Hurricane Harvey is not featured in Al Gore’s important new film, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.” Ten years ago, when the Nobel Prize winner made “An Inconvenient Truth,” his first movie about climate change, a storm the size of Harvey was still theoretical. And there still seemed to be time to reverse the catastrophic effects burning coal and oil causes by sending billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

But as Harvey has shown, time is running out. And as Gore shows in this sequel to the original blockbuster, that’s not just true in the U.S., but all over the world.

Apart from understanding the forces – natural and man made – that turned Harvey into the worst storm America has ever experienced, “An Inconvenient Sequel” is worth watching for three riveting reasons.

Why “An Inconvenient Sequel” is Worth Watching

First, it lays bare the impact climate change is having on humanity.

See: How Climate Change Makes Poison Ivy Worse

In one of the most heartbreaking and powerful scenes in the film, workers in Pakistan, anticipating the hundreds and possibly thousands of people who will die from a coming extreme heat wave, dig early graves for the hundreds and possibly thousands of people who will die when the heat wave hits.

In another stunning clip, people in India can’t walk across the street without their hot shoes literally melting into the black top.

Footage of the spread of the Zika virus and the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy all further illustrate that climate change impacts are no longer a matter of “if” but of “how bad?”

Second, the film depicts just how viable getting energy from solar and wind has become. Says Gore, “If you look at what’s really happening in the economy, the economic argument actually is very strongly in favor of the Paris Agreement,” the international accord that encourages every country on the planet, including the U.S., to voluntarily commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

There are now twice as many jobs in the solar industry as in the coal industry, Gore reports. “Solar jobs are growing 17 times faster than other jobs in the U.S…. It’s one of the brightest spots in our economic revival.”

The single fastest-growing job over the next ten years, says Gore citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data, is wind turbine technician. “If you take the efficiency jobs and the renewable energy jobs and add them together, they’re significantly more numerous now than all of the jobs in fossil energy,” he continues.

What does the Pope think about climate change? See: Pope Francis Climate Change Message Calls for “Revolution” 

In the film, Gore visits Georgetown, Texas, “the reddest city in the reddest county in the reddest state” in the U.S., Mayor Dale Ross proudly reports. And yet, they’ve committed to going 100% renewable because it’s cleaner, more economical and the wave of the future.

Declares Mayor Ross, “The less junk you put in the air, the better.” Dohhh!

Third, Gore shows some of the inside workings that led to the unprecedented success of the Paris climate agreements. He does not mask his disdain for President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from those agreements.

Gore credits one unexpected actor with having a particularly outsized role in helping to convince the public that climate change is real: Mother Nature.

“Mother Nature has entered the debate,” he says, which is obvious in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

“In the last seven years we’ve had 11 “One-in-1,000-year” downpours in the U.S. We have these floods, and droughts, and sea level rise events, and the melting ice, and tropical diseases. Every night now on the television news is like a nature hike through the book of Revelation.

“Even if some of the newscasters don’t connect the dots, people themselves are. People who don’t want to use the phrase “global warming” or “climate crisis” are saying, “Wait a minute. Something’s going on here that’s not right.”

“Mother Nature is persuading a lot of people who weren’t ready to believe what the scientists were saying.”

As Gore reflects on this, he projects the questions he expects future generations will ask:

“What were you thinking?!!”

“Couldn’t you hear what Mother Nature was screaming at you?”

An Inconvenient Sequel starts off a bit slowly, with a long focus on Al Gore himself and his day-to-day work networking, advocating, and the workshops he still gives to train climate change activists to carry his message into their communities.

There also could have been a much bigger focus on energy efficiency as another important solution to climate change.

While people argue about whether to use coal or wind, no one should be debating insulating their homes, pumping up their tires, or reducing the energy that’s lost when power is produced so many hundreds of miles away from where it’s actually needed that it needs to be sent along transmission lines that leak power all along the route.

But those are minor objections. Overall, this film does a terrific job showing the human impact of climate change while convincingly making the case for solar and wind to become the dominant sources of electricity.

Plus, its calls to action, though few, are eminently achievable. In “An Inconvenient Truth,” so many suggestions rolled across the screen that even my eyes glazed over. And besides, how many lightbulbs can one person change?

The recommendation at the end of “Sequel” is solid and unequivocal: Convince your town to go 100% renewable.

Yes. Absolutely.

Says Gore: “If President Trump refuses to lead, the American People will.”

So follow the recommendation of the film’s hashtag and “#beinconvenient.”

Al Gore – and Mother Nature – expect no less.

The post “An Inconvenient Sequel” Shows Hurricane Harvey Did Not Have to Happen appeared first on Big Green Purse.

At a conference I recently attended on rebuilding sustainably after natural disasters strike, the audience of educators, first responders, disaster experts, scientists, elected officials, public interest advocates and business leaders all agreed: most people do not have enough natural disaster insurance to protect themselves if a hurricane, storm, flood or fire hits. As the sponsor of this post, the Australian insurer HBF also points out that most travelers don’t carry adequate insurance in the event their holiday or business trip is disrupted by a natural disaster, either.

HOW MUCH NATURAL DISASTER INSURANCE DO YOU NEED?

Homeowners, renters and businesses should all have standard policies that protect loss and damage under relatively conventional conditions – a random fire, the unexpected tree falling on the roof.  But for catastrophic coverage? The answer to this question depends, to a great degree, on where you live and what your current policy covers. Areas subject to earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and frequent fires generally won’t find their damage covered by the standard policy.  Even if standard policies do cover structural damage related to a natural disaster, they may not cover total property lost. (When Superstorm Sandy came through my town last year, my standard homeowner’s policy covered damage to my roof and the internal painting and drywalling needed  to repair water damage in my living room. However, when my town experienced an earthquake a few years ago, my policy did not cover the repairs needed to replace cracked drywall.)

It makes sense to speak with your current insurer to be clear on what losses are covered, and which ones aren’t. “Disaster” policies can come with expensive price tags and high deductibles, so before you buy, calculate not only what you can afford but what it would cost to rebuild your home or replace your belongings.  For more suggestions on how to insure your home against natural disasters, visit United Policyholders, a non-profit organization offering useful consumer advice.

WHAT ABOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE?

I personally believe it makes sense to buy travel insurance to cover any trip costing more than $200. The price is usually very affordable, adding negligible cost to the overall ticket, and it comes in handy even if a trip is not disrupted by a disaster but needs to be cancelled or postponed for another reason. (I bought insurance on a family vacation I planned last winter, only to have to cancel the trip when my father passed away. I received the insurance reimbursement on the trip within a week or two of filing my claim.)

It’s also a good idea to buy coverage in case you need to be evacuated. What if the country you’re visiting is unexpectedly overwhelmed by a tsunami or a political revolution? Or you fall down the Matterhorn and break your leg? You may need to make a (relatively) quick exit or cover medical bills your own country insurance does not.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS KEY

The key is to be prepared. At home or for your business, review your existing policy, discuss your disaster risk with your insurance agent, and consider adding additional coverage if you can afford it and it will help you recover more quickly.

 When you travel,  take into account where you are going, what you’ll be doing when you get there, and what you might need to get medical treatment on the spot, or even leave your destination sooner than anticipated. Ask insurance companies like HBF for travel insurance quotes so you can make the best decision possible to protect yourself, your family, and your property.

NOTE: Our sponsors allow us to bring you useful information like this at no cost to you. Our editorial opinion remains our own. Thank you.

The post With More Natural Disasters, Do You Need More — or Different — Insurance? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

But for children in the Philippines and Syria, that definitely is not the case. And even though those places may be worlds away from you, I hope you’ll stop for a moment, read about the plight little ones in these two forlorn countries face and, through UNICEF Australia, decide there is something you can do to help.

THE PHILIPPINES

On Friday, November 8, a powerful typhoon called Haiyan struck the Philippines. You probably saw some of the initial news reports about the typhoon’s impact on communities across the country. Powerful winds ripped roofs off housing and uprooted trees. Flooding and the collapse of buildings killed thousands of people. Parents were separated from their children; millions of people lost their homes, their belongings, and their livelihoods.

Among other services, UNICEF is helping to reunite families and provide clean water and simple shelter. I was particularly moved by the story of five siblings who somehow managed to survive the typhoon. The oldest, an 18-year-old boy, stayed alive by clinging to the top of a tree branch with one arm while he held a younger brother with the other. His sister also wrapped her arms around a tree to keep from drowning when flood waters surged through their neighborhood. The three children have no idea how their younger brothers outlasted the storm, but they did, and were found sitting in the sand in front of what used to be their home. Their parents are gone.

UNICEF has opened a Child Friendly Space at a school where these kids and others are staying. The non-profit charity is providing food, water, and even technology to help the kids find extended family members who will take them in. But with all the children orphaned by Haiyan, this is an extremely daunting task. Your donation will help. As little as $41 will provide emergency food rations to nourish children and families. For $93, you can provide 7 heavy duty tarpaulin sets to shelter children who have lost their homes. And $140 can provide a basic family water kit for 10 families containing water purification tablets, soap and buckets.

Please respond to UNICEF’s Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Appeal today.

SYRIA

The war in Syria is also taking its greatest toll on the children who live there. Of the two million Syrians who have been forced to flee their homes, half are kids.

Exploding bombs and battle zones have created hell on earth for these youngsters. Because the country’s economy has collapsed, food is scarce and illness is rampant: more than a third of all hospitals in the country have closed. Says UNICEF, “An entire generation of Syrian children is at risk, growing up traumatised. They need shelter, clean water, medicine, food and education.”

That’s where you come in. For just $50, you can help buy clothes, blankets and other essentials for a family that had to leave everything behind when they fled their home. Help keep kids learning by sending $100, which will buy 122 exercise books and 1,818 pencils to maintain schooling for children who have suffered trauma. Whatever amount you can donate, UNICEF will put to good use, providing food, clothing, water, medicine and perhaps most importantly, a safe haven for kids who should be playing with balls, not worrying about bombs.

Donate today to help kids suffering in the Syria crisis. Thank you.

NOTE: We are grateful to UNICEF Australia for sponsoring this post and giving us the chance to tell you about ways you can help children in Syria and the Philippines overcome the trauma of natural disaster and war.

The post Children Slammed by Typhoons, War Need Your Help – Today. appeared first on Big Green Purse.