It may be inconvenient, but it's true.

I just got back from seeing "An Inconvenient Truth". I have three words of advice for those concerned about the future of the planet and all the species on it including our own: See This Movie. I thought I had a fairly good understanding of the ramifications of global warming, but it turns out I was missing huge pieces of the puzzle. From the reactions of others in the nearly sold-out theater, I think I wasn't the only one.

This issue, in case you've been preoccupied with what we're constantly fed by the mass media regarding terrorism, avian flu and Mexicans wanting to move into exclusive gated communities is in fact THE ISSUE OF OUR TIME. Everything else simply pales in comparison to what happens when the temperature of the earth climbs.

The most important thing regarding this film now is that it is seen by people other than liberals. We already know how liberals are going to vote regarding climate change. They're sitting in the zippy little Prius next to you on the freeway. The car with the peace sign and the bumper sticker that reads "Somewhere in Texas there's a village missing an idiot." But I digress.

It's really important that we get our more conservative family members and friends out to see this movie because a) it will change their behavior regarding carbon emissions, b) they'll have to think very hard before voting for anyone who doesn't put the environment at the top of the list, and c) there are a hell of a lot more of them then us. This last point is something my friends in northern California have trouble remembering because just about everyone they know has a custom-made vaporizer and spends half the day downloading live music files.

Getting those on the right side of the political spectrum to go see this film won't be easy because the word is already out that this movie "stars" non other than Al Gore. And in the minds of conservatives everywhere Al Gore is a) a died-in-the-wool liberal and b) a loser. Corporative executives don't like to take advice from people they consider to be losers. It's simply bad form. This is why they'll watch something as inane as "The Apprentice". No matter how insipid and uninspiring Donald Trump may be, he's a "winner" because he's a gazillionaire. This may sound like exaggeration, but it's true. More people in this country vote for candidates on "American Idol" than they do for President, but that's a topic for another blog. This one is more important right now. The ice caps are melting. Species are dying. Much worse is on the way, unless we change.

You'll have to remind them that this particular issue, the one that pretty much determines whether there's a future for the human race or not, transcends party affiliation. If Ronald Reagan came back from the dead to host this film I would still go see it and support it. If Ann Coulter were making the case... well, ok maybe not. We all have our limitations. Anyway, the point is we have to get as many people as humanly possible to go see this movie. Why? Because it's desperately needed education disguised as entertainment. And people in America will sit down for entertainment. You may have seen this behavior yourself. It's called "watching tv."

So this is my plea. Go see the film, and get as many conservatives as you can to go see it, too. Meantime, keep doing all the low-carbon emission stuff. Recycle. Walk. Ride a bike. Buy biodeisel. Support green companies. Boycott those that aren't. Conserve energy in the home. Vote. Elect candidates who will support the Kyoto Accords as a starting point. Harass people who continue to drive those goddamn gas-guzzling SUV's to the grocery store for a quart of milk. Tell them to fill their land yachts with all of their wealthy, influential friends and take a ride over to the movie theater to see "An Inconvenient Truth". It might be the most important thing you do this year. For them, and you.