Don't Call it "Climate Change," Call it Global Warming

Though this is not about poetry, it's something I wanted to share as I think this is a movie we should all see and be aware of-- k.r.a.

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Though I kept slipping and calling the movie "An Indecent Proposal," which would be something *completely* different, I finally watched An Inconvenient Truth last night and it feels life changing.

I'm hoping it's not life-changing as 9-11 was for about 2 months, or being so excited about your new year's resolutions that you join a gym only to stop going after a week. I'm hoping this movie will create larger changes in everyone's behavior. Truly, the movie was incredible in that it was interesting, entertaining, and had useful and important information to get out.

Before I watched it I had thought--yes, yes, I get it, Antarctica is melting, we're getting warmer, more storms... But it's so much more than that. As the mother, I realize how what's happening right now isn't going to effect me as much as my daughter. And if she has children (my grandchildren), well, I can't even imagine their world based on where we are headed today.

My husband and I (both Democrats) kept thinking (as if there's a bigger picture here with fate playing a larger part), maybe this is why Al Gore wasn't elected, maybe this is what he needed to do to help the world. My husband, a political science major in college, has always said that the President can do little while in office with the exception of wars...

I'm not sure, but I was just happy to see Al again. Though they played tape from the 2000 election and mentioned Florida--you know the story--and Gore's loss hurt all over again.

You can go to www.ClimateCrisis.net to learn what you can do to help the situation.

We found a great link there for comparing cars. It's shocking to see in visuals how many barrels of gas one of our cars eats up...that car may be going soon, but don't tell it, it thinks its in for the long ride.

Also, on the Climate Crisis site, there are also little things you can do to help change things such as unplug cell phone chargers when they aren't charging the phone, eat less red meat, turn your temperature down two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer if you have air-conditioning, plant trees, lots and lots of trees. Simple stuff.

I'm looking at the footprint our family is leaving on earth and trying to make sure we walk softly.

If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend it. I thought it was a movie that I *should* see, but didn't have to because I understood the situation. All I can say is that I had no idea.

And Al Gore wins my Personal Hero award--and I hope he decides to run in 2008. If he does, he will easily win my vote.