Sunday, April 29, 2007

The Inconvenient Truth

Just finished watching a documentary called "Inconvenient Truth" featuring Al Gore. At first, the name Al Gore put me off big time.

But from Minute 1, one was hooked. Its a strong "Must watch" recommendation. (I got it from the local DVD vala, so you might try your luck there too. )

The documentary is about Global Warming. One has already reached compassion fatigue with this subject.

I really do believe that human beings are digging their mass grave successfully(and rather quickly) with their wombs. If we do not stop exponentially growing, we are all going. But one did not know the extent. From 2 billion after WW2, we are currently at above six billion. As he says in the film, 10,000 generations to reach 2 billion, and one lifetime to multiply that by 3. Super!

There are people who really believe that human beings are a "resource". To produce what? As a species, we are parasites and saprophytes. We produce nothing that is of use to anyone other than our own species. In the utility order, we must be just below the crows because the crows at least serve to clean up their feeding areas. We do the exact opposite!

Then one person once told me "We are a resource because it is the children we produce that are creating the economic resources for this country. The BPO work force is coming from there. Its a matter of how you use this resource." I was dumbfounded. You want to produce children to work in BPOs! How completely selfless!

Seriously, I have nothing against this view. In fact, I quite enjoy the circus that is the human civilisation.

Personally, I am very happy when a natural disaster tries to wake us up. The Earth is really kind, because instead of going for one mega disaster and getting rid of us, it is still trying to give us gentle warnings. The earth will survive the mega disaster. We, apparently, will not.

But there is something that this video does : it gives us hope. It tells us that we might still not be too late. After the hard, irrefutable figures, that hope is a good take home. It lets you sleep at night.

16 comments:

Jagdish Bhatia said...

बारहा में भारतीय भाषाओं को ब्रेल में लिखने की स्पोर्ट भी है मुझे अभी पता चला।
यदि आपने न देखा हो तो आप यहां देख सकते हैं
http://www.baraha.com/html_help/baraha/braille.htm

How do we know said...

Jagdish ji: haan maine ye dekha hai. Baraha meintry kiya tha, par theek se result nahi nikal paaya, isi liye aapke comment ka jawaab bhi nahi diya abhi tak. Shayad baraha Indic IME jitna aasaan nahi hai, aur sekhne mein kuchh waqt lagega.

Neihal said...

it is about time we take immediate measures. And the thing is we dont need to do something drastic (as in on individual level). All we need to do is be more aware and responsible. Now how difficult can that be !!!

Di said...

"We produce nothing that is of use to anyone other than our own species." - a really interesting thoght!

madelyn said...

I loved this film - and it does indeed give hope.
I also follow a lot of David Suzuki and his
writings and he also says it is not too late.
Nature is so powerful in restoring itself if we
help out and reverse our ways:)

dharmabum said...

haven't watched the film as yet, but wil do so oon - thanks!

i think it is the way in which a culture fundamentally views life and everything else. there are some cultures which think that the earth and everything else in it - the animals, the plants and so on - are all made FOR human beings.
that, is a narrow outlook according to me. and that only leads to such destructive behaviour.

How do we know said...

Hi Neihal: Actually, i think we DO need to do something drastic at individual levels.

We need to get rid of plastics in our lives, we need to go back to the days of jhola, and most importantly, we need to stop breeding like mosquitoes. That might be difficult for people too used to the simple convenience of today vs the future of a so far unseen tomorrow.

Most of us do not associate the plastic bags in our hands with the heat wave in our cities.

We do not think that our inability to cool ourselves with wet sheets instead of ACs is doing anything to the energy consumption of the world.

And it can be difficult for people whose socio-economic/cultural/religious beliefs require them to breed without birth control. For them, it can be a big moral decision.

Hi Di: Thanks, and sadly, so true.

Hi Maddie: "and reverse our ways" being the keyword! :-)

Hi Dharma: Yes, i SO agree. Worse still, there are young people out there who write on boards "Animals do not have a soul. They are created so we may eat them."

Neihal said...

I do not take plastic bags anymore. Religiously switch lights off, and am very careful with water. I walk as much as I can and I dont have AC...Wah!!!

AM feeling good yaar. :P

I think when I say drastic I mean the kind of measures we may have to adopt if we dont start today. But I am glad more ppl are becoming aware and discussing, writing about it. Awareness is the key.

I wanna watch that documentary. My DVD wala has not :((

Neihal said...

"Animals do not have a soul. They are created so we may eat them."

ppl write that!!
:0 :0

Disgusting!!

Junius said...

ya we are so so stupid :D!!
nice blg u have, n nice writeups too...

A said...

Yes, an incovenient truth should be an eye opening for everyone. However, there is some comments I heard in my class; after reading yours, I'll write about it later.

Wriju said...

The activist in you is back in action :)
I seriously feel you should do this full time...

How do we know said...

Hi Neihal: Oops! Am not sure if that documentary is available anywhere else... but keep it on your To watch list. It sometimes takes me a few years to watch the movies one wants to watch..

And sure, you do look like u cld give urself a pat on the back!

People do write that. And they really believe it. try yahoo answers sometime.

Hi endevourme: Thanks!!

Hi Annitya: I REALLY like that name. and will wait for u to make that post.

Hi Wriju: A full time activist, you mean? Consider what that would do to the already harrowed family!
;-)

A Arora said...

i've been wanting to watch this ever since it released in the US, still haven't...
it's a dismal situation. there are solutions of course, but capitalism is stronger than any environmental lobby...i know i seem fatalistic, but it's only because i think we don't even deserve to be here...look what we've already done...there's no stopping mankind...if u remember MJ's video on 'Earth Song', it makes one cry knowing that this is what we've done, and yet, we continue doing this...

A said...

I need to post a blog on this title as well.

MeMyself_n_I said...

my neighbourhood dvd guy didn't have it. :-(

and yeah i quite agree with you. the gravity of our situation somehow hasn't sunk in yet, and when it will it'll be way too late.

p.s. - read an older post of yours. i belong to the 'wtf' club as well. :-p