Welcome To Josh's Blog O' Thoughts: Movies

This is actually kind of gross, so if you are easily queasy or are a member of PETA, you might not like this.

There is a fish farming company in Honduras that has become completely self sufficient in regards to its energy needs. Basically, after the fish are gutted and filleted, they take the remains (guts, heads, etc), grind it up, cook it up, and turn it into bio-diesel. They use this to power their entire operation (electricity, vehicles, etc). It's a little gross sounding, but at least they are doing something with the waste.

Although, I don't necessarily feel that bio-fuels are the end-all answer to our energy problems (due to the stresses it puts on the food industry, etc.), it is at least nice to see a company transforming their waste into a useable product.

This reminds me of the very end of the movie Back To The Future. When Doc Brown comes back from his initial visit to the future, he no longer has to fuel his flux capacitor with plutonium, but instead he uses standard bio-waste (banana peels, egg shells, and beer). Maybe this is the way we are headed.

I was recently sent a link to part of a Martin Bashir documentary about Global Warming. While the documentary doesn't try to disprove that Global Warming is happening (as some other "investigative" reporters claim), it does raise questions about the causes of Global Warming.

The overall message of his documentary is that carbon dioxide (CO2) is not the primary contributor to Global Warming. In An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore uses ice core samples dating back thousands of years to show that there is, in fact, a correlation between temperature and the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. He doesn't give the level of correlation, but even an amateur can spot that the graph lines are mostly aligned.

In Freakonomics, the authors explain the difference between correlation and causation. Just because two things are correlated (they move together) doesn't mean that one is the cause of the other or vice-versa. Obviously, the movie is implying that the CO2 is the cause of Global Warming, but it can't be proved just from the data shown in the movie.

Martin Bashir's report, however, claims that the CO2-Temperature correlation is simply that, just a correlation. His documentary claims there is no causation there. He may or may not be right. This documentary claims that the true cause of Global Warming is an increase in activity on the Sun. The explanation is as follows. The Earth is normally bombarded by cosmic rays which combine with rising water vapor to form clouds. With the Sun's activity currently in a heightened state, the Solar Wind is "blowing" away many of the cosmic rays. This leads to less cloud coverage and higher temperatures.

The data presented in the YouTube clip show a negative correlation between cosmic rays and temperature (when cosmic rays go down, temps go up), and a positive correlation between sun activity and temperatures. This all sounds very reasonable, but unfortunately, I don't think it gets us any closer to a proven cause than Al Gore's CO2 stance. They both have correlations, but we haven't necessarily proven causality.

Either way, you can't argue that reducing our CO2 emissions is a bad thing. Even if it has very little effect on Global Warming, reducing emissions means that we are driving more efficient standards, and thus will be promoting cleaner living all around. Additionally, it will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, of which price will become a deterrent as extraction becomes more difficult.

So, don't watch this Martin Bashir documentary and think "CO2 isn't causing Global Warming, so I can continue on doing whatever I please without being responsible." Regardless of who is right about the cause of Global Warming, we still need to try to be more energy efficient.

Well I finally got a chance to watch An Inconvenient Truth. Sure, it was a little bit depressing thinking about all the bad we've done to the planet, but I have to say that it was a very well done documentary. I did find some of the parts with Gore speaking in the background, during the nature shots, to be pretty sappy. I almost would have preferred it if they would have just filmed his presentation. That was the real interesting part of the movie.

As you can tell by my previous blog entries, I am definitely FOR trying to help the environment and stop global warming. So for me, this DVD merely reaffirmed my belief that this is something we need to do. I hope for others that haven't yet cared, or who choose to be in denial about global warming, that this movie will change their minds.

There is VERY strong supporting evidence that shows that humans are a cause in the recent global warming trend. This evidence is displayed beautifully during An Inconvenient Truth. So why do some people still say that global warming is debatable? Simply because affirming that it is fact and that we are at least partially a cause is inconvenient for them. Is it more convenient to throw things away or to recycle? Throw away, but the most convenient option is not usually the best option.

It's unfortunate that this is viewed as just another political issue for Democrats and Republicans to fight over. This should not be political at all. This affects EVERYONE on the planet. This is not a political issue for me, so don't get the impression that I'm trying to trick you into some liberal conspiracy. In fact, I often have views that are "Republican". But I also have views considered to be "Democrat". Anyone who can't take the best of both worlds is a little delusional (I won’t name names).

We all need to do our part to help preserve what we have. If not for yourself, do it for you kids or grandkids. Start with simple things:

Watch An Inconvenient Truth. Doesn't matter who you are or you political affiliation. Watch it and learn about what is happening.

Recycle!! Lots of things are VERY easy to recycle. If you aren't recycling at all, you should start.

Switch to CFLs. CFLs are a great way to save energy use in your home’s lighting.

Use Energy Star Appliances. They reduce your energy consumption.

Make Noise About the Problem. Inform your family members of the issues. Don't force them to make the same choices as you, just bring to their attention the situation.

If we all do a little bit, it can help a great deal.