Gore Environmental Movie Given To Ontario Schools

[RestoreGore]

http://www.canada.com/cityguides/lethbridge/story.html?id=a484e66e-a75e-4a1d-bf79-8c8a9de7c783&k=86266


Mike De Souza, CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 Article tools
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OTTAWA — Despite complaints from global warming skeptics, Al Gore’s award-winning documentary on climate change will soon become a fixture on the curriculum of public high schools across Ontario, the provincial government announced Wednesday.

The Tides Canada Foundation is donating hundreds of copies of An Inconvenient Truth to the province’s high schools and school boards, and the government has agreed to distribute them.

“We have to really make sure that everybody in society begins to understand how important this is because our personal lifestyles are going to be a huge part of making changes and reducing emissions of carbon in the environment,” said Tim Draimin, executive director of the charity, which focuses on environmental and social issues.

Draimin estimates that the foundation has used tens of thousands of dollars in private donations to fund the environmental awareness project, including the production of DVDs that were distributed throughout British Columbia schools in April.

Although some skeptics have said the movie has no place in schools, Draimin says he chuckles when he hears them complain that Gore, the former U.S. vice-president, exaggerated some of the immediate dangers of global warming.

“If people want to generate a bit of a debate about this, I think that’s fine, because I’m totally confident that science and the human knowledge to date is on the side of the fact that we are going through climate change,” he said. “But I think that having that debate allows other people to become engaged around the issue and learn more about it.”

snip

“Today’s announcement is moving Ontario forward in the battle against climate change by inspiring students to reduce their environment impact,” said Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten in a statement.

“We are growing a new generation of environmental leaders in our schools who will help us build a strong Ontario for many generations to come.”

© CanWest News Service 2007

It is great to see schools showing this movie to youth, because if we are to be successful in truly mitigating the affects of this crisis we can now still control, our youth must be engaged, educated, and motivated as to their role in the future sustainability of our planet. And above all, they must have truth and reason as a their guide in order to be able to make decissions that will lead them down the right road.

That is why An Inconvenient Truth has been such an inspiration not only to me, but my son who is a teen. After watching it the first time in the theatre, he said to me when asked what he learned from it, " We have to do something now. What can I do?" And he has. He has talked to people and his teachers about a carbon neutral lifestyle, and had the movie shown in his science class. He worked on a project to clean up the waterfront and handed out flyers about recycling and has also helped me do the same.

He is aware of it and now seeking out knowledge on his own not only about this issue but others. That is the power of truth, and the power of people influenced by it despite the protestations of those who would sacrifice truth for profit and ideology, and a power he would never been given by the political system in telling him that truth because it is just not part of their MO.

So to those on the right and others who claim this movie has not been effective either because it is Al Gore, or because they are simply deniers, or because they state anything he does outside the beltway isn't good enough, you are wrong. This important film is still having an effect on a global scale and that is more than can be said about any legislation passed in our Congress... oh, but wait, we haven't seen any legislation worth talking about passed in our Congress in the last thirty years regardless of party. So much for politics truly giving a damn about anything that doesn't align to their polls. Our youth are becoming educated with truth because of the efforts of those outside the muck of political soundbites, and that is something we need to embrace and carry forward in order to see change.

Thanks, Ontario.

[Spazito]

1. Very cool!

Thanks for posting, I wasn't aware they were doing this.

[RestoreGore]

2. You're welcome

I believe the movie is also going to be distributed in Greek schools as well.

[RestoreGore]

3. kicking for An Inconvenient Truth