August 13, 2007
Fabulous Finds: "Soleful" PurposeIt's Definitely THE 11th HOUR
by Terena Thyne
Being a journalist certainly has its perks, like being invited to an advance screening of Leonardo DeCaprio’s new documentary film, THE 11TH HOUR, which premiers in theaters at the end of this week.
I was particularly motivated to see this film because, even before Al Gore’s, An Inconvenient Truth, I saw firsthand the effects of global warming. In 1999, I was on a trip to the Maldives and I was shocked to see that the colorful coral reefs I saw in the hotel’s brochures had been bleached to a dull grey because the ocean’s temperature rose just two degrees.
Leonardo DiCaprio has been at the forefront of Hollywood’s ‘green’ movement for years and single handedly made it cool to drive a Prius. Having continued to use his star power for the betterment of society, Leo produced and co-wrote THE 11TH HOUR (which he also narrates), along with sisters Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners, who co-wrote and directed the film.
THE 11TH HOUR explores how humans have arrived at the tipping point that we
now face – the last possible moment that we can no longer continue on our current course of destruction and depletion of our environment. By enlisting intellectual heavyweights and experts from various fields, who present facts and outline possible solutions, THE 11TH HOUR seeks to educate viewers and hopefully inspire them to create change.
Consider the list below a “starter kit” for taking matters into your own hands, courtesy of Leo and company.
• Unscrew your incandescent bulb and replace it with a florescent bulb that uses 75 percent less electricity, lasts 10 times longer, produces 450 pounds fewer greenhouse gases from power plants and saves consumers $30 over the life of each bulb versus an incandescent light.
• Use canvas shopping bags - It doesn’t have to say “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” to be effective!
• Refill a sports bottle and stop using unlimited numbers of water bottles.
• Use bamboo wood – the earth’s most sustainable wood – for cabinets and flooring.
• Carpool, take public transit, telecommute, walk or ride a bike.
• If you have to drive, drive smart: accelerate gradually and obey the speed limit; use cruise control on the highway; combine your errands into one trip; keep your car tuned and support the 
Smog Check program; don’t top off at the gas pump; replace your car’s air filter regularly; keep your tires properly inflated; and finally, make your next car a fuel efficient, low pollution model or even a zero-polluting electric car!
And, by all means, go see the movie!
Photos courtesy of Chuck Castleberry © 2007 Eleventeen Productions, LLC. THE 11th HOUR is a Warner Independent Pictures release.
