An Inconvenient Truth - Coming to a Theatre Near You
by Nick Aster, San Francisco on 05.19.06
Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" opens in NY and LA on My 24th, and in other cities shortly thereafter. You can get the whole list of opening dates by clicking "find a theater" on the film's website.
All in all, it's a fantastic, satisfying, and inspiring film. It lays down an explanation of global warming in wonderfully articulate detail. Coupled with what we like to refer to as the "sustainability tipping point", I believe it will represent the first large scale moment of awakening to the issue for the American public. This really is the experience that will leave no doubt in anyone's mind of the severe realities of what could face us.
But understanding the issue is only the first step. Whether or not this film produces positive action, despair, or denial is the big question.
Problem number one is that there will be a well financed backlash to this film. Please read on for more...
People will pick this film to pieces, as any good critic should. They will find a few minor inconsistencies and will blow them out of proportion. The decline of the Aral sea, for example, has nothing to do with global warming, it has to do with stream diversion for irrigation, so its inclusion in the film is indeed a little awkward. But these points are tiny compared to the multitude of well articulated evidence the film includes. Real Climate has the best discussion about the film's factuality going on here. It's well worth reading up on.
The problem is that selective fact finding will fuel denial, including funded backlashes. The bizarre advertisements that ExxonMobile-funded CEI produced may be downright asinine, but they will find their way into millions of homes. They will confuse people to no end. There will also be cynicism - ManBearPig will give you a taste, although hopefully the South Park boys are smart enough to hit the Exxon funded "CO2 is life" ads harder. Get ready to deal with this stuff.
Secondly (and I promise this gets better), the film is also short on solutions...
The most important fact on which the entire film is based is explained in a relatively short segment showing that current concentrations of CO2 are at an unprecedented high due to human action, and will likely go higher unless changes are made. The consequences of increased CO2 are shown to correspond with temperature increases and the various potential calamities most of the readers of TreeHugger are well familiar with. Many people will shrug their shoulders and say, "well, if it's already up that high we're pretty much screwed since there's no way it's coming down". The despair and inaction many people will feel won't help much more than the denial. And then there's the problem of getting people to actually see it, and keep the film's message in their consciousness for more than a week.
So what about that positive action? As a TreeHugger reader you're already in tune with a positive "win-win" way of approaching the issue of global warming along with the multitude of other challenges the planet and society face. This film will only be a success if, after watching it, you, me, and like-minded media such as TreeHugger are prepared to start talking about solutions to the doom and gloom prophecy and to make people realize they, individually, can make a big difference - averting denial and despair. This film is a stunning vision of un-sustainability, but what we need now is a vision of sustainability.
That said, get out and GO SEE IT. Preferably see it on opening weekend as high demand will ensure it gets into more cinemas, and into a broader, more mainstream audience. And bring a few friends. As anyone who's ever tirelessly preached to the choir knows, getting the word out into the world beyond your usual haunts is the most important thing for an issue that affects us all and will ultimately require change by all if anything is to be done about it.
So what can TreeHuggers talk about after this movie hits the screens?
Let's talk about carbon negative activities. Tell people about the Chicago Climate Exchange - a non-governmental voluntary program to reduce emissions. Talk about the (experimental) concept of sequestering CO2 in former oil wells, metion amazingly innovative companies like Eprida, DriveNeutral and TerraPass.
And perhaps most importantly, introduce people to the concept of "voting with your dollars". Spending a little more money here and there on more responsibly designed products, a better car, you name it, is literally an investment in the future, and will pay off in spades.
Finally, a realistic anecdote:
At the end of the film, Al Gore stuck around for some Q&A. A woman suggested that Al Gore's newfound ability to speak his mind freely about this and many other issues might be the silver lining in the clouds of the 2000 election - and that perhaps, ironically, more can be done for the issue today because of that defeat. Mr Gore said he was flattered, but that, we shouldn't kid ourselves - there is no more powerful voice on earth than that of the President of the United States.
So don't forget your perspective and assume that this film alone with revolutionize thought on a planetary level. Only combined with better leadership, wiser economic choices, and your collective voices will that happen. Are you up to the task?
I've already got my tickets for the June 2nd showing in SF :)
"You can get the whole list of opening dates by clicking "find a theater" on the film's website."
You can? I can't. I don't use flash. Why not give people the option?
