Review: Cool It
As a ecology and conservation biology student at UT, I had a rather idealistic view of environmentalism -- until I took a course that focused on conservation, economics and technology. Between those teachings and 10 years at an environmental regulatory agency, I've become aware of the need for a more balanced and feasible approach. And yet it wasn't until seeing the documentary Cool It this week that I've admitted my skepticism about the doomsayer films that serve to alarm through extreme viewpoints rather than address the important global environmental issues.
The 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth has been credited with revitalizing the environmental movement and creating a better awareness for the general public about global warming. However, An Inconvenient Truth has been criticized of being both an exaggeration and alarming in context. Cool It centers around controversial author and Danish economist Bjorn Lomborg, who asserts that the attention global warming receives is unwarranted -- that the problem is not as bad as it's portrayed, nor are the solutions that have been proposed going to have very much impact.
Director Ondi Timoner (Dig, We Live in Public) presents a more pragmatic view of the issues at hand in Cool It, through a positive profile of Lomborg, who is often referred to as a enviro-contrarian. Much of the controversy surrounds this former Greenpeace supporter due to his most famous book, The Skeptical Environmentalist. However, Lomborg's advocacy of alternative energy and discussions on what impact various technologies can have on our environment seem quite reasonable as they are presented by various researchers and engineers. Only one dissenting voice is heard firsthand within the movie, and yet the professor's solutions to issues aren't that far off from Lomborg's so that his criticism carries less weight.
Timoner sets up the film and humanizes Lomborg with a mini-biographical look at his life through snapshots and home movie clips -- a vegetarian by the age of 11 years, Greenpeace supporter, and then founder of the Copenhagen Consensus Center. Lomborg was accused of "scientific dishonesty" for his controversial theories in A Skeptical Environmentalist, which was later dismissed. A few touching moments show us a very humane side of Lomborg as he tends to his mother who suffers from Alzheimer's, as well as feeding children in Africa.
The remainder and strength of Cool It focuses on Lomborg's review of Al Gore's famous Powerpoint presentation slide by slide, with discussion of the fallacies and exaggerations. He then follows up by laying out his own plan, which focuses on prioritizing what he sees as the real issues. "The radically practical solution" not only addresses climate adaptation, but also other problems including clean drinking water, education, and health care -- issues that will make the biggest difference first. A key point he makes is the impact of doing what feels good versus what actually does good. He supports more funding for research and development, and we see many of the projects that are underway at major universities, NASA, and other "think tanks" that could potentially produce more effective green energy or even cool the Earth's temperature. As one featured researcher states, "There's a lot of scientists and engineers, the solution is us."
Timoner effectively uses sound bites from academics such as Paul Reiter of Pasteur Institute, who states "Science has been hijacked by alarmists" -- sometimes from well-meaning environmentally conscious citizens, but more often from sensationalist media looking for higher ratings. This phenomenon is also evidenced in Cool It with shots of celebrities shown driving hybrids followed by scientific facts and statistics demonstrating how little impact changing out light bulbs and driving a hybrid has on carbon emissions.
Some viewers may find the science and statistics a bit overwhelming in Cool It, but the editing and direction helps to move the film along when it gets a bit brainy. The main flaw I found in this film was the abrupt ending -- Lomborg speaks of using the $250 billion per year commitments for research and development and solving some issues, but no "call to action." The question of "Where can this money come from and what can we act upon?" was asked during the Q&A. Timoner spoke openly about pushing politicans to create a carbon tax, oversee that the money is spent in R&D and adaptation techniques as well as the developing world.
Lomborg has received much criticism in the past and some of the solutions he presents in Cool It seem a bit out of reach until we can change from an oil-centric economy to greener energy; however, his alternative views are valuable in the environmental discussion. Timoner effectively provides a well-balanced view of a voice who merits to be heard rather than demonized, making Cool It a film well worth watching.