Although I understand and comprehend the role that Al Gore's movie played in the USA, Gore's work is perhaps best seen as a US phenomenon. It is true that he has been very important in the broader context - not the least due to his primary audience (USA, that is) being responsible for such staggering volumes of material/energy consumption on this planet - but his movie was never really that mental quantum leap on the other side of the pond - at least not here in Sweden. I guess it's related to education: a foul combination of conspiracists-out-of-work and lobbyists-very-much-at-work put the USA somewhat behind the rest of the world, as reflected in the non-signing of the Kyoto protocol. As a business owner, I run an online store here in Sweden through which I sell consumer products. The Age of Stupid hasn't stopped me, but it has put it all - and I mean ALL - in a totally new perspective. I did cry when E.T. flew home in his spaceship - I was 14