Are we doing the right thing to combat climate change? Author Bjorn Lomberg has some ideas that may cause people to rethink how the world is tackling the issue of global warming. Lomberg's 2007 best-selling book, "Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming," is the subject of a new documentary film of the same name.
As a benefit for the Wood River Middle School technology lab and sixth-grade environmental camp, "Cool It" will be screened at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey on Sunday, Nov. 21. Tickets are $15, available at the door. The film's executive producer, Ralph Winter, and its producer and writer, Terry Botwick, will be present and will hold a Q&A after the film.
"Cool It" had a limited release across the nation on Friday, Nov. 12. Winter and Botwick are bringing the film to the valley with the assistance of Company of Fools' board member and valley resident Jack Bariteau. Botwick is the managing principal partner of 1019 Films, and served as president of Vanguard Films & Animation. Winter, a veteran producer, is also a principal partner of 1019 and has produced "X-Men," "Fantastic Four" and the "Star Trek" series.
"The movie follows Bjorn Lomberg's career and brings his messages to the forefront and all the initiatives that have been done," Bariteau said. "He focuses on the amount of money estimated to be spent worldwide for the different initiatives, such as buying a Prius versus a regular car or changing to fluorescent light bulbs from incandescent bulbs."
"Cool It" contends that these initiatives do little to solve global warming and the billions of dollars spent on them could be used on energy research toward a solution.
"He is a cost-benefit-analysis kind of guy," Bariteau said. "He comes up with solutions."
"Cool It" also takes a stab at some of the ideas in Al Gore's Oscar Award-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth," and points out inaccuracies.
"'Cool It' includes interviews with Nobel laureates, economists and scientists," Bariteau said. "You will see the counterpoint."
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
'Cool It'
What: "Cool It" documentary film.
Where: Liberty Theatre in Hailey.
When: Sunday, Nov. 21, at 3 p.m. Q&A discussion will take place with film producers.
Cost: $15 tickets—available at the door.
The documentary film “Cool It” is based on the book of the same name and lectures by Bjorn Lomborg. It will be screened at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey on Sunday, Nov. 21. Photo by
