An Inconvenient Truth
Many of you will have already heard this from gunderpants last week, however when it comes to matters of global importance, you can never hear the message to many times. Though I'm tired and it's nearly midnight so please forgive any incoherence.
I have been particularly lucky in my life in that I have already seen and experienced many things that the planet has to offer that others go a whole life never managing to do. I’ve witnessed a volcanic eruption, geysers and boiling mud. I’ve swum in the ocean many many times and I’ve skied. I’ve seen the Milky Way in an unpolluted sky and dolphins in the wild. I’ve slept under the stars and in glow worm filled cave and I’ve always assumed that no matter what, somewhere in the world these things will always exist and I predict they will still do for some time.
Though I was watching An Inconvenient Truth and it occurred to me that one of the things I’ve done in my life my children may not have the opportunity to do - I’ve walked on a glacier.
Now, I don’t own a car to sell and take up walking. I recycle and I use energy efficient light bulbs. I am a member of the Captain Planet generation and my parents raised me to be very environmentally conscious so I’ve always had an awareness of global warming and done small things. I can’t fathom how anyone could question the science. Really, me watching that movie was preaching to the already converted. Though for the past few years I’ve been rather pessimistic about humanities ability to bring its head out of a hole in the ground long enough to save our own collective butts. But seeing that move I’ve gained a new appreciation for the problem the world is facing and somewhat of a renewed sense of purpose.
But as I said, I already do my part. Anything else I could do would involve me spending money I, as a student, do not have. However, if anything is really going to be changed then the people in power in this world will have to see that it is a big enough problem for them to make it a priority. The only way for that to happen is for the population of the world to make it a priority and the only way for that to happen is - as Al Gore says - to change people’s opinions on person at a time.
If you think that the world is doing enough, then I should remind you that the Government of my own country, New Zealand, which is a very liberal country when it comes to environmental policy has done all sorts of crazy shit in the past in the name of progress such as give women the vote before anyone else and declare itself nuclear free, introduced the worlds first tax with the express purpose of trying to meet its Kyoto targets only to change its mind months later because the population was so dead set against it. New Zealand - crazy, idealistic New Zealand - has given up on the Kyoto Protocol. It is important the global warming become as major issue everywhere otherwise international initiatives will flounder.
So as a person with a month and a keyboard and fingers and a very small audience, I am doing my bit to urge you all to see An Inconvenient Truth, no matter if your like me and are practically a hippie or if you don’t believe in global warming at all. It’s a bloody brilliant film. It’s funny and entertaining and inspiring. And if I get one of you to make it an issue and you in turn get someone else to make it an issue and so on and so forth, then you just watch. Things will start to change.
Go. Watch. Now.
I have been particularly lucky in my life in that I have already seen and experienced many things that the planet has to offer that others go a whole life never managing to do. I’ve witnessed a volcanic eruption, geysers and boiling mud. I’ve swum in the ocean many many times and I’ve skied. I’ve seen the Milky Way in an unpolluted sky and dolphins in the wild. I’ve slept under the stars and in glow worm filled cave and I’ve always assumed that no matter what, somewhere in the world these things will always exist and I predict they will still do for some time.
Though I was watching An Inconvenient Truth and it occurred to me that one of the things I’ve done in my life my children may not have the opportunity to do - I’ve walked on a glacier.
Now, I don’t own a car to sell and take up walking. I recycle and I use energy efficient light bulbs. I am a member of the Captain Planet generation and my parents raised me to be very environmentally conscious so I’ve always had an awareness of global warming and done small things. I can’t fathom how anyone could question the science. Really, me watching that movie was preaching to the already converted. Though for the past few years I’ve been rather pessimistic about humanities ability to bring its head out of a hole in the ground long enough to save our own collective butts. But seeing that move I’ve gained a new appreciation for the problem the world is facing and somewhat of a renewed sense of purpose.
But as I said, I already do my part. Anything else I could do would involve me spending money I, as a student, do not have. However, if anything is really going to be changed then the people in power in this world will have to see that it is a big enough problem for them to make it a priority. The only way for that to happen is for the population of the world to make it a priority and the only way for that to happen is - as Al Gore says - to change people’s opinions on person at a time.
If you think that the world is doing enough, then I should remind you that the Government of my own country, New Zealand, which is a very liberal country when it comes to environmental policy has done all sorts of crazy shit in the past in the name of progress such as give women the vote before anyone else and declare itself nuclear free, introduced the worlds first tax with the express purpose of trying to meet its Kyoto targets only to change its mind months later because the population was so dead set against it. New Zealand - crazy, idealistic New Zealand - has given up on the Kyoto Protocol. It is important the global warming become as major issue everywhere otherwise international initiatives will flounder.
So as a person with a month and a keyboard and fingers and a very small audience, I am doing my bit to urge you all to see An Inconvenient Truth, no matter if your like me and are practically a hippie or if you don’t believe in global warming at all. It’s a bloody brilliant film. It’s funny and entertaining and inspiring. And if I get one of you to make it an issue and you in turn get someone else to make it an issue and so on and so forth, then you just watch. Things will start to change.
Go. Watch. Now.