Balance

On a recent plane ride back from visiting my dad in Texas, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a flood insurance claims adjuster who was on his way to Long Island to work on the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. He was a seasoned professional, in his fifties, a real Texan too. He talked with a twang about his family, his ranch, Republican politics, and most importantly: his job.

I asked him, rather frankly, if he believed in global warming. He replied quickly, "Yes, without a doubt." That Texan insurance man spoke in detail about the frequency and severity of recent storms. He said he's been doing this for twenty years and has never seen such intense storms at such odd times of the year. He spoke about the devastated families he has consoled in his work and about how poorly those families treated him, with utmost disrespect. He told me about the horrors of Hurricane Katrina too.

*Dramatic reenactment 

That plane ride with that Texan insurance man was enough proof for me. It was enough proof to validate my career choice. Al Gore's film was simply another great reinforcement. Although, as an Environmental Studies major, I'm embarrassed to say this was my first time viewing An Inconvenient Truth. 

The documentary was rhetorically successful and I think has the power to sway any non-believer. Gore is an excellent public speaker and a very passionate man. He used great visuals and pristine logic to present his ideas. The concept that still lingers in my mind is presented below. Before Gore provided his opinion, I accepted the illustration as normal symbolism. Gore could've moved on and the image could've been lost forever in the dark corners of my brain. Instead he pointed out the blatant absurdity of the symbolism presented in this image. The gold comes from the earth.