Gore Invites 250 to View His Documentary

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Al Gore led a discussion of the documentary which focuses on his efforts to educate people about global warming following a private screening of the film on Saturday. Earth's growing population and reliance on nonrenewable resources are having a ''crushing impact'' on the planet, the former vice president told the group of about 250 after the screening of ''An Inconvenient Truth'' at a Nashville theater.

The 2000 Democratic presidential nominee has taken an increasingly high-profile role in raising awareness about global warming, recently hiring longtime political associate Roy Neel to aid in his effort. Gore's movie and book about the issue, both called ''An Inconvenient Truth,'' are set for widespread release this month. He also plans to hold a training session in Nashville this summer on how to deliver the message on climate change.

Gore has warned about the dangers of global warming for years, arguing that without dramatic changes in the emission of greenhouse gases, the planet is likely to experience a dramatic increase in violent storms, infectious disease, deadly heat waves and rising sea levels that will force the evacuation of low-lying cities. Much of the documentary focuses on a slide show on global warming Gore presented to a live audience. During the documentary, he said he'd shown it thousands of times to people around the world.

The film shows photos of glaciers retreating and a host of charts and statistics chronicling the rise of water levels, worldwide temperatures and carbon dioxide levels, all symptoms of gradual warming of the earth, Gore says.
In the documentary, Gore says he feels he's failed to adequately deliver his message about the dangers of global warming. ''There is danger in this crisis, but also tremendous opportunity,'' Gore said during a brief question-and-answer session after the screening. He said efforts to help revive the environment would create jobs and a healthier world.

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