Global Warming: What’s Up With The Weather? (WGBH Boston Video/NOVA & Frontline)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C- Documentary: B+
Global
warming is one of the most debated issues around. Those who want to reject it have either
scientific ideas or politically want to reject it in a populist way by
reminding us that the previous argument was global cooling and/or it is really
about “Communists and private property rights” despite many of those same
people not being as outraged by eminent domain laws that still allow federal,
state and local governments to take land.
Recently, Al Gore saw his documentary An Inconvenient Truth become a critical and commercial success,
including getting the Best Documentary Oscar.
But his ideas are challengeable and with no bias, the NOVA/Frontline
documentary Global Warming: What’s Up
With The Weather? (2000) does just that.
Running
about two hours, the program begins with the debate, goes back to the beginning
of the industrial age, turns to meteorology and its predecessors to check in
about how the temperature of the planet has been measured over the centuries
plus new ways to retrieve such information and looks at the ups, downs and
limits of all the energy resources from fossil fuels to renewable resources. One thing is clear though and that is we are
heading for some kind of point of no return and instead of panicking or playing
politics with it, need to do something before it is too late. This great program is a big first step, no
matter what you believe.
The 1.33
X 1 image is a little softer than one might want, but this is a documentary and
originating in NTSC analog video, is to be expected. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no
surrounds, but the interviews and voiceover (by Will Lyman) are well recorded. The only extra besides a weblink is DVD-ROM
printable educational material.
- Nicholas Sheffo