May 24, 2006Science & TechnologyAmericas

An Inconvenient Truth Released

Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into mainstream public consciousness and won the Academy Award.

In 2006, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore released An Inconvenient Truth, a documentary based on his traveling slideshow about climate change. The film presented scientific evidence for global warming in accessible, dramatic terms — melting glaciers, rising seas, intensifying hurricanes — and argued passionately for immediate action. It grossed $50 million worldwide and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the IPCC. The film was criticized by some as alarmist, but its cultural impact was undeniable: it moved climate change from a scientific concern to a mainstream political issue and inspired a generation of climate activists. It remains one of the most influential documentaries ever made.

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