An Inconvenient Truth

I could write pages on this, but I will keep this short and simple. See this film. I had known that Al Gore has long been a proponent of sound environmental policy, but I didn’t see the level of his passion until viewing his new film. It is factual and balanced. I’m sure that there are many minor points that people could have issue with, but everything that I saw was spot on. Only the people who did the research that he presents the results of have any room to dispute points made.

I’m a nearly PhD level chemist and the son of a retired union negotiator, so I can smell bullshit a mile away. What Mr. Gore presents in this movie is not bullshit. He’s not saying anything new. If you are an informed person you will have heard about 80% of what he says in the film and the rest will not surprise you. It’s the presentation that is the key and who is saying it. The film revolves around a “slide show” (Gore’s words) that he has been presenting the last few years all around the world. Interwoven with the presentation scenes are narration by Gore about his reasons and motivations for his passion. He opens with the striking image of the Earth taken on one of the first Apollo missions. “Earthrise,” with the Earth rising above the horizon of the Moon soon follows. The audience is asked to take a moment to see the awe of our home. After the set up the fact some rolling one after another. Some blame is placed, but Gore’s pointing fingers at all of us. The end is one of hope. Things can be done and they are within our reach. Gore points out that we have all of the tools right now, we just have to make the decision to use them, and the United States has a unique opportunity the yet again bring change and something new to the world. One of the last pictures is again of the Earth, taken from from a satellite (probably one of the Pioneer’s) exiting the solar system. The Earth is a little blue dot, just a few pixels in area. In all the black, that little dot of blue is all we have.

Gore has sent decades thinking about this problem, has talked to the people who have done the research, and been to the places where the problem is happening. The Navy let him go in a nuclear sub to the North Pole for goodness sake. Give him 1.5 hours of an open mind and I think that you will agree that he makes a very convincing case. I viewed a screening at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA, hardly the epic center of the current American conservatism. People did applaud at the end of the film as if relieved that somebody was finally standing up and saying something. In row behind me were three seniors, I’d say they were 75 plus. After the movie was over the guy at the end turned to the two women he was with and say “Let’s walk home tonight.”

Back from Seattle

I made it back in one piece last night, I do hate red-eye flights. The flight was delayed 1.5 hours in Seattle. Not really a problem since that meant that we left at 11:30 and got into Boston around 7 am. It fit my schedule better and learned how to play Slap, a mindless card game.

Before leaving I walked around the city a bit more, soaking things in since I was thinking that was a place that I could live for a few years. In someways Seattle feels like a more laid back Boston, though people look at you funny when you jaywalk. I walked over to the Space Needle, but decided not to go up since it cost $14. Instead I opted to visit the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, better use of $12.95 than just a view. I you are in the area and a SciFi fan I recommend it. Very extensive collection of artifacts, memorabilia, props, and books all arranged thematically.

After working on my dissertation a bit more up at the University of Washington I headed downtown in search of sushi. The place I was looking for was packed so I ate eating at a place back by my hostel. Still very good, better than the stuff we get in Boston.

The bus to the airport is $1.25, but it takes 45 minutes (if you take the express). There was a slow man who took an interest in me and kept commenting that I had a lot of luggage and how thin my watch was. We chatted possible (as much as was) on the way to the airport. While at the bus stop there was another mentally challenged person, a middle aged woman, just hanging about. For some reason, she was annoyed with one of the three Hispanic men leaning on the building behind the bus stop. They were just waiting for a bus, minding their own business, and she tried to pick a fight. Some black teenagers got involved and the whole situation turned into a heckling match at the expense of the handicapped woman. Finally, she was pissed enough that she just walked away, bitching. There were many people in Seattle that really didn’t seem to have a place, more than you find in Boston. Young to old and all mental capacities. Some were very creative. A personal favorite was the man with the “Hug from a dirty bum, 25 cents” sign. I gave him a quarter not to hug me.

I had a good time, but it is good to be back home. Well, home at least for the next few months. I posted my pictures if you’d enjoy a look.

So what really happened?

Some people have been congratulating me on finishing my PhD, well as said I didn’t. So what really happened? Basically about two-thirds of my defense committee was unhappy with my dissertation. My discussion is the biggest issue, mainly due to it being short and too negative. I’m sure some other issues will come up as I get the corrected chapters back from my third reader.

Out Northwest: Seattle

My rest period is done and it’s time to get some work done, off to Seattle. Some leisure time around the city, Mount Rainier, and the ASMS Conference.