It certainly is An Inconvenient Truth

Chris and I watched An Inconvenient Truth last night after having read the book last semester for the National Security Policy course. It's a well-done movie and is just as graphically-stimulating as the book (it's just like a really pretty picture book and weighs a ton). I feel that he has done a very good job of presenting the case for climate change, and has attempted to use shock and humor to get the attention of people around the world. It serves as a reminder of all of the little things that everyone can do to contribute to the solution. The website that he created (http://www.climatecrisis.net/) has information about what you can do to reduce your carbon emissions through small household changes, transportation changes, recycling, and others.

After finishing the movie, I started to think about the changing emphasis on the environment ever since I was in grade school. I remember the teachers emphasizing recycling, and seeing demonstrations about what we could recycle and what we couldn't and how we could reuse items around the house, like making bird feeders out of used milk jugs. There has been a dramatic change even in my lifetime regarding our attitudes towards the environment. It is good to think that possibly the emphasis that my generation received in grade school regarding the importance of the environment will help spur changes to public policies now and in the future as well as hopefully building better life-long habits.

I am far from the poster child of good practices regarding the environment, but I am trying to improve that by making small changes in my habits and further educating myself on the subject. Hopefully we will be able to turn the public will around to spark needed policy changes. But in the meantime, we can start making changes at home. I should totally be a motivational speaker, huh?

Btw, if anyone is interested in learning more about energy-related issues, check out Energista!. I should be an advertiser too while I'm at it. Maybe this is the beginnings of a infomerical...haha