Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 26 July 2017
Al Gore on ‘Inconvenient Sequel,’

Trump, and the environment

By JOHN CARUCCI CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey this movie. To tell people
Associated Press Toobin, who also attended what they need to know,
NEW YORK (AP) — Al Gore the premiere, agrees that to show them that there is
admits he was frustrated Gore “had done pretty hope and there are solu-
upon hearing the news last well for himself” after the tions now, and inspire them
month that President Trump disputed 2000 presidential to get involved,” Gore said.
was pulling out of the Paris election. Davis Guggenheim direct-
Climate Accord, but since “Al Gore could have done ed the first film to box office
then he’s become more many things after he was and Oscar glory, bringing
optimistic. not inaugurated in 2001, climate change into the
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Al Gore in Gore worried that a U.S. but what he did was be- mainstream. The sequel,
“An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” withdrawal from the treaty come the leading global directed by Bonni Cohen
Associated Press would compel other na- spokesman for perhaps the and Jon Shenk picks up the
tions to opt out of the his- most important scientific conversation with more of
torical pact for adopting and environmental cause a battle cry for saving the
clean energy solutions. But of our lifetime, and he won planet.
that’s not what happened. a Nobel Prize in the bar- Knowing he was stepping
“The whole rest of the gain. So I don’t think any- into big shoes for this film,
world has redoubled their one could quarrel with how Shenk noted the impor-
commitment. And in this Al Gore has decided to live tance of his predecessor’s
country, the governors and his life,” he said. film.
the mayors and the busi- A big part of Gore’s mis- “An Inconvenient Truth”
ness leaders have all said, sion depends on convinc- was one of the most suc-
‘We’re still in the agree- ing people that climate cessful documentaries in
ment, and we’re gonna change is not a hoax. In- history. Not only did it do
fill the gap. We’re gonna stead, it’s based on sci- fabulously well at the box
meet the U.S. commitment, ence that shows the global office, but by almost any
regardless of what Donald mean surface tempera- measure it put the words
Trump does,” Gore told the ture continues to rise, due global warming and cli-
Associated Press last week in part to an increase in mate crisis on the map for
at a special screening for greenhouse gasses. So the entire world,” Shenk
“An Inconvenient Sequel: while global warming is im- said.
Truth to Power.” mune to politics, the topic In order to keep the infor-
It follows the 2006 Oscar- remains a partisan issue in mation timely, producers
winning documentary, “An the United States. That’s changed the ending from
Inconvenient Truth,” and something the former vice what audiences saw at the
continues the conversation president blames on cor- Sundance Film Festival to
of finding solutions for the porate funding for political reflect Trump’s announce-
effects of climate change, campaigns. ment about withdrawing
including an emphasis on “The truth about the cli- the United States from the
renewable energy. Much mate crisis is still inconve- global climate agreement
like the first film, Gore is nient for the big carbon in time for the film’s limited
front and center in leading polluters, and the politi- release on July 28 and its
the discussion. cians that they support wide release on Aug. 4.
It’s been a remarkable sec- with their big campaign Gore also said he’s recent-
ond act for Gore since win- contributions and lobby- ly spoken to Hillary Clinton,
ning the popular vote, but ing activities are scared to and that’s “She’s gonna be
losing the Electoral College cross them. That’s the main fine.”
in the 2000 presidential reason. They’ve spent a lot Clinton won the popular
election. There’s no ques- of money trying to put out vote, but lost the Electoral
tion that Gore was dev- false information about it,” College to Trump, just as
astated from the loss, but Gore said. Gore lost to George W.
his stature as an important Still, he remains confident Bush in 2000.
voice for environmental is- that the problem can be As for Trump’s continued
sues has proven equally fixed. attacks on the news media,
successful, as he amassed “People are seeing through Gore feels disheartened by
a Nobel Prize, Academy this now. Two-thirds of the them.
Award, an Emmy, and American people want “Well, I think that’s really
a Grammy for his relent- to solve this big time. We unfortunate. We need
less dedication to climate are gonna solve it. We just someone who will unite us
change activism. need to move faster on it,” and not divide us. The press
“I’m under no illusion that Gore said. obviously plays an abso-
there’s any position with as Gore feels that change will lutely crucial role in mak-
much chance to do good come from the “grass roots ing our democracy work.
as president of the United up.” That’s why he spends If the press isn’t free to get
States, but I’m very grateful a great deal of time train- out there and tell people
to have found another way ing climate activists around what’s going on, then we
to serve the public interests. the globe. can’t make the changes
I’m devoting my life to this “We need to get more we need to know about
and hoping to make a big people involved. That’s and then change,” Gore
difference,” Gore said. one of the real purposes of said.q