Real Hope

In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne is only partially right: Hope is a good thing, but it is also a tricky thing.

Hope has a rocky relationship with reality. We can become so wrapped up in reality, that we lose hope, and we can become so enchanted by hope that we ignore reality. So it is with the issue of global warming. With its enormity and complexity, the reality of the phenomenon can seem hopeless. Meanwhile, if we focus mostly on hope, we might fail to begin taking the steps necessary to address the situation.

For this year's 24 Hours of Reality, which starts on September 16, The Climate Reality Project seeks to bring together the realities of global warming with a theme of hope. Check out the video introducing the theme below:



I'm looking forward to hearing the 24 reasons for hope presented in the 24 Hours of Reality. They have the potential to achieve an important balance between understanding the magnitude of global warming and maintaining confidence in our ability to respond to it.

Hope is indeed a good thing, but the best of things are the actions inspired by hope.

Total Cost

Cost isn't just about money, but even if it were, the bill for global warming would be a big one.

Seeing the full impacts of global warming requires us to think on an uncommonly large scale. We might think of energy bills when we consider regulating carbon emissions. However, focusing on what we might save on those bills by not addressing emissions misses many of the costs associated with inaction. For example, health, food, and disaster costs are likely to rise with global temperatures.

For this year's 24 Hours of Reality, which begins on October 22, The Climate Reality Project is shining light on the true cost of global warming. Check out the video below:



When all the other factors of global warming are considered, we might start to see the value of taking action against carbon emissions.

Another Part of Reality

I thought I would single out one more piece of Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality. This one looks at the efforts to question the science that studies global warming. Such efforts have eerie similarities to the campaign that sought to reassure the public that cigarettes pose no threat to human health.

 Watch:


DOUBT from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.

Parts of Reality

As I already blogged about, Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality took place last week. I don't expect you to consume all 24 hours of the coverage, but if you didn't get a chance to watch it a week ago, you can check out a few pieces below. And for more pieces of the coverage, click here.

Here is the introduction to the coverage. It is done by Bill Nye, aka the Science Guy, and offers a great overview of global warming:


CLIMATE 101 from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.


Also, here are the highlights from Hour 2, which featured a presentation from Boulder, Colorado, and a panel discussion that included Gore and actor Mark Ruffalo:

Remember Big Moves

Two months ago, I talked about two big events planned for late September. Today, I am just posting a reminder that September 22 is World Carfree Day and September 24 is the day for Moving Planet.

If you can, make plans not to use a car for transportation on those days, and if you feel like it, participate in a Moving Planet event near you.

Right now, a lot of efforts (like Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality, which wraps up today) are being made to push for better environmental policies and practices, so it's a great time to get involved and help maintain the momentum.

Reality Reminder

Just a reminder: As I blogged about in July, September 14 is the beginning of Al Gore's "24 Hours of Reality."

Larry Schweiger, the president of the National Wildlife Federation, is one of the presenters. Check out his pre-presentation interview by clicking here. For more information about the event in general, click here.

Big Moves

September is shaping up to be a big month for action on global warming. My previous post was about Al Gore's "24 Hours of Reality." Today, I'll talk about Moving Planet, which is a rally scheduled to take place September 24.

The purpose of Moving Planet is to show world leaders the amount of support people have for moving off fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming by producing greenhouse gases. People are encouraged to organize local events (that are all connected under the Moving Planet idea) and to arrive at those events without the use of fossil fuels. Walking, biking, and skateboarding would be great alternatives to driving to the event. To find a local event near you, click here. If you'd like information on creating your own event, click here.

Also, Moving Planet comes two days after World Carfree Day, which takes place every year on September 22. Plan ahead, and make arrangements (walking, biking, public transportation) so you don't have to use your car that day either.

I think it's great that Gore's event, Moving Planet, and World Carfree Day are happening so close to each other. That should add to their overall impact. Let's help that happen.

Al In

Al Gore, whose An Inconvenient Truth helped refocus people's attention on global warming, is back at work. This time, he's trying to make the push that finally produces laws that limit greenhouse gases.

Gore is readying the planet for a September 14-15 event that attempts to tie together public awareness, science, and political momentum. "24 Hours of Reality" involves presentations from around the world describing the local impacts global warming has had.

Check out the video promotion of the event below and visit the Web site for more information.