Al Gore Returns To The Spotlight With New Climate Change Film

>>> AMERICA FIRST. THAT INCLUDES A PROMISE TO
CANCEL BILLIONS IN CLIMATE CHANGE SPENDING.
>> OUR PLAN WILL END THE EPA. >> THE NEXT GENERATION WOULD BE
JUSTIFIED IN LOOKING BACK AT US AND ASKING WHAT WERE YOU
THINKING, COULDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT THE SCIENTISTS WERE SAYING?
COULDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT MOTHER NATURE WAS SCREAMING AT YOU?
>> POWERFUL STUFF. THAT WAS PART OF THE TRAILER FOR
THE NEW FILM "AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER," A
FOLLOW-UP TO THE DOCUMENTARY "AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH."
A DECADE LATER AND SIX MONTHS INTO THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY WE
HAVE WITNESSED A RETREAT IN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ON CLIMATE
CHANGE, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT'S DECISION TO LEAVE
THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT. JOINED NOW BY THE DIRECTORS OF
THE NEW FILM. I WANT TO PLAY A CLIP OF THE
FILM THAT SHOWS HOW LOCAL POLITICS ARE LEADING THE WAY TO
A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY. LET'S WATCH THAT, GUYS.
>> HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?
>> I HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR TWO YEARS.
>> CURRENTLY WE'RE 90% RENEWABLE ENERGY AND WHEN WE GO TO 100%
RENEWABLE WE'LL BE THE LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY THAT'S REAL
ENERGY AT 100%. >> I ASSUME THAT THE REASON YOU
DID THIS IS BECAUSE YOU'RE RABID ENVIRONMENTALISTS.
>> WELL, NOT EXACTLY. THE REDDEST CITY IN THE REDDEST
COUNTY IN TEXAS AND I'M A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN, BUT OUR
DUTY TO OUR RATE PAYERS IS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE LOWEST
POSSIBLE UTILITY COSTS. >> MONEY TALKS.
>> WOULDN'T IT MAKE SENSE, THE LESS STUFF YOU PUT IN THE AIR,
THE BETTER IT IS? >> YEAH.
>> I MEAN, COMMON SENSE. YOU DON'T NEED SCIENTISTS TO
DEBATE. >> CAN I USE THAT LINE?
>> YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN. >> I THINK I'VE HEARD THE FORMER
VICE PRESIDENT SAY THAT. I'D IMAGINE, BONNIE, THIS IS
GOING TO BE A HOPEFUL FILM, YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO THE PARIS
CLIMATE AGREEMENT, A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA AND THE WORLD, AND THEN A GUY NAMED DONALD
TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAPPENED.
HOW'D THAT CHANGE THINGS FOR YOU GUYS?
>> YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE TO ADDRESS IT, BECAUSE THE FILM
REALLY SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN PARIS AND THE REAL DRAMATIC HEAD
OF THE FILM IS ABOUT THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORDS AND ALL OF US
AGREEING TO IT AND FOR THE FIRST TIME COMING TOGETHER AND
AGREEING TO GET THE CARBON NEUTRALITY BY A CERTAIN POINT AT
THE END OF THE CENTURY. VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS THAT
TOOK A HUGE AMOUNT OF EFFORT, SO, OF COURSE, WHEN TRUMP PULLED
OUT, IT WAS TREMENDOUSLY DEVASTATING.
WE HAD TO ADDRESS IT. WE ADDRESSED IT AT THE END OF
THE FILM BY ACKNOWLEDGING IT, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT WE
ALSO SEARCH TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE INCREDIBLE WORK WE'RE
CONTINUING TO DO IN THE UNITED STATES ON A LOCAL AND STATE
LEVEL. YOU SEE THIS MAYOR, MAYORS,
GOVERNORS, ORDINARY AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE STANDING UP AND
STOOD UP IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP'S PULLOUT, WHICH WAS REALLY
EXCITING FOR US TO SEE. >> YEAH, I'VE SEEN FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT'S GORE'S SLIDE SHOW, CONTINUES TO CHANGE OVER THE
PAST TEN YEARS SINCE "THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH" FIRST CAME
UP, AS CONSENSUS BUILDS AROUND THIS ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE,
PARTICULARLY STRIKING MOMENT IS WHEN EVERYBODY'S NAY SAYING THE
IDEA THAT LOWER MANHATTAN, WORLD TRADE CENTER CAN'T BE FLOODED,
THEN BOOM, SUPERSTORM SANDY HAPPENS AND THAT EXACT EVENT
OCCURS. WITH EVERYBODY AGREEING AROUND
THE WORLD NOW THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS AN URGENT THREAT,
OTHER THAN, I GUESS, THE PERSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE, IS THERE AN
