“THE GREAT WARMING” OPENS TODAY

By Ella Tyler

“The Great Warming,” a Canadian-made documentary about climate change, will open today, November 3, at Grand Palace Stadium 24, 3839 Wesleyan. The film is based on the book “Storm Warning – Gambling with the Climate of our Planet” by Lydia Dotto. The documentary was updated from a highly acclaimed three-hour special made for Canadian TV in 2004. Narrated by singer Alanis Morissette and actor Keanu Reeves, the film interviews a variety of experts, activists, and ordinary citizens from around the world about what can and is being done about global warming.

Among those interviewed were R. James Woolsey, former director of the CIA; Guy Dauncey, a sustainable communities consultant; Dorothy Peteet and Cynthia Rosenzweig, PhD, both researchers at NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies; and Matthew Sleeth, MD, the author of “Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action.” Sleeth was in the Houston area in September, speaking at area churches.

The movie hopes to be a catalyst for individual and political action on global warming, including within religious constituencies. Its website contains a variety of tools to inspire actions. The website invites us to take a pledge to do something about global warming, then lists actions to take, including, “Convert two skeptics! Drag them to the movie, then post what happens on the website.” There is also an address to return your ticket stub for a free energy audit.

The site also has information about events for National Climate Action Day, called for November 4, and lists questions for political candidates about climate change. The major corporate sponsor of the movie is Swiss Re, the global re-insurance company. Climate disruption threatens the insurance industry more than any other. Insurance rates are based on known risks, but how do you insure, for example, Gulf Coast homes against torrential rain and hurricanes if the climate is changing?

The film is carbon neutral, meaning that the production company attempted to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gasses such as CO2, then calculated its remaining emissions and contributed to a reforestation project to compensate for the emissions balance. The website details some of the ways the project curbed its energy use, including using daylight for filming and traveling less.

One goal of the project is to encourage voters to vote for candidates who favor action on climate change. A study recently released shows that although US voters favor protecting the environment, their votes do not reflect this preference. Although the movie’s release may be too late to impact the November 7 elections, the issue has been raised.

Even without the movie, the related website is a useful resource for anyone interested in any aspect of climate change. It contains information about calculating your carbon footprint and how to reduce it, a list of demonstrable effects of global warming, and information especially for children.