I received several email updates from Al Gore - last Wednesday he went before congress to demand immediate action to solve the climate crisis. Before then he had a website where you could “sign” a petition, I and 519 thousand others got our names on the list in time for his presentation.

This whole shenanigans inspired me to actually watch his movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” I think I was already up to speed with most of it, but I thought the movie was a really good presentation. The end credits had a lot of good ideas about what you can do to start making a difference. I also felt inspired to start biking season early. I definitely suggest taking the time to see this movie.

• Carbon dioxide warms the surface of the planet by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels and clearing forests have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing temperatures to rise.
• The evidence is overwhelming and undeniable. The earth has cyclical periods of warming and cooling within a range. The last 30 years do not apply to this cycle, and all boundaries have been broken and are “off the charts.”
• The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
• The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
• “I believe the purpose of life is to glorify God, and we can’t do that if we’re heaping contempt on the creation.”
• Roger Ebert wants you to see this film.

A few days ago I was flipping channels and stopped on this program that totally caught me off guard. It was reverend Jerry Falwell on his nationally televised program from Thomas Road Baptist Church, giving his sermon, “The Myth of Global Warming.” After having just seen a very scientific presentation on the facts around global warming, I was just shocked to see someone debating it. However, I tried to be open minded, and this is what I took away from Rev. Falwell’s sermon:

• Global warming is not based on science, but is rather a political issue.
• Global Warming doesn’t exist and is not due to human contribution of CO2.
• Al Gore invented the internet and helped invent global warming, abortion and gay marriage.
• Climate change over the past 30 to 150 years is well within the bounds of natural variability - Earth’s climate has warmed and cooled cyclically throughout its history, largely natural in origin and not susceptible to significant reduction by any actions we take.
• “I am not a scientist.”
• Alarmism is promoted by the UN, liberal politicians, radical environmentalists, liberal clergymen, Hollywood, pseudo-scientists and the Weather Channel.
• Alarmism is promoted in order to create major economic damage to America, distract us from the world’s declining morals, legalize abortion and gay marriage, and is Satan’s attempt to change the Church’s focus.
• The Earth is the Lord’s, and it will not cease.
• Jesus commands you to spread Christianity so you can go to heaven.

I urge you to think what you will and make informed decisions about how you live your life. The repurcussions of how you live will directly effect the lives of your children and grandchildren. I believe Global Warming is a real issue based on real science, not on politics or religion. My suggestions: Bike more, drive less. Use energy smartly, don’t waste. Watch A Convenient Truth and visit your local Unitarian Universalist church next Sunday and help us worship the coffee pot with our liberal clergymen.