I saw that Al Gore movie this weekend: "An Inconvenient Truth."

I was surprised that, given Gore's reputation as being stiff & boring, the film was so... well, boring in its cinematography. There were a lot of scenes with Al on the phone, Al on the the computer, Al in a car, Al on a plane, Al going through airport security.

Despite the lack of flare in the presentation of his environmental data, I was alarmed by the facts presented. Maybe that was the point, that reality is alarming even without the melodrama. The polar ice caps are melting faster than scientists predicted. You know about all the storms already. We are on the steep rise of exponential growth.

Honestly I felt a little despairing. Can anything I do actually make a difference?

Previously I had considered buying a hybrid car, but decided to just drive the van I have 'til the doors fall off. I talked to the kids about the smaller space of a hybrid and asked them if they thought we could live a bit smaller to live a bit greener. They jumped right on board with the idea.

I already recycle. I certainly don't intend to further contribute to population growth. But those things don't seem to make a difference. It's like trying to hold back the tide with a sandcastle wall. Our country is an embarrassment when it comes to conspicuous, arrogant consumption. And I'm driving a van that gets less than 20mpg.

Is doing something like using different light bulbs too little? Is it too late for hybrids to help?