Here's the list for your convinience :)
AB Calgary 16-Jun Globe
AB Edmonton 16-Jun Princess
AK Anchorage 23-Jun Anchorage 16
AR Little Rock 30-Jun Market St
AZ Scottsdale 9-Jun Camelview 5
AZ Tucson 23-Jun Catalina
AZ Tucson 23-Jun El Con
BC Vancouver 9-Jun Tinseltown
BC Vancouver 9-Jun Fifth Ave. Theatre
CA Aliso Viejo 16-Jun Aliso Viejo 20
CA Berkeley 2-Jun CAL
CA Burbank 16-Jun Burbank 30
CA Campbell 9-Jun Camera 7
CA Camarillo 16-Jun Paseo Camarillo
CA Chico 30-Jun Pageant
CA Del Mar 16-Jun Flower Hill 4
CA Emeryville 16-Jun Bay Street 16
CA Foothill Ranch 16-Jun Foothill 22
CA Hollywood 24-May Arclight
CA Huntington Beach 16-Jun Huntington 20
CA Irvine 2-Jun University
CA La Jolla 16-Jun Village
CA Laguna Niguel 9-Jun Rancho Niguel
CA Long Beach 9-Jun UA Movies 6
CA Los Angeles 2-Jun Century City
CA Mill Valley 2-Jun Sequoia
CA Monterey 16-Jun Osio Plaza 6
CA Monterey 23-Jun Golden West Village 12
CA Oakland 9-Jun Piedmount
CA Orange 16-Jun Stadium 20
CA Ontario 16-Jun Ontario 30
CA Orange 16-Jun Block 30
CA Palo Alto 2-Jun Century Cinearts
CA Pasadena 2-Jun Playhouse
CA Pleasant Hill 9-Jun Cinearts Plesnt Hill
CA Rancho Mirage 16-Jun The River
CA Sacramento 9-Jun Tower Angelika
CA San Diego 9-Jun Hillcrest
CA San Francisco 2-Jun Embarcadero
CA San Francisco 9-Jun UA Stonestown
CA San Jose 2-Jun Santana Row
CA San Jose 16-Jun Saratoga
CA San Louis Obispo 16-Jun Palm
CA Santa Barbara 9-Jun Fiesta Five
CA Santa Barbara 9-Jun Paseo Nuevo
CA Santa Clara 16-Jun Mercado 20
CA Santa Cruz 9-Jun Del Mar
CA Santa Cruz 9-Jun Nickelodeon 4
CA Santa Monica 24-May Monica
CA Santa Rosa 9-Jun Rialto Lakeside
CA Sherman Oaks 2-Jun Pacific Galleria 16
CA Torrance 16-Jun Rolling Hills 20
CA Ventura 16-Jun Century Downtown
CA Westlake 16-Jun Westlake Village
CA Woodland Hills 16-Jun Promenade 16
CO Boulder 23-Jun Village 4
CO Colorado Springs 30-Jun Twin Peak
CO Denver 9-Jun Esquire
CO Denver 23-Jun Tamarac
CO Highlands Ranch 23-Jun Highlands Ranch 24
CO Loveland 30-Jun Metrolux
CO Westminster 23-Jun Westminster 24
CT Bantam 30-Jun Bantam Cinema
CT Bethel 2-Jun Bethel
CT Hartford 16-Jun Crown City Cinema
CT Norwalk 2-Jun Garden
CT Orange 16-Jun S/C Orange
CT Stamford 2-Jun Avon
CT Waterbury 30-Jun Holiday
DC Washington D.C. 2-Jun E Street
DC Washington D.C. 2-Jun Georgetown
FL Boca Raton 9-Jun Mizner
FL Delray Beach 9-Jun Delray 18
FL Ft. Lauderdale 9-Jun Gateway
FL Gainesville 30-Jun Butler Plaza
FL Miami 9-Jun South Beach
FL North Miami 9-Jun Intra Costal
FL Sarasota 23-Jun Burns Court
FL South Miami 9-Jun Sunset
FL Tampa 16-Jun Sunrise @ Old Hyde Park
FL Winter Park 16-Jun Winter Park 20
GA Atlanta 9-Jun Tara
HI Hilo 30-Jun Palace
HI Honolulu 16-Jun Varsity
HI Maui 30-Jun Megaplex 12
IA Ames 30-Jun Varsity
IA Des Moines 23-Jun Fleur
ID Boise 30-Jun Flick
IL Champaign 30-Jun Art Theatre
IL Chicago 2-Jun Century Centre
IL Chicago 9-Jun Esquire
IL Evanston 2-Jun CineArts 6
IL Highland Park 2-Jun Renaissance Place
IN Indianapolis 16-Jun Keystone Art
KS Olathe 16-Jun Studio
KY Lexington 23-Jun Kentucky 2
KY Louisville 23-Jun Baxter 8
LA New Orleans 23-Jun Canal Place
MA Boston 2-Jun Embassy
MA Brookline 2-Jun Coolidge Corner
MA Cambridge 2-Jun Harvard Square
MA Danvers 16-Jun Hollywood Hits
MA Dedham 16-Jun Dedham Comm.
