An Inconvenient Truth

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An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It　＜AL GORE＞

ちょうど読んでいる最中に、ゴア氏のノーベル賞のニュースが入ってきたのには驚いた。
正確性などの部分で今なお物議を醸している面はあるが、そんな細かいことを抜かして、大事な本。そして歴史的な本であることは間違いない。 今更？という感じかもしれないが、こういう大事な本は原著で読みたいと思い、購入。
GORE氏の

We have everything we need to begin solving this crisis, with the possible exception of the will to act. But in America, our will to take action is itself a renewable resource.

という言葉から始まり、 軍人OMAR BRADLEYの

It is time that we steered by the stars, not by the lights of each passing ship.

という言葉で終わる。 この最後の短いフレーズがなんとも深い。 本を読み終えた上で、各自が真の意味を解釈すべきだろう。 多くの美しい写真が載っているが、この美しさによって逆にまざまざと「地球」ついて考えさせられる。 説明は簡潔に、ふんだんにチャートを用いてあって、誰にでも分かるように書かれている。 この本は世界中の多くの人に読んで欲しい本ではなく、地球に住む人間が読まなければならない本だと思う。

以下、印象の強かったフレーズをいくつか pick up したいと思う。何を意味している言葉なのか、各自が写真を見て、チャートを見て、感じて欲しい。どれも当たり前のようで、大事なこと。

P100,101
The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.

P196,197
The maps of the world will have to be redrawn.

P209
Is it possible that we should prepare for other serious threats in addition to terrorism? Maybe it's time to focus on other dangers as well.

P214
We are witnessing an unprecedented and massive collision between our civilization and the Earth.

P254
And the first problem in the way we think about the climate crisis is that it seems easier not to think about it at all. One reason it doesn't consistently demand our attention can be illustrated be the classic story about an old science experiment involving a frog that jumps into a pot of boiling water and immediately jumps out again because it instantly recognizas the danger. The same frog, finding itself in a pot of lukewarm water that is being slowly brought to a boil, will simply stay in the water―in spite ofthe danger― until it is…rescued.

P266,267
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.

P286
The truth about the climate crisis is an inconvenient one that means we are going to have to change the way we live our lives.

P300
It is our time to rise again to secure our future.

P319
Be a catalyst for change.