Memorial Day and An Inconvenient Truth

By Betty Dodson Ph.D.

This Memorial Day weekend, Eric and I went to see An Inconvenient Truth, the new movie about Global Warming. Al Gore has given this slide lecture over 1000 times around the world. He has developed into a very thoughtful and endearing man who is passionate about his subject. Watching him and listening to what he had to say made my heart ache that he wasn't in the White House where he rightfully belongs. He opens his lecture with the statement, "I used to be the next president of the United States." When the audience laughs, he dead pans, "I don't find that very funny!" More laughter.

His talk, visuals, and scientific information are indisputable. One delicious moment was when he made a comparison with the disinformation campaign put out by the tobacco industry about how many doctors smoke, supposedly proving it wasn't dangerous. As if doctors are the last word in health.

All told one conclusion is inevitable. Corporate greed demands more at any cost even if it means they will destroy planet Earth. The CEO gluttons figure the end is far enough away that it won't directly affect them. Let future generations solve the problem. Or, they're religionists who believe Jesus will return soon and they'll all move to heaven with him.

Be sure to see the movie and tell your family and friends about it. I believe this one just might help to wake some people up. American's have been put to sleep by trashy entertainment standing in for current information. Think Fox News.

It's a thoughtful Memorial Day as I reflect on our countries militaristic past and present.

Here comes the corporate polluters disinformation machine.

Last week, Sterling Burnett - a senior fellow at the Exxon-backed National Center for Policy Analysis - compared Al Gore to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.

In this weekend's Washington Post magazine, meteorologist Bill Gray - one of the most prominent climate skeptics - directly compared Al Gore to Adolf Hitler:

It's very telling that so many of the attacks on Al Gore and his movie are not substantive. There really is no credible scientific rebuttal to An Inconvenient Truth, so they are forced to attack the messenger.

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming
and What We Can Do About It
By Al Gore
Illustrated. Hardcover 325 pages. Rodale. $21.95.
Amazon paperback $13.17

"Truth Be Told" Grist mag. (film review)
Gore's new flick, An Inconvenient Truth,
improbably succeeds
By David Roberts
24 May 2006