MA Dennis 23-Jun Cape Cinema
MA Great Barrington 30-Jun Triplex Mahawie
MA N. Falmouth 23-Jun Nickelodeon
MA Northampton 30-Jun Academy Theater
MA Oak Bluffs 23-Jun Island
MA W. Boylston 23-Jun W. Boylston
MA Williamstown 30-Jun Images
MB Edmonton 16-Jun Princess
MB Winnipeg 16-Jun Globe
MD Baltimore 9-Jun Charles
MD Bethesda 2-Jun Bethesda Row
MD Gaithersburg 9-Jun Rio 18
ME Belfast 23-Jun Colonial
ME Camden 30-Jun Bayview St
ME Portland 28-Jun Movie Exchange
ME Waterville 23-Jun Railroad Square
MI Ann Arbor 16-Jun Michigan
MI Grand Rapids 30-Jun Studio 28
MI Flint 30-Jun Cinema 10
MI Lansing 30-Jun Celebration
MI Royal Oak 9-Jun Main Art
MN Minneapolis 9-Jun Uptown
MO Frontenac 9-Jun Plaza Frontenac
MO Kansas City 16-Jun Tivoli @ Manor Sq
MT Missoula 30-Jun Wilma
NC Asheville 30-Jun Fine Arts
NC Chapel Hill 16-Jun Chelsea
NC Charlotte 16-Jun Ballyntyne
NC Durham 16-Jun Carolina 3
NC Greensboro 30-Jun Carousel 15
NC Raleigh 16-Jun Colony 2
NC Winston Salem 30-Jun Wynnsong
NH Hanover 30-Jun Nugget
NH Keene 30-Jun Colonial
NH Wilton 30-Jun Town Hall
NJ Egg Harbor Township 30-Jun Towne Stadium 16
NJ Montclair 2-Jun Claridge
NJ Princeton 2-Jun Garden
NJ Rocky Hill 2-Jun Montgomery Center
NJ Voorhees 2-Jun Ritz
NM Albuquerque 16-Jun Century 14
NM Santa Fe 23-Jun Devargas 6
NS Halifax 16-Jun Parklane
NV Las Vegas 23-Jun Suncoast 16
NV Nevada City 2-Jul Nevada
NV Reno 23-Jun Riverside
NY Albany 16-Jun Spectrum 7
NY Amherst 16-Jun Amherst
NY Binghamton 23-Jun Gardens Cinema
NY Brooklyn 2-Jun BAM Rose
NY Geneva 30-Jun Geneva Movieplex
NY Hunter 7-Jul Hunter
NY Huntington 2-Jun Cinema Arts
NY Ithaca 30-Jun Fall Creek
NY Kew Gardens 2-Jun Kew Gardens
NY Malverne 2-Jun Malverne
NY Manhasset 2-Jun Manhasset
NY New York 24-May Lincoln Square
NY New York 24-May Sunshine
NY New York 2-Jun Empire
NY New York 9-Jun 85th St. East
NY New York 9-Jun Chelsea 9
NY New York 9-Jun Cinema 1, 2, 3rd
NY Pleasantville 2-Jun Jacob Burns
NY Rhineback 2-Jun Upstate
NY Rochester 16-Jun Little
NY Rochester 23-Jun Pittsford Plaza
NY Rosendale 16-Jun Rosendale
NY Syracuse 30-Jun Westcott
OH Athens 23-Jun Athena 3
OH Cleveland 16-Jun Cedar Lee
OH Columbus 16-Jun Drexel Gateway
OH Dayton 23-Jun New Neon
OH Holland 23-Jun Super Cinema
OH Mariemont 16-Jun Mariemont
OH Youngstown 30-Jun Austintown 3
OK Oklahoma City 23-Jun Quail Springs
OK Tulsa 23-Jun Southroads
ON London 30-Jun Galleria
ON Ottawa 9-Jun Bytowne
ON Toronto 2-Jun Cumberland
ON Waterloo 23-Jun Princess Theatre
OR Bend 30-Jun Pilot Butte 6
OR Corvalis 30-Jun Darkside
OR Eugene 30-Jun Bijou
OR Portland 9-Jun Fox Tower
PA E. Stroudsburg 30-Jun Pocono Films
PA Harrisburg 30-Jun Mid Town
PA Moosic 30-Jun Moosic
PA Philadelphia 2-Jun Ritz 5
PA Philadelphia 9-Jun Bryn Mawr
PA Pittsburgh 16-Jun Manor
PR Santurce 23-Jun Fine Arts
QB Montreal 9-Jun AMC Forum
RI Providence 23-Jun Avon Cinema
SC Charleston 30-Jun Terrace
