Dawn Riser blog creates a headline

The call came out of the blue. A young voice said he was calling from the Evening Standard, he had been reading my blog and was interested in what I'd said about Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth.
He was compiling the Readers Views page for today's paper and wondered if I could send him a shorter version of my blog post.
So I did. Later, he called me again. Liked my piece but would like to develop a couple of things. How did the film compare with other recent documentaries eg the one by Mike Moore and The Day After Tomorrow? As I hadn't seen these films I was unable to help with that one. Secondly - is there anyone in the UK able to put across these messages more strongly to a UK audience? By this time I was travelling home by train, so we discussed a few ideas and he said he would write them up and call me for my approval.
He called back and after some discussion we agreed to add the bit about Test the Nation and Planet Idol to fill out the story. We didn't discuss what would be left out.

Here's the text of the letter published above my name in the Evening Standard tonight.
So that you can compare, here is the text I initially sent to him:

I was surprised that the City Screen in York was full for the preview of Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth. I had to stand in line and wait for a seat in the hope that someone wouldn't show up.
At its most basic the film is nothing special. Just a series of graphs charting the arrival of global warming and predicting it's potential damage if we don't do something soon. The presentation is interspersed with short recollections from Al Gore's past and stills of shrinking ice caps, glaciers and polar regions. The upbeat ending makes believe that it's not too late to rescue the planet from pending doom.
Will it show to capacity crowds when it's on general release in Britain? Will it change anyone's mind here about the threat of global warming?
At the preview I'm sure I was sitting with the already converted, who left inspired to turn down the thermostat, use the car less and to recycle more waste. Your average cinema goer may prefer more entertainment. An action adventure or romantic comedy.
The film's biggest weakness is Al Gore. Not Al Gore the campaigner, but Al Gore as the presenter of his own film. An impartial film maker harnessing a range of views would be more convincing for a UK audience. Those who do choose to watch it will think, despite it's hard hitting and factual content, that it's all together too smultzy and self congratulatory to be convincing.
All the same I am telling my friends to go and see it. It's the best argument so far to counter the belief that we are in just another climate cycle that can be ignored. And just as my initial prediction was proved wrong, it may be that An Inconvenient Truth plays to packed houses in Britain as well as Manhattan.

It's interesting how things change in the publishing process. Were my views fairly represented? I'll leave you to judge.

The end of infinity

Who said the internet was infinite? Somewhere between this blog and the last page lies something less than infinity. Doesn't it?
And somewhere else in that space lies Rocketboom

There's a country to run

I think it's time to change the way we run the country. The last two significant governments in Britian have ended in acrimony and I think it's because we have no way to bring the whole thing to an end. In the US there are fixed terms for government. Leaders know how long they have to run things and that's it. Here, the process is in the hands of the ruling party. There's a notional date for a general election, but it can be called at any time at the discretion of the Prime Minister. And there seems to be no way for a Prime Minister to step down without being knifed in the back.

So we should have a General Election after four years, and if a Prime Minister wants to step down from office, that too should either trigger a general election or some other kind of election for the office.

The recriminations of the last few days must never be repeated. They're a disgrace. I am ashamed to be British at the moment. There are much bigger issues than "Whose turn is it now?", and they are being neglected because a small number of nobody Labour MPs think they can manipulate events.

I have issues with Tony Blair, but he's the best Labour Prime Minister ever, and if we're not careful we'll end up throwing it all away and getting a Cameron premiership in his place - and then where will we be?

An inconvenient truth

I've just been to see Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" at a special preview screening for members of York's City Screen. As I walked to the cinema I was thinking about how many people would turn up at 11am on a Sunday morning to see a documentary by a failed presidential candidite talking about Global Warming. I may, I thought, be the only one there!
The queue was visible as soon as I turned the corner. It was sold out and the only people going into Screen 3 had booked in advanced. I stood in line and hoped to fill the seat of someone who didn't show up. I was ushered in a couple of minutes before the film began.
I'll talk about the style of the film in a minute. The content was compelling. Al Gore presented graph after graph and statistic after statistic to demonstrate how the climate change we are experiencing cannot be part of a cycle of events, simply repeating what had happened many times in past centuries and eons.
We were treated to misty recollections of his youth and images from across the planet to backup the dry charts of scientific findings. Melting glaciers, dried up lakes, intensifying tropical storms, floods, droughts and tree damage were all projected on the screen to convince us that our lifestyles must change if we are to avert disaster, not just in this generation but in others that lie ahead - if the human race survives that long.
Was I convinced? I felt as though I was sitting with the converted. Intelligent, educated, comfortable middle class people. People who were already thinking about reducing their impact on the planet. Not much convincing needed - more like reinforcing.
So what about the film? It was essentially a film about the presentation that Al Gore in his own words has given over a thousand times in cities across the USA and the world. Hence the graphs and stats. It was all held on his Apple Powerbook and delivered on Keynote software. There was a manageable dose of mockerty directed at George Bush and a muted gripe about the rigged election that Al Gore won and lost.
The ending was upbeat. After the gloom of his predictions, Al Gore turned campaigner and preacher and roused the audience to an optimistic climax. We can do something, more than is needed, by making changes now. It's not too late. I suppose it's the only way that a film like this could end if the American audience is to be kept on board.
It's great weakness is that Al Gore is making a film about Al Gore's campaign. It may work in the US but here it needs someone more impartial to present the film and to interrogate the facts and projections.
Will it make people think? Yes; if they go to see it, stay the course and want to be convinced. Will is change the masses? No; but it's a start - and perhaps other film makers, producers and writers will get on board to drive the message into hard to reach lifestyles. Go and see it. Judge for yourself - and comment here.
And when you go - don't expect to be the only one there - be on the safe side and book in advance!