An Inconvenient Truth: the movie

Lindi and I just saw it last weekend. Of course I already knew that stuff, or thought I did – but I am newly, and permanently, horrified. And let me assure you that I am not one to be influenced by hyperbolic or sensationalist messages. The content is delivered with such elegant intelligence that you can’t doubt it. You witness the information and you draw your conclusions. No manipulative scare tactics were used to make this film – because none were needed. Just the facts, Ma’m.

I came away from the film feeling equal parts doom and hope; equal parts fear and encouragement; equal parts overwhelmed and motivated. Those are good combinations.

Up to now, sure, I’ve been doing my bike thing. But I’ve been feeling like an ant in a world of anteaters. But now? After seeing that movie? Instead of feeling hopeless, or like Oh what’s the use? little old me insisting on riding my bike while oversized cars continue to be churned out of the factories and bought up by consumers, now I feel like every single time I ride my bike instead of firing up my car is really important.

Don’t relax about this issue. Don’t wait until you acquire the experience, education, and money to enter politics or write a book. Don’t think this is about “something bad will happen in fifty years if the Big People don’t do something.” We’re there now. It’s already an emergency. And the Big People is Us.

OK, quick status check: feel your muscles right now. Do they feel like Jell-O? Bad. If you are capable of feeling relaxed in the face of this topic, if you feel all mañana about it, you clearly haven’t seen this riveting documentary. That would be your first step toward crossing over from being an enemy of the planet to literally saving the world. You’ll never be the same.

And don’t worry, you don’t necessarily have to start riding a bike. Nor would it be enough if you did ride a bike. There are hundreds of choices you can make differently every day that matter. Not only does this matter, this is all that matters. I love this planet. Love. This is where we live, and I for one am not going to poop in my own living room, or allow others to poop in it.

Here’s the website, but if you want to hook up to a permanent IV-drip of motivational fuel, see the movie. http://climatecrisis.org/