TN Chatanooga 30-Jun Bijou
TN Knoxville 23-Jun Downtown West
TN Memphis 23-Jun Ridgeway
TX Austin 16-Jun Arbor
TX Dallas 2-Jun Magnolia
TX Houston 9-Jun River Oaks
TX Plano 2-Jun Angelika Film Center
TX San Antonio 30-Jun Bijoux
UT Salt Lake City 16-Jun Broadway 6
VA Arlington 9-Jun Shirlington
VA Charlottesville 30-Jun Vinegar Hill
VA Fairfax 9-Jun Cinema Arts Fairfax
VA Norfolk 30-Jun Naro
VA Richmond 23-Jun Westhampton 2
VA Roanoke 30-Jun Grandin 5
VA Staunton 23-Jun Visulite
VA Williamsburg 30-Jun Kimball
VT Burlington 23-Jun Roxy
VT Montpelier 30-Jun Savoy
VT Rutland 23-Jun Plaza
VT St. Johnsbury 30-Jun Catamount
WA Bellevue 16-Jun Lincoln Sqr
WA Kennewick 30-Jun Carmike 12
WA Lynwood 16-Jun Alderwood
WA Redmond 16-Jun Bella Bottega 11
WA Renton 16-Jun East Valley 13
WA Seattle 2-Jun Guild
WA Seattle 2-Jun Pacific Palace
WA Spokane 16-Jun River Park 20
WA Yakima 30-Jun Cinema 10
WI Madison 16-Jun Westgate
WI Milwaukee 16-Jun Oriental
gringo - thanks for that!
I hate flash based websites - major pain.
Actually the decline of the Aral Sea is connected to global warming.
The rivers that feed into the Aral Sea come from mountains to the southeast.
And global warming plus surface dusts on mountain glaciers, from where the Aral Sea waters originate, are likely to lead to a decline in these glaciers. This may further decrease the river flows.
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:Wmq3nJZ-a0EJ:www.jcu.edu.au/jrtph/vol/v01whish.pdf+%22decline+of+the+Aral+sea%22%2Bglobal+warming&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&client=opera
In Central Asia water is one of the key development issues. The waters of most of the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan, almost all Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and part of Southern Kazakhstan drain through the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers into the Aral Sea. These areas have been irrigated for centuries, but irrigated area has more than doubled during the Soviet period, from less than 4 million ha to 8 million ha, and irrigation accounts for 92% of water use.
The irrigated land provided jobs for the region’s rapidly growing population but the water diversion has led to a dramatic decline in the surface of the Aral Sea, disappearing of large forms
of aquatic life, blowing salts, loss of grazing lands, fisheries and wetlands, and loss of livelihoods for 3.5 million people living around the Aral Sea. The problem has worsened since 1990, since with declining funds for system maintenance, water delivery has become less
efficient and there are growing drainage, waterlogging and salinity problems in many of the irrigated areas. Analytical work has indicated that the Aral Sea cannot be restored to its previous
levels but that with sound irrigation and water management, it can be stabilized and the delta can
be improved.
