Review: Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’ looks at environmental issues

So one wonders why Gore – who also has been widely accused of being quite stiff and boring – would set himself up as an easy target by participating in a film based on his book, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Indeed, most of the people at the conservative end of the political spectrum use terms like “environmental whackos” or “the environmentally retarded” in describing anyone who shows the least bit of concern about the crisis that is all too apparently real. It’s not that the naysayers don’t agree that the Earth is heating up, a lot of the ice on our planet is disappearing, the oceans are getting warmer and hurricanes (and tornadoes) are getting stronger and more plentiful. They just honestly believe that it’s simply part of a natural cycle and there is nothing that humans could possibly do to mess up such an enormous ecosystem.

These people might also claim this is merely a pre-election ad for the crazy lefty Democrats. That point may be somewhat on the money, but the overwhelming amount of the film’s content focuses on the facts surrounding and effects of the huge elephant in the room that needs to be acknowledged. “An Inconvenient Truth” also responds, with facts and figures, to the people who claim to have irrefutable evidence that global warming is merely a leftist plot scare tactic devised by maniacs who hate capitalism and want to destroy the American way of life.

Guggenheim’s direction captures Al Gore giving a live Power Point presentation he has given more than a thousand times around the world. The film also veers off into some personal stories about Gore and his life, both personal and political.

The fact-laden, lecture-styled approach may not be appealing to everyone for a major motion picture. But many of the images accompanying the voice-over are as breathtaking as they are disturbing.

Photos taken of glaciers, continents and the famous “Snows of Kilimanjaro,” juxtaposed in then-and-now fashion, are frightening and fascinating. The breaking apart of huge chunks of Arctic and Antarctic ice masses conveys the sheer power the Earth can unleash with very little effort. And, of course, the often-seen Earthrise photos taken from various Apollo flights never fail to bring about a gasp, a twinge of inspiration and a realization of how vast the universe really is.

Disturbing facts

Some of the disturbing facts to be considered are these: Until last year, South America has never been hit with a hurricane. The 10 warmest years on record all occurred within the last 14 years. Core samples of polar ice show the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide are much higher than they have been in a quarter of a million years.

In regard to these ideas being created with false science, Gore’s research shows that while 57 percent of articles found in mainstream publications question the threat of global warming, when it comes to the scientific community, there is 100 percent agreement that the phenomenon exists and is indeed a threat.

Gore also points out, “The world won’t ‘end’ overnight in 10 years. But a point will have been passed and there will be an irreversible slide into destruction.”

Regardless of where you stand politically and whether or not you believe mankind influences the grand scheme of this planet’s environment, you owe it to yourself to at least hear and consider the facts presented in “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Those who prefer sheer entertainment or escapism at the movie theater may feel like waiting to watch the film at their own pace upon its release to the home video market.

A companion piece worth a look is “Who Killed the Electric Car?” The documentary, directed by Chris Paine and narrated by Martin Sheen, deals with many of the same environmental issues addressed in “An Inconvenient Truth.” But “Car” focuses on the history of a type of vehicle that was well on its way to consumer-level production and the forces working in concert to ensure it never became a reality. The New York Times calls the film “a murder mystery, a call to arms and an effective inducement to rage.” In explaining the film’s PG rating, the Times says, “Revelations of big-business and government collusion may provoke shock.”

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.