Earth, We Have a Problem: Climate Change

Executives from Google, Sun, and other high tech firms get it:  the evidence for global warming is overwhelming.  Especially after they heard the well-research talk from Al Gore at last month’s TED conference in Monterrey.  However, to raise the awareness of the average American and congress person, well, that’s the goal of the movie based on Gore’s speech called, “An Inconvenient Truth”.  It’s due out for release in late May by Paramount Classics.   

Some will object to this movie for obvious political reasons, but it is likely to catalyze a national debate we desperately need. And the world needs to be awakened if Gore’s facts are right.  According to the film’s producer, Lawrence Bender, religious and political leaders who have seen the film -- including many supporters of the Bush administration -- have been highly supportive.

Gore's speech enumerates well-documented scientific evidence that the global climate is changing significantly -- and fast. Here are a few data points:

• Global CO2 levels are way outside what have been historical norms over several hundred thousand years. 
• All ten of the hottest years on record, globally, have occurred in the last 15 years. 
• Last summer, all-time heat records were set in both the U.S. West and East. 
• Global ocean temperatures are far outside of historical norms. 
• Even after last year's devastating Hurricane Katrina, the subsequent Hurricane Wilma was briefly the most severe hurricane ever recorded. 
• Last year Japan hit an all-time record for typhoons --10. The previous record was 7. 
• The largest downpour ever seen occurred last summer in India. 
• Thirty-five years ago there was an average of 225 days when Alaska's tundra was frozen enough for trucks to drive. Today there are only 75.

I hope to see you at the movies!

by
Erin Swanson
ESwanson@enviance.com