In addition to the overriding problems of irrigation and drainage, there are also particular issues. These include wetland and delta management, water sharing between Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan, difficulties in balancing the requirements for energy for upstream countries with irrigation for downstream users, and water management in the Ferghana valley, which is densely populated and is shared between three countries. Water flow monitoring devices have
deteriorated, evidence of glacier retreat in the upper watersheds attributed to global warming may have long term impact on water flows, and unsafe mine tailings dams in the upper riparian countries risk contaminating water downstream.
http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:M4egXotrBdYJ:wbln0018.worldbank.org/eca/Ecssd.nsf/6c91d66e0ce325b385256cee0064d0f3/28a93e9ef925a15185256d2d0078e522/%24FILE/ECAWRS.pdf+%22decline+of+the+Aral+sea%22%2Bglobal+warming&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=17&client=opera
Nevertheless, Gore does not say that global warming caused the decline of the Aral Sea.
You can read in Earth in the Balance (Ship in the Desert, page 19-20):
"Ten years ago the Aral was the fourth-largest inland sea in the world, comparable to the largest of North American's Great Lakes. Now it is disappearing because the water that used to feed it has been diverted in an ill-considered iffigation scheme to grow cotton in the desert"
on page 52 (The Shadow Our Future Throws)he wrote:
"The regional catastrophe of the Aral Sea, for instance, came about maily because of an unpredicted feedback loop which magnified the impact of a poor irrigation strategy."
I didn't see the movie but I saw the slide-show back in 2003 and Gore didn't link the decline of the Aral Sea to global warming there, either.
His point was that humans with modern technologies can dramatically alter nature.
It was a metaphor not an argument that global warming was behind the decline of the Aral sea.
Global Warming isn't real. It's a bunch of left wing propaganda BS. Yeah back in the 70s it was Global Cooling. Whatever you come up with is always a bunch of BS. Sorry Evolution isn't real either. Guess what, you'll never ever find "the missing link," because it's not there. It never was there and it'll never be there! Guess what else, I came up with a new theory. It's called the Liberal BS Theory. It states "All Liberal/Left Wing Extremists are full of themselves and BS."
That's some seriously weakass trolling, Lance. Practice a little more then come back later.
I give it a D-.
Lance,
Umm, so 99% of the world's scientists (that's been confirmed) are wrong, and you're right?
Go have another case of beer, dude.
You hit the nail on the head Lance, don't let these hippy lefties muffle your patriotic roar!
Yeah Carl, would I be correct to say that 99% of the world's scientists thought in the mid. to early 1500s that the Earth is FLAT. I mean tell me if I am wrong Carl, please. And would you also concur that it was because of their limited knowledge and incompetence that this (now idiotic) theory stood for so long. As I see it, you have not made any relevant point. With enough propaganda anyone can bend anything into any shape to formulate any view. The human psyche is very susceptible to deception. Things that seem horrific today, were normal or widely excepted in the past. I need not name the shame in our historic infamy. I know I probably will not have any effect on your views. I also know I have better things to do, as do all of us. Although I am only 17, I have a great understanding of my purpose in life. Do you know your's?
Thanks for the backup Colbert!
What's your purpose, Lance?
Lance, you do realize that Stephen Colbert is a comic who pretends to be a crazy conservative.. right?
Visit colbertnation.com
They most certainly did agree that the world was flat, Lance, and you do remember why?
Because the even-more-ignorant conservative leaders and their supporters told them to, and attacked anyone who dared question them.
I'm done.
Once again you are missing the point. It doesn't matter who it was. We can play the "blame game" until we fall to the ground dead. The point is that the majority isn't always right, no matter the percent of it.
You can’t just take things for what they are. You have to divert the conversation away from the topic.
Idiocy is not limited to one side or another. You think as the whole, not as an individual. My morals and values are not with those of Lactantius. You mis-understand me. I don’t represent anyone but myself and my views.
As for Colbert, I know you guys or whoever is trying to make fun of me. I have a sense of humor. :)
Who do you all want in office for 2008?
Lance, of course it is possible for the majority to be wrong. But to prove it wrong, you have to use facts and evidence (just like the people who proved the Earth was round did to go against the religious dogma that the Earth was flat), not just cherry pick information that supports the conclusion that you find most convenient and ignore the rest.
What Can be Done about Trolls?
When you suspect that somebody is a troll, you might try responding with a polite, mild message to see if it's just somebody in a bad mood. Internet users sometimes let their passions get away from them when seated safely behind their keyboard. If you ignore their bluster and respond in a pleasant manner, they usually calm down.
However, if the person persists in being beastly, and seems to enjoy being unpleasant, the only effective position is summed up as follows:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction to reminding others not to respond to trolls.
