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Reading Resources |Suggested Discussion Questions

Dear Reader,

As a YES! reader, you know that global warming is more than an "inconvenient truth." Throughout its history YES! has brought you the science and the numbers from Kyoto to Katrina. Still, Al Gore's new movie, An Inconvenient Truth is an unprecedented opportunity to bring this crisis to a world accustomed to sound bites. The self-described "former President-elect" makes a compelling case with his state-of-the-art slide show, personal photos, and humor sprinkled throughout. No matter what you've done to fight global warming up to now, Al Gore's message is that we all need to do more. In keeping with YES! tradition, let me suggest some ways to approach An Inconvenient Truth.

  • See this movie with friends. This is not a movie to see alone. The film may leave you scared, depressed, fired up for action or all three. Be sure to take time after the movie to share your reactions with your friends. And I suggest that you and others might want to meet again to continue the discussion.

  • Create a discussion group of people who have seen the movie. The movie may open minds – even yours. Be ready to explore your feelings, your ideas, and your actions. Try not to let the discussion move to the easy territory of the topic's scientific merits, the movie's production values, or Al Gore's political future. Travel some deeper territory. (See my suggestions for discussion questions below.)

  • Explore these issues by reading up on the subject. A good place to start is the current issue of YES!, 5,000 Years of Empire: Ready for a Change? It provides valuable framing for the time we are in and healthy responses to difficult challenges ahead.

  • Let us know how your discussion went. Send an email to: yesnewsletters@yesmagazine.org and we'll be pleased to post selected responses on our web site.

Fran Korten
Publisher
YES! Magazine
http://www.yesmagazine.org

 Inconvenient Truth
Find a theater near you

"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." — Roger Ebert

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  Reading Resources from YES! Magazine


YES Cover Summer 2006The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community
by David Korten
Will our grandchildren call this a time of "Great Turning" or the "Great Unraveling?"

Embracing Change:
The Great Turning as Compass and Lens
by Joanna Macy
What it means to be alive at a moment of global crisis and possibility.

Getting There on Less
by Guy Dauncey
12 steps to end our addiction to oil.

Finding Opportunity in Crisis
by Carla Din
The Apollo Alliance's practical vision for an energy-transformed America.

Here's what some communities are doing to prepare for the worst - and the best.

• Cleveland: Greening the Rust Belt
by Ed D'Amato
• New York City: All Together Now
by Courtney Thompson
• New Orleans to Ottawa: After the Storm
by Francesca Lyman
• Cuba: Communities Prepare for Hurricanes
by Lilja Otto
• Prescott, Arizona: Ecohood
by Susan DeFreitas

You can also find suggestions for action from the producers of An Inconvenient Truth: http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction

 Suggested Discussion Questions

To meet the enormous challenge of global warming, we're going to need our hearts and our brains and we're going to need to take action. When you gather with friends, and even non-believers, your sessions may go something like this:

  • First session: Talk about what is most precious to you that's at risk as the planet warms. Talk about your feelings about the time we are in. Be sure everyone has a chance to speak before opening up the discussion.

  • Second session: Bring in your brain. Come to grips with why this is happening. Talk about the forces in your own life, your community, and your country that are causing us to burn so much fossil fuel.

  • Third session: Explore action steps. What can you do to make a difference in your own home, your community, and on the national and international stage? Then see if your group can zero in on three things you can do to make a difference and make a plan for doing them. Let us know here at YES! what you concluded — email us at yesnewsletters@yesmagazine.org

 

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