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Mississauga News - Jun 28, 2006 - Guest column By Therese Taylor, a Mississauga freelance writer and activist.
Gore's message strikes home
We were late due to traffic on Hwy. 401. Stop-and-go. Mostly stop, then slow. The hour allotted to make the trip from Mavis Rd. to Yorkville expanded to one fuming hour plus 15 minutes, and the carbon dioxide we spewed into the air created a foul odour. Normally, I would take guilt-free GO Transit into the city, but my mate's work schedule didn't permit that this night. The theatre, which seats about 300, was packed. Only a few cordoned-off rows, to seat the entourage of the leading man, former American Vice-President Al Gore, and the three closest to the screen, were empty. Recalling that gripping tale based on truth gave me a dreadful, sinking feeling as I plunked myself down in a third-row seat. I was in for a stiff neck, but at least the film wouldn't leave my head spinning. Its contents were familiar territory. Really, I didn't care where I was sitting. The night of reckoning was here. I'd been relishing it for many days since the special invitation arrived for the preview screening of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. A review of the documentary, which is about climate change, by critic Roger Ebert is telling: "In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to." Ditto if you have children. Or are planning to. After the final credits rolled, Gore took centre stage and our bad seats became the best in town. Gore spoke softly at first, calmly and knowledgeably answering questions. Engaging the audience in the moral question at hand seemed like it was no sweat, but I could see the beads building on his brow. Like world-renowned environmentalist Dr. David Suzuki, Gore has the passion, stamina and scientific knowledge for this Herculean task of persuasion. That we are in a crisis is hard to swallow for many people. Ten years is the timeline to fix our bad habits before we spin our weather patterns out of control. Each citizen, each city and each country has a role to play, is Gore's rallying cry. Canada's role, he said, is potentially pivotal. The documentary, which opens in theatres across North America this summer, makes it clear what's at stake. Denial, greed and complacency must be banished if we are to deal with the crisis. Knowing this mighty truth these many months and trying to persuade others has been hellish for me. I've earned many monikers, including "Eco-Warrior" and "Environmental Evangelist", though I prefer to think of myself as an "Enviro Nut" who fell from a shagbark hickory tree. It's a consequence of my efforts to save some of our remaining ones, you may know. Saving Earth is vital. It's a task we all share. How many of you care? How many of you dare to live as if our patch of the planet depends on your daily choices?
[COMMENTS BY DON B. - ]
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