AUDIENCE OF ONE FOR THIS FILM? >> YOU KNOW, THIS FILM IS REALLY
AMAZING IN THAT YOU SEE JUST HOW BAD THE CLIMATE CRISIS HAS
GOTTEN. EVERYBODY AROUND THE WORLD HAS
RECOGNIZED THAT. IN FACT, A LOT OF THE FILM IS
MADE UP OF USER GENERATED VIDEOS OF PEOPLE NOTICING THINGS IN
THEIR OWN BACKYARD. STORMS GETTING BIGGER, SEA
LEVELS RISING, DROUGHTS ARE MORE INTENSE, BUT THE SURPRISING
THING FOR BONNI AND ME AND WHAT MAKES IT HOPEFUL FOR PEOPLE WHO
KNOW THIS ISSUE IS JUST HOW CLOSE WE ARE WITH RENEWABLE
ENERGY. THE COST OF SOLAR AND WIND AND
HOW IT'S GOTTEN TO BE A REAL CHOICE.
IN FACT, IT'S NOW AS CHEAP, IF NOT CHEAPER TO GET YOUR ENERGY
FROM SOLAR AND WIND AS FROM COAL.
>> NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT AND ADMIT THAT AND
HAVE TO LOOK FOR NEW JOBS IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY.
BONNI, PART OF THE FILM IS THIS MOMENT WHEN AL GORE GOES AND
SEES DONALD TRUMP IN TRUMP TOWER DURING THE TRANSITION, AND YOU
GUYS ARE THERE AS HE GOES UP, AND THEN AS HE COMES DOWN.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT ROOM? WHAT DID THEY TALK ABOUT?
>> YOU KNOW, AL GORE IS, HAVING BEEN THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, HE TAKES HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SITTING
PRESIDENTS VERY SERIOUSLY. HE KEEPS HIS CONVERSATIONS
CONFIDENTIAL, BUT AFTERWARDS HE DID TELL US THAT, YOU KNOW, HE
CAME OUT FEELING SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC THAT MAYBE THERE WAS
ABOUT A 50/50 CHANCE THAT DONALD TRUMP WOULD STAY IN PARIS,
THOUGHT WE HAD MADE SOME HEADWAY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS
AL LIKES TO PUT IT, HE DID NOT COME TO HIS SENSES ABOUT IT.
>> YEAH, WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WHAT HAPPENS IN THE UNITED
STATES? YOU TALK ABOUT THIS, WE SAW THE
CLIP OF THE MAYOR IN TEXAS. CAN THE UNITED STATES STILL MEET
THE GOALS OF THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT WITHOUT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT LEADING THE WAY, JOHN?
>> ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, IN THIS FILM, I THINK
AUDIENCES WILL BE SURPRISED. YOU'RE MEETING A POST-POLITICAL
AL GORE. HE'S NOT INVOLVED IN POLITICS
ANYMORE AND CLIMATE CHANGE IS BECOMING A NONPOLITICAL ISSUE IN
OUR COUNTRY. MOST AMERICANS AGREE SOMETHING
SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND WE HAVE THE SOLUTION,
SO, YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED AFTER TRUMP MADE THIS
PARIS ANNOUNCEMENT. YOU SAW MAYORS, YOU KNOW, CEOs
OF COMPANIES, GOVERNORS, THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA, THE
GOVERNOR OF HAWAII AND MANY OTHER STATES HAVE STEPPED UP AND
SAID WAIT A MINUTE, WE DISAGREE WITH OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON
THIS ISSUE. WE WANT TO STAY IN THE PARIS
ACCORD BECAUSE IT HELPS OUR ECONOMY AND HELPS, BY THE WAY,
SAVE THE FUTURE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION ON PLANET EARTH.
>> IS THERE SOMETHING AL GORE COULD HAVE SAID DIFFERENTLY THAT
DONALD TRUMP COULD HAVE DONE TO REMAIN IN THE PARIS CLIMATE
AGREEMENT AND STILL MET THE GOALS OF HIS BASE, THE PEOPLE
THAT ELECTED HIM, THAT WANTED HIM TO PULL OUT OF THIS THING?
>> YOU'LL HAVE TO TALK TO AL GORE ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT WE CAN
GLEAN FROM THE CONVERSATIONS, HE SPENT MORE THAN ONE MEETING
SESSION WITH DONALD TRUMP TALKING ABOUT THE PARIS ACCORD
AND ALL THE COMPLICATED REASONS WHY WE SHOULD STAY IN IT.
AND I THINK HE REALLY FEELS LIKE HE GAVE IT EVERYTHING HE HAD AND
THERE WAS NO SENSE OF HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS GOING TO
RESPOND. >> I HAVE TO SAY, IT'S AN
ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING FILM, NOT JUST BECAUSE IT BRINGS THE LAST
TEN YEARS INTO FOCUS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT'S AN INSIDE LOOK AT
ULTIMATELY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THIS MAN BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES AND THESE TEN YEARS OF HARD WORK WERE CALLED
INTO QUESTION. YOU DO A GREAT JOB.
I RECOMMEND EVERYBODY SEE IT, YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT NOW IN SOME
CITIES ACROSS AMERICA, OPENS

Al Gore Returns To The Spotlight With New Climate Change Film | MSNBC

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