The Truth, Convenient or Not

I have to comment further on the film An Inconvenient Truth, which I saw last night. I'm a geologist by training and I can say that there has been no scientific doubt about the reality of man-made global warming or its consequences for decades. The "doubters" know this in their hearts too, but they are more interested in squeezing out short-term profits. Their dissembling and misdirection has confused the public.

If you have any doubts about the truth of global warming, go see this movie. As documentaries go it's pretty average, but the facts are presented in a cogent and powerful way. It's also a pretty good advert for Apple's Keynote presentation software (God save us from more cluttered and opaque PowerPoint presentations!).

So what can we do? Two things:

1. Work towards a personal goal of "zero" CO2 emissions. You'll never get there, but there's always choices to make and habits to change. For example, minimise your driving (and don't buy a f***ing SUV) and don't turn your home into a refrigerator for the summer.
2. Support politicians in your jurisdiction that acknowledge and are willing to act against global warming. And hold them accountable when they get elected!
   

Al Gore lists two countries that have not signed the Kyoto Accord: George W. Bush's America and John Howard's Australia. Since then Canada has joined this shameful list as Stephen Harper's Conservative government has abandoned the Accord (after all, their power base is Alberta's oil economy). Frankly, the legacy of these "leaders" will a thick coating of spittle on their tombstones.

Listening to: Red Skies by The Fixx from One Thing Leads to Another.