Review of The 11th Hour written and directed by Nadia Conners and Leila Conners.
Rating *****
Al Gore won an Oscar for his documentary on this subject in what was mostly a glorified slide show. I'm not knocking that film. I liked it. But this film is a much more thorough examination of the problems and possible solutions to global warming.
One of the key points in this film is that the only way we're going to correct the problem is by creating a higher level of awareness. You would think that by now everyone would know that we can't continue on the course that we have been on, but apparently that isn't so because we continue to elect officials who don't have a grasp of what has to be done.
We all have heard about the problems associated with the loss of tropical rain forests, but there is also a problem associated with the loss of our own forests in the U.S. due to urban development. I was surprised to learn that nearly 90% of our forests have been chopped down to make room for houses and highways. This not only affects the atmosphere but the soil and biodiversity.
After watching films like Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and Who Killed The Electric Car and reading books like The Omnivore's Dilemma, I have come to the conclusion that we are seeing the beginnings of the next revolution. I grew up during the beginnings of the computer and information age. I saw it and experienced it but wasn't smart enough to take advantage of it. Now I am no stock picking guru. In fact, so far my stock picks have been abysmal. But I have a strong feeling that the next big opportunity is going to be the green revolution and companies that deal with renewable energy. That's where I'm moving my money: solar, wind, geothermal, electric and fuel cell vehicles, etc…
The film is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio who does a very good job of letting the images and experts tell the story. He keeps a low profile throughout and acts more of a guide. There were no bonus features on the DVD which was my only disappointment.