When you try to reason with a troll, he wins. When you insult a troll, he wins. When you scream at a troll, he wins. The only thing that trolls can't handle is being ignored -- or banned.
I had tried to post an article of new evidence that suggests that the "rise in temperature" is not as dramatic as thought to be. The article went on to say the temperature readings taken are inaccurate because of where they were taken. Recent satellite technology has revealed Earth's temperature to be well within the norm. I will find the real deal with specifics so you can critique it. I believe that it is more than likely that the “evidence” has been misleading.
My goal is to have a honest discussion. I will listen to you, if you will listen to me.
Lance, Lance, Lance. Well, it's true - "With enough propaganda anyone can bend anything into any shape to formulate any view. The human psyche is very susceptible to deception." That's why science is so important. By insisting that beliefs about our world be rationally, objectively derived from empirical, measurable evidence, the natural and social sciences have since their beginning empowered humans against conservative propaganda forces that use emotional appeals (typically fear) as an irrational and often immoral means to gain or protect power. Unlike yourself, scientists don't investigate phenomena with an end in mind, ready to believe whatever BS conveniently supports their predetermined conclusions. Rather, their lives are devoted to an attempt to understand the incredible processes of our universe, motivated by intense natural curiosity (think cosmologists) or by a desire to somehow improve human lives (think biomedical scientists). Scientists don't have agendas, politicians do. Scientists observe the natural world, collect empirical data, and develop theories that explain why the data showed what it did. The scientific community evaluates the strength of a theory solely based on its explanatory and predictive accuracy, not on whether or not its implications happen to coincide with certain religious beliefs or economic wishes. After decades of peer-reviewed, repeatable research, I for one believe whatever a majority of scientists believe – scientific majority is far different than public majority. It's their job to believe in the theories that have proved to be the most rational explanation for natural phenomena. Do you really think scientists were happy to discover that the recent climate change is largely human induced? Scientists would be just as excited to discover that the earth was naturally heating up faster than it ever has before (just flip to the Animal Planet to witness innocent scientific exuberance). They just want to understand the undeniable facts they've observed!
But the “propaganda” you referred to was the 99% of scientists who have verified their belief in climate change. You seem to suggest that a lack of accurate, verifiable data has simply misled scientists to this wrong conclusion. After all, you say, the majority isn't always right. Unfortunately, your only evidence for this is an analogy to the 99% of scientists who believed the world was flat in the mid to early 16th century due to similarly “limited knowledge and incompetence”. Oh, Lance, this was your ignorant gaffe that spawned my reaction! The truth is that you were just plain wrong - no scientist of any importance since the eight century has questioned the sphericity of Earth! From Aristotle (4th century BCE) to Thomas Aquinas (13th century CE), anyone who looked at the facts realized that the earth was a sphere. The facts of observation so clearly suggested a spherical earth that “flat earth” theory was reserved for only two groups – incompetent, uneducated peasants who didn't have the means to understand why the earth must be spherical, and Christian fundamentalists who realized a spherical earth was difficult to reconcile with their view of a unified human race descended from one couple and redeemed by one Christ (wikipedia - “Flat Earth”).
Similary, anti-climate change beliefs today are reserved only for the ignorant and the defiant. Unfortunately, the defiant ones, whose political, economic, or religious beliefs are threatened by climate change theory, are using massive propaganda campaigns to win over the minds of the ignorant ones, who find it convenient to avoid responsibility for destroying our earth and attack “Liberal BS Theory” instead (think exxon-mobil and the 50-plus anti-climate change groups it's founded, not to mention the President's stance it's purchased). Well, climate change is not a convenient conclusion for mankind. Rather, its a humbling, inconvenient truth (great job with the title, Al Gore). Lance, I think you're too smart to buy into their BS. Bjorn Lomborg (author, The Skeptical Environmentalist) and other “scientists” who discredit climate change are usually practicing horrible science themselves (see January, 2002 issue of Scientific America). Maybe when your youthful idealism wears off you'll realize that every political view has a political motivation; that scientists are one of the only remaining groups with pure motivations and trustworthy conclusions. After all, “with enough propaganda anyone can bend anything into any shape to formulate any view”.
Vince, I like you. You are trying, as many do, to make sense of a universe that seems to have none whatsoever. "Everything has a beginning and everything has an unfortunate end." Is this really true? If you can look at the biggest picture you can imagine, you might see the universe. And you say, well there was this big bang and all the matter in the whole universe exploded into existence from a dense spherical anomaly. From that came the beginning of everything we know today.
If this is true. Then we are 100% doomed as the human race, am I wrong? There is another theory that if this big bang did happen that the universe would expand as far as it could outward from the point of the explosion and would eventually collapse in by force of gravity. I don’t find this explanation of life true. I don’t think we are here to not be here.
Why do you think we are here? Are we not supposed be here? Are we a random phenomena. And if this unfortunate truth is the inevitable end, then what are you going to do about it? These are famous questions that you probably dwell on time to time.
None of this universe is an accident. I’d be BSing myself if I were to agree with this conclusion. The mathematical odds are so against us being here, it’s absolutely astonishing. Then you think, well maybe were not an accident. This has to be a common thing. There must be life everywhere in the galaxy. But there’s not. And you’ll say I can’t say that. We have discovered 150 sum extraterrestrial planets, none of which are like our solar system. Usually what they find are gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn orbiting very close to their star. Only recently have they found some systems that have rocky planets. But even in these systems the planet is orbiting so close that not even water would be present let alone a one cell organism. I know what you’re thinking and I’m thinking the same thing. The technology is limited. I know this is true, I just wanted say it’s not looking bright. I’m waiting for them to get their better telescope into orbit that will be able to detect smaller star wobbles.
Putting aside the whole planet thing, you’d think any intelligent life would have discovered radio communication. There have been countless solar systems that have come gone in our galaxy alone. I would think we would at least hear some radio waves of a dead civilization. We have been sending radio waves out for a good 80-90 years. Well were still listening and we haven’t heard much besides the ordinary static of the Universe. Don’t get me wrong, the day they announce we’re not alone would be far from devastating to me. I’ve been fascinated with the design of our Universe ever sense I developed abstract thought.
Putting aside the radio thing here’s my final thought on the Universe and why were not an accident.
Probability, Circumstance, Happenstance, Coincidence, Quirk, Fluke, Out of nothingness, A twist of fate are the problems I see. I don’t know if you have stopped and thought about what had to happen on accident for you and me to be having a conversation right now, but I have. It just so happens Earth is absolutely perfect in every single way. Nothing could have went better here for us. First we have a sun that is 5 billion years old as calculated, that is a Type G2 meaning in summary that the Sun isn’t so big it will burn out in a million years like a Type-M,K,B, or O. Our Sun’s life expectancy is about 10 billion years. So our Sun is middle aged. Moving on when our Sun formed rocky planets were closest to our star and gas giants were far away from the rocky ones. Also Earth happens to be in “the sweet spot” any closer and water would be boiled away and any further away the water would be trapped in the form of ice.
But wait the most amazing parts are yet to come. We happen to have a Moon!! For a long time scientists could not figure out why we have a moon that is so big. We could not have captured an object as big as the moon in orbit, it would have simply slipped right by the gravity of the Earth. It is now known that a planet the size of Mars crashed into the Earth at just the right angle so the Mars like planet skimmed Earth and sort of bounced off to have Earths gravity pull it right back for a second blow ejecting matter into orbit around Earth not to mention knocking the Earth off its axis tilting it to just the right angle eventually forming the big moon we see today. Keep in mind this is all just a big fluke of nature. I’m sorry I fail to believe this is a fluke. How can you believe that some kind of primordial goop was struck by a bolt of lightening and formed amino acids and complex DNA. To give you a prospective on how unlikely that story is, if that did happen by accident and we know sooo much about how life formed on Earth, then why can’t we create life? I mean we have the technology, do we not? There are more things to talk about and I know I kind of switched topics. You got me excited when you started talking about science and I like Astronomy. You have to admit for all this to just happen is very amazing and arouses suspicions.
Vince the bottom line is that I respect you, 1. because you are older than me, 2. because you have an intelligent opinion, and 3. because you are willing to put forth time and effort to converse with me.
This is what helps man kind. We present information to each other, that arises questions and allows us to evaluate our stance in life.
Lance, you're making progress man. There are indeed great mysteries in the universe, but saying this is "the inevitable end" puts someone in the "despair" category of coming to grips with reality. Like a recovering alcoholic, a climate change sceptic starts with denial, then often moves into despair "we're doomed!", after that there's acceptance, and eventually positive solutions.
an interesting set of responses. I wonder how many people saw the channel 4 uk documentary about the global warming subject. Its on milk and cookies