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Rich February 19, 2007 2 Comments

(Yes, as promised I’m still blogging, just not on the technology or information security industries). Look I understand too little too late I realize there are things you say and do You can never take back But what would you be if you didn’t even try You have to try So after a lot of thought I’d like to reconsider Please If it’s not too late Make it a cheeseburger < p style=”text-indent:40pt;”> –Here I Am, Lyle Lovett Last night my wife and I finally watched the copy of An Inconvenient Truth I received as a gift for Xmas/Hannukah. You really need to go watch this movie. Soon. Being the cynical security freak that I am, I’m usually pretty good at realizing when I’m being manipulated. In some cases, usually movies, I just suspend belief as best I can and roll with it so I can lose myself in a bit of entertainment. An Inconvenient Truth blatantly manipulated me. It sent tendrils of social consciousness that slithered past my bastions of distrust to grab a hold of my gut and brain and sway my emotions and change my behavior. There was nothing subtle about it- these were the tendrils of a giant squid, grabbing and crushing any resistance, not some vague, foggy, sinister horror movie kinds of things. Some people think there’s still debate on global warming- not me. Just today were two articles on Slashdot that indicate something ain’t right. Take a look here and here. Lakes under Antarctica? The world’s largest tropical glacier disappearing? Nasty stuff. I don’t really think there’s much of a debate on global warming anymore, despite Michael Crichton. But, the thing is, even if there is some debate it shouldn’t matter. It’s as much gambling as it is risk management. Some bets can’t be changed, some risks can’t be mitigated once accepted. And, in the case of global warming, there are huge potential economic upsides. By buying a hybrid (especially thanks to the tax credit), switching our light bulbs, insulating better, and so on we save considerable money over the lifetime of these investments (maybe not on the hybrid, since we went for the SUV). On a macro scale, investing into more sustainable fuels reduces our dependence on foreign oil, creates new industries and new jobs, and makes the nation more self-sustaining and secure. We’re not talking about a tree-hugging return to hemp-powered cars, we’re talking nuclear power, new fuels, and getting out of the Middle East. Works for me. (And none of that was in the movie). So on one side of the bet we have the future of society, the destruction of coastal cities, the redistribution of global power, and other nastiness. On the other side we have an improved economy, cost savings, energy independence, and lower insurance rates. Seems like an easy bet. Anyway, I’ve preached enough. Go check out the movie for yourself… Share:

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