The day after yesterday

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Science has always had great appeal to me. Its logical structure, its methodologies, its pursuit of how things work and universal truths — all are as sexy to me as a slinky lady with a coy smile and sparkling eyes.

So seeing “An Inconvenient Truth” starring Al Gore was a given. It is a documentary. About science.

It’s compelling. And frightening. Disturbing, sad and hopeful all at once.

Go see it, while there’s still time.

As you may have heard, it’s about global warming. The simple premise is Gore gives his computer slideshow for the thousandth time, a series of charts and photos and animated clips.

The former vice president and senator throws in a few personal insights.

The end.

Oh, and global warming is going to kill us.

Here’s a preview:

Because we’re so technologically advanced, we’re putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than at any point in history. Trapping more heat is causing the Earth’s average temperature to climb steadily. Soon, it will cause catastrophic changes to the land, the ocean, the weather, the millions of species.

The United States, by the way, is a leading contributor to this premeditated planetary murder-suicide.

And at some point within our lifetimes, it will be irreversible.

Unless we act.

Film critic Roger Ebert wrote: “In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.”

I wish the messenger had been someone other than Gore, simply because of today’s polarized political climate. I hope that instead of just putting this film out on DVD, they print millions of copies and mail them for free like the Jesus video.

I hope they run it every night on PBS, the Discovery Channel and MTV until viewers’ eyes bleed. I hope they put the full version on YouTube and iTunes.

My description will not do the movie justice. But then, I find documentaries and science utterly fascinating. So I give you this: My friend Ginny, who absolutely cannot watch scary movies, was riveted. And she said it was the first time anyone has explained global warming, its causes, its impact and its solutions in an understandable, watchable fashion.

A small segment of close-minded people will never see this movie, never subscribe to global-warming-as-actual-imminent-danger, never consider even for a moment take a Copernican leap of faith.

But as word spreads worldwide, citizens looking beyond their horizons will demand that governments and industry take action. They will learn how to change their destructive ways — or die trying.

The Web site explains how we can all work individually and together to reverse the trend.

The first step, however, is to see “An Inconvenient Truth.” I urge you to do so, as a fan of movies, as a fan of science, as a fan of the greater good. Those 100 minutes will change how you look at the world forever.

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