An Inconvenient Truth

Yesterday they showed Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth over at the
consulate and then had a scientist from the EPA there to answer
questions afterward. Watching the film was a very interesting
experience for me. One that I have decided to write down and share.

This isn't a movie review as much as it is my reflections on me as a
conservation biologist. How do I teach my children to love and respect
the earth? How do I help them feel the spirit of the earth so that it
can touch their heart as it has touched mine?

When I was a sophomore in college I came home and told my family that
I had decided to major in Conservation Biology. My politically
conservative family was a little surprised and I think at first it
conjured up images of tree huggers and Seattle grunge. I can't blame
them. The thing is, out of everything I ever thought I wanted to
study, this was never on my list. Literature or physics- or even music
would have all seemed a more natural step... except for the fact that
I have always loved nature.
We were blessed as children to be able to go on many camping trips,
both with the girls and with our family. Visiting the redwoods,
mountains, but especially the beach created an appreciation for the
beauty of the world. I used to walk home from my classes at BYU and
sing the song "How Great Thou Art" as I headed down the hill with a
view of the majestic mountains in front of me. Nature is spiritual.
Several times I have just sat listening to the roaring of the waves as
they drowned out my worries and calmed my heart. Or the whispering of
the pine trees as the wind blows through their needles. The most
beautiful quiet of all is when a blanket of snow falls deadening the
city noise and covers the harsh colors of the concrete and steel with
a beautiful clean blanket of white.
As members of the church we are taught that the spirit testifies of
truth. This explains to me why so many people join other churches.
They have a part of the truth- and the spirit even testifies of that
small part.
Watching An Inconvenient Truth was a spiritual experience for me. I
felt the spirit and knew the truth of it while watching. I have never
been an activist. In fact it is my modus operandi to avoid extremes-
even to avoid doing things that make life more difficult (except
moving- for some reason I can handle that). Watching the movie brought
back all of the truths I learned while going to school and also made
me question my efforts. Am I being a faithful steward? Am I making my
choices based on the information I have- or am I ignoring it because
it might be too inconvenient? I know I will be held accountable for
this knowledge... just as the Lord will hold us accountable for any
other knowledge that he gives us. I pray that the health of the earth
will move to the front of the political agenda. Being here in China
has made me appreciate and miss; clean air, clean water, blue skies,
and our park system. The pictures you have seen don't do the pollution
justice.

Michelle