going to devote at least one post a month here to global warming issues.

Gore talks about how he's using word-of-mouth to educate people about this critical cause. Let me propose this: See the movie. If you, like me, see it as a huge wakeup call, then buy the DVD. (You can get it for $19.99 on Amazon). Play it for your family, and then give it to a friend and ask them to do the same. (Yes, yes, be sure you are properly complying with licensing agreements). Spread the word. Talk about it at parties. If you are a blogger, blog it. Ask your firm to contribute. Talk to your schools about educating your kids. Etc. Etc. Etc.  It's called viral marketing. Let's do this.

Here's some 411 to start:

Buy the DVD (Amazon link) here.

Watch the trailer here.

The science here.

Educator's companion info here.

Take action (what you can do) here.

Sign the petition (and encourage others) here.

Ten simple things you can do, here.