A Convenient Denial

As said yesterday, the topic today (sounds like a Uni lecture) is Al Gores new Film 'An Inconvenient Truth'. Having not seen it yet, I'm in no position to comment on the facts or information on show in the movie (actually more like a documentary as far as I can tell).

But after checking out the user comments on Internet Movie Database (IMDB), it seems clear that Al Gore is up against some pretty stubborn opposition. Typically for something like this, extremes views were very much in evidence, with the Global Warming deniers giving it the lowest possible rating, and the believers giving 9 or 10 out of 10. I'd certainly place my hat in the ring with the believers, and, like most believers, find some peoples absolute denial a little hard to understand.

I don't deny that some of their claims may be true, like the earth's climate being cyclical (although we seem to be speeding up the cycle logarithmically), but the complete weight of scientific evidence in favour of warming actually happening seems to conveniently escape these people. To me, I think most of these deniers enjoy life comfortably as it is (with a good chance they have interests in 'certain' businesses), and simply don't want to be the ones making the necessary sacrifices to safeguard the future of our planet. It makes me wonder if the CEI (see yesterdays post) haven't been spamming IMDB with bogus user comments.

From what I've read about the film (using the ever trusty wikipedia among other sources), it seems to me a genuine enough attempt by a politician to get across an important message, that everyone needs to try to play their part in reducing the effect of global warming. Do people really need that gas-guzzling SUV (normally with only a driver in them as well) or to be so lazy as to leave all appliances on stand-by (some stand-by modes use half the energy that the 'on' mode uses) or to switch on lights if not necessary? I'm not saying I'm Mr energy efficient, but I try when I can.

OK, there was much actually about the film, but I'd be interested to hear your comments on it (whether you've seen it or not)