Movie moves student to raise awareness
By Julie Engel | Argus Observer
Tuesday, March 6, 2007 11:02 AM PST
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| Julie Engel | Argus Observer
Payette High School Student Lea Gathen laughs as she prepares to begin the movie ‘An Inconvenient Truth' for an informational session she organized on global warming. |
Payette - A showing of the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” in a Payette High School physics class led one student to organize an open dialogue about the film and global warming.
Lea Gathen, a 16-year-old exchange student from Germany, said she wanted to share the movie with other high school students and community members. Gathen, though, took it one step further by inviting Treasure Valley Community College instructor Rick Reynolds to lead a discussion afterward.
Gathen held the global warming information session Thursday at the Payette High School auditorium.
The movie “An Inconvenient Truth” chronicles former Vice President Al Gore's research and interest in the issue of global warming from his college days in the 1970s to now. In her introduction to the movie, Gathen said the information presented is only one side of the issue and it is important to research both sides before making a conclusion.
“It concerns everyone,” Gathen said. “It doesn't matter where you live, everyone should think about it.”
Gathen came across the movie after PHS physics teacher Irene Murphy showed it in her class.
For Murphy, physics is how things work, which leaves the class curriculum wide open. The students are now studying energy, and she said she showed the movie in her class to get the students thinking about their future.
Also part of the assignment was to gather articles on global warming to provide a broad range of information, she said.
“I want kids to be aware of issues they will be facing in the future - it's (global warming) one of those issues they need to be aware of,” Murphy said.
The roof at PHS has solar panels, Murphy said, which she obtained last year with a grant. The school has encountered challenges regarding connections with the solar panels, but Murphy said she hopes to have them working soon. Students will also learn about hydrogen fuel cell cars and hydroelectricity, Murphy said, and groups of students will study topics for presentations.
Gathen said her topic is global warming.
“It's a huge problem - they will have to come up with solutions,” Murphy said.
After the movie, Reynolds gave a short presentation and fielded questions from audience members.
Reynolds said he is teaching a new class at TVCC called “Energy, Society and Environment.” There are two sides to every coin, and Reynolds said global warming can be viewed the same way. Even though most scientists agree that humans are the cause of some global warming, Reynolds said it is still unclear just how much humans are to blame.
While individuals can make lifestyle changes to reduce their impact on the environment, Reynolds said the best way to make a sweeping change is to contact legislators because they can truly change the way Americans live.
Reynolds said there will come a time when the world runs out of petroleum reserves - some estimate it will be in about 40 to 50 years.
No Dhimmi wrote on Aug 14, 2009 9:38 PM:
And this isn't "racist," because Islam is not a race, anymore than Communism or Nazism are races, both of which killed far fewer people than Islam.
Disgusting. "