An Inconvenient Sequel
A decade on from "An Inconvenient Truth", Al Gore returns to discuss the world's current state of play regarding climate change.
I came out of this with a lot more respect and admiration for Gore, who has dedicated much of his life to this cause and travels around the globe to train climate activists. The majority of his claims stand to reason. 14 of the 16 years since the turn of the century have been the hottest 14 years on record. If sea levels rise, areas of the world like Miami will bear the brunt in terms of flooding. The footage of "water bombs" dropping as a result of atmospheric changes is particularly shocking, as is the pictures from one particular disaster in the Philippines.
An interviewer asks him at one point what prompted his change of career and Gore notes "The Supreme Court of the United States made that decision", a touch ruefully. It's difficult not to reflect on what might have been, particularly in this specific field. He does at least succeed in getting the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite sent into orbit under the Obama administration in 2015, which provides frequent pictures of the globe to be assessed and monitored.
The film is not a hugely cinematic experience but a narrative thread does emerge regarding the 2015 Paris Agreement and Gore's attempts to get India on board, despite their misgivings. It's easy to sympathise with the Indian government, who as a developing nation are being told to curb their carbon excesses by Western powers who have had their fill of fossil fuels for a century of more. Gore doesn't seek to judge them but instead works on finding a revolutionary solution in exchange for their support.
The current incumbent of the White House lingers like a bad smell and his withdrawal of support for the Paris Agreement recently has thrown a spanner in the works again. As this thoughtful piece of work makes clear, climate change and global warming are not myths. We all have a responsibility to take action, even if "The Donald" won't.
I came out of this with a lot more respect and admiration for Gore, who has dedicated much of his life to this cause and travels around the globe to train climate activists. The majority of his claims stand to reason. 14 of the 16 years since the turn of the century have been the hottest 14 years on record. If sea levels rise, areas of the world like Miami will bear the brunt in terms of flooding. The footage of "water bombs" dropping as a result of atmospheric changes is particularly shocking, as is the pictures from one particular disaster in the Philippines.
An interviewer asks him at one point what prompted his change of career and Gore notes "The Supreme Court of the United States made that decision", a touch ruefully. It's difficult not to reflect on what might have been, particularly in this specific field. He does at least succeed in getting the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite sent into orbit under the Obama administration in 2015, which provides frequent pictures of the globe to be assessed and monitored.
The film is not a hugely cinematic experience but a narrative thread does emerge regarding the 2015 Paris Agreement and Gore's attempts to get India on board, despite their misgivings. It's easy to sympathise with the Indian government, who as a developing nation are being told to curb their carbon excesses by Western powers who have had their fill of fossil fuels for a century of more. Gore doesn't seek to judge them but instead works on finding a revolutionary solution in exchange for their support.
The current incumbent of the White House lingers like a bad smell and his withdrawal of support for the Paris Agreement recently has thrown a spanner in the works again. As this thoughtful piece of work makes clear, climate change and global warming are not myths. We all have a responsibility to take action, even if "The Donald" won't.
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