Truth Is Coming To A Theater Near You!

Readers may have seen advertisements for Al Gore's documentary on global climate change An Inconvenient Truth or read reviews. So far the feedback from moviegoers and critics looks fairly positive. Here in Maine we'll have to wait and see when the movie comes to Maine theaters later this month. But according to reviews in mainstream papers (such as USA Today and AARP Bulletin) the former Vice-President hits hard with the facts and avoids partisan politics for the sake of the planet.

The news of global warming is not news at all but is finally being recognized here in the United States after 2005 (the hottest year on the planet yet recorded) saw stronger and more frequent hurricanes, and the rapid melting of glaciers and the polar ice caps. Temperatures at the Earth's surface increased by an estimated 1.4 °F between 1900 and 2005. The past decade was the hottest of the past 150 years and perhaps the past millennium. The hottest 22 years on record have occurred since 1980, and 2005 was the hottest (www.pewclimate.org).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has concluded that "Human activity has been increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mostly carbon dioxide from combustion of coal, oil, and gas; plus a few other trace gases). There is no scientific debate on this point. Pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide (prior to the start of the Industrial Revolution) were about 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv), and current levels are about 370 ppmv. The concentration of CO₂ in our atmosphere today, has not been exceeded in the last 420,000 likely not in the last 20 million years."

The facts are indeed alarming and warrant deep concern — but not despair. There is hope that collectively we can make enough changes to avoid the point of no return for the planet's climate. Governments, companies, and individuals around the world are working to reduce carbon emissions and to invest in clean energy. Our federal colleagues down the hall at the Natural Resource Conservation Service are part of the solution. They have federal funds to assist farmers with energy-saving (and money-saving) farm practices, such as reducing fertilizer inputs through the use of windbreaks and rotational grazing systems.

In addition to saving energy, the NRCS is exploring ways to help farmers in Maine produce "homegrown" energy, like wind power, ethanol, and methane. Carbon emissions from these sources are significantly less than emissions from burning fossil fuels. Several large dairy farmers in the county are interested in exploring the feasibility of methane digestion. Landowners interested in knowing more about bioenergy production from farms and forests should contact the NRCS District Conservationist in Kennebec County, Ron DesRosiers, at 622-7847 x3 or visit the NRCS website, www.nrcs.usda.gov.

The Maine Association of Conservation Districts is hosting a Bionenergy Conference this September to build awareness and interest in alternative energy sources that could also be an economic boost to Maine. A press release from the MACD is expected soon and we will let you know more in an upcoming Summertime article.

Simple things you can do right now to cut down on coal and gasoline consumption and reduce the carbon in the atmosphere:

• Replace a regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb. You'll save 150 lbs CO₂/year.
• Combine errands for fewer car trips. You'll save 1 lb of CO₂ for every mile you don't drive.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Reducing the average household's waste by one half saves 2,400 CO₂/year.
• Use less hot water in the house, for example, install a low-flow showerhead.
• Plant a tree: one tree can absorb as much as 1 ton of CO₂ in its lifetime.
• Turn off the gadgetry: electronics like televisions, stereos, computers, can be turned off when not in use.

More information can be found on the film's website (including cinemas and dates) at www.climatecrisis.net. An Inconvenient Truth opened at Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville, on Friday, June 23.

Jennifer McLean works for the Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District in Augusta. She can be reached at 622-7847 x3.