The battle against global warming

On Saturday, millions of people from around the globe came together to recognise World Earth Day. We have so many reasons to celebrate the amazing world we live in, but World Earth Day also highlights how far we still need to go in the battle against global warming. This year, the follow up to Al Gore’s highly acclaimed 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth is being released: An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.

The film, directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, follows the former Vice President as he continues his plight to educate and inform on the impact climate change can have both in our present and our future. Since An Inconvenient Truth was released over ten years ago, there’s no doubt that progress has been made to counteract the effects of global warming. Exciting advances such as the increase of solar projects in Chile in recent years and the news that Georgetown, Texas has become solely powered by wind and solar energy give us hope that the future is starting to look greener. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. Despite having the facts laid out in front of them, many people still believe that using fossil fuels is an absolutely necessary way of life. This film covers both the highs and lows of the fight against climate change, leading to the historic Paris Agreement that took place in 2016.

Watch the trailer here:

The Paris Agreement was a landmark event that marked an exciting new chapter in the efforts of global leaders to heal the world. The agreement, made within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) covers greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaption and finance beginning in the year 2020. The treaty, which was signed by 195 UNFCCC members and ratified by 143 of them as of April 2017, has further shown how every single one of us, no matter what country we’re from, need to collectively make it our mission to take care of the world we live in.

Just as An Inconvenient Truth stirred up conversations and awareness about global warming, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power also has the potential to make an incredible impact. In the original documentary, Al Gore was met with ridicule when he gave a scientific projection demonstrating how rising seas would flood the site of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Lo and behold, the sequel shows footage of Super Storm Sandy flooding the World Trade Center, just as Al Gore had originally foretold.

The battle against global warming is a fight that will no doubt continue for many years to come. There are numerous obstacles we still need to face, including some very outspoken certain someones explicitly denying that climate change even exists. However, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power demonstrates the difference we can make to the world if we all work together.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power is released 25 August 2017.