Frontline ‘Heat’ a good primer on causes of climate change and potential solutions

Articles — By forcechange on October 22, 2008 9:24 am

The Frontline special Heat, on PBS, takes an in-depth look at the causes of climate change, the shameful attempts to avoid action and an introduction to some of the possible solutions.  The program can be replayed on PBS’s website anytime. 

While Heat didn’t seem to be breaking any revolutionary ground (given the already widely reported nature of the problem), it does provide a very useful survey of the overall issue.  Many of the topics covered will be familiar to ForceChange readers, including things like the old 1950′s video on global warming, the lobbying of Patrick Moore, and the $25 billion bailout loan to Detroit automakers.

However, many of the topics were new to us, and some were downright shocking.  One particularly poignant segment dealt with a coal fired power plant that is located only blocks away from the US Capitol Building and whose purpose is to supply steam to that building.  Apparently the administrator in charge of this plant attempted in 2000 to convert it to a cleaner burning system.  However, incredibly, his efforts were thwarted by US Senators from coal producing states.  Sen McConnell (R-Ken) and Sen Byrd (D-WVa) took the lead in blocking this measure.  Heat effectively uses this shameful act of politics to provide a powerful illustration of the failure of leadership that the US is currently facing in Washington. 

There were many other segments with similarly powerful messages, ranging from the $7 billion per year we spend on subsidies for ethanol, to the E85 mileage credit boondoggle, to a pitiful incident where a Chevy Volt (which already has commercials on TV) fails to make it up a small hill for a promotional shoot, right in front of the Frontline cameras.  All of which (and more), add up to illustrate our sad state of affairs.

However, Heat is not all doom and gloom.  It does look at potential solutions and the leaders advocating change, such as IPCC chairman Dr. Rajendra Pachauri and, of course, T. Boone Pickens.  All in all, it is not a groundbreaking piece, but is very effective in ringing the alarm on the current situation and alerting us to the forces that will work against change.

How to ForceChange: At a time when both the public and our public leaders are dropping the ball, it is important for everyone to understand the gravity of the problem so that maybe we will wake up and do something about it.  Heat drives home the seriousness and extent of this massive problem we face.