An Inconvenient Truth
A world where sea levels raise 20 feet. A world where school the science curriculum does not include a unit on glaciers. A world where we dry up every summer and flood out every winter. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
We just finished watching Al Gore’s "An Inconvenient Truth" and these seem to be the profound consequences we could all be facing in the very near future due to the progress of global warming. It seems that this phenomenon actually does exist and it might actually do us and our children a whole lot of harm. What do we do about it? When the ice begins to melt faster and the hurricanes more frequent, when our winter weather becomes increasingly drastic (sound like the present at all), we are going to have to face up to the fact that this is happening around us.
It seems some people feel this is a non-issue for them. Don’t tell me how to live me life, what I can consume, how I choose to get around town or where I buy my electricity from. Or let’s think about groups of Christians who feel that their world is only a waiting room, where they will depart from soon enough and therefore have no reason to feel any stewardship towards it. This issue, this very real issue, is economic, environment, and most importantly — moral.
We have a moral responsibility to take care of the earth. We have a moral responsibility to protect our children and their children from all the issues that increase CO2 emissions will bring upon us. We live on a rock that is not our own — it’s God’s. We have a moral responsibility to take good care of the land he has given us and care for the people he loves, all people.
It’s hard to summarize all of these big ideas in such a way that argues out our moral responsibility to the earth and to it’s people and living creations in such a short statement. But really, it shouldn’t be so hard to see that the God who created this beautiful earth would be/is distressed by what is happening to our world and he would ask people who love him to do something about.
I’ve got a couple ideas. First, please rent this DVD, "The Inconvenient Truth" and watch it with eyes and heart seeking to understand how God would ask us deal with the issue. Second, do something. Change how you commute to work. Pay the extra couple of dollars a month to get green energy. And lastly, tell someone about the problem. If you’re interested, click the link in the right side bar and pledge to watch this DVD and do something about global warming.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if we (our generation) could actually do something about some of these issues? It’s not like the environment is the only thing we’re worried about. Can we change it all? Can we do something about global warming, Darfur, AIDS, the war, and everything my selfish mind forgets? Seems like each one would only require small moves by each of us. Dare you to move.
I wanted to see this in the theaters but wasn’t able to. Maybe I’ll try to rent it over break. I heard an interesting “fact” the other day [who know's if it's true]. It was said that some study just found out that the emmissions from certain factories actually has a chemical composition that aids in replentishing the ozone or something. I wish politics wasn’t involved so much in certain things like the enviroment… cause no matter which side you look at, as long as you have enough green you can get experts to make up some statistic or fact.
I can’t claim to understand the way the science of green house gases works, but from what I saw in the movie, it seems that it’s actually these gases in the atmosphere that are thickening the ozone layer. This is what makes the CO2 we all put out stay trapped inside the atmosphere and warming the earth.
You are right on one thing: the green leads the charge, on any side. We need less green-backs and more green energy in charge of this all. Good to hear from you Justin.
hey seth.
i watched this film yesterday!
as i was watching it i felt sad and frustrated. it felt like i was watching something i could do nothing about. as time as passed, and i’ve thought about it and talked about it, i don’t feel quite as hopeless. i have, however, felt a bit convicted about the way i live my life and the choices i make daily. i appreciated it…and agree, i think others should rent this dvd.
welp, see you at work.
Thanks for your comments Seth. Unfortunately, my generation seems to either dismiss/discount/diminish these global warming ideas, and/or cannot/will not find ways to individually or collectively act without some level of inconvenience or discomfort.
Not so long ago, the debate seemed to center on whether or not this concept of “global warming” even existed. However, it does appear that this “progressive” notion is getting some legs politically and socially, along with many other important issues. “Waiting on the World to Change” may be the anthem for some of your generations. However, I think it is possible for this to be an issue where, in fact, your generation can lead the way. I haven’t watched the film, but now plan to as a result of this site. Thanks.