Uncomfortable Truths

Public opinion about global warming may or may not be nearing a tipping point, but our world certainly is. Al Gore ties all the pieces on climate change together in a new documentary called "An Inconvenient Truth."

The film follows Mr. Gore around as he takes a PowerPoint slideshow from city to city, from place to place, pointing out this not-so-palatable truth: that we Americans are largely (though not entirely) responsible for massive climate disruption, and that we, on the whole, are doing little about it.

If you follow Compass, or Real Climate, or Grist, there will be few surprises in anything that Gore presents, but the inexorable path of the data he presents leaves little room for doubt--or comfort. I felt like I knew it all as truth for the very first time. I began wondering: Should I go sign up for a degree in climate engineering? Start tinkering with car engines? Study green building?

Part of what is unexpected about the documentary is what a compelling speaker Al Gore has become. The man once derided as wooden now speaks with humor, passion, conviction, and a certain showmanship that was unimaginable in 2000. He makes the graphs and data personal, the threat real.

His warming is dire, but he is not without hope. As we know, there are smart energy solutions (and many another ideas) out there, just waiting for us to use them.

Make sure to see "An Inconvenient Truth" when it comes out in theaters in May, and tell some friends. Heck, drag 'em there if you have to. Maybe we can still tip our world toward those solutions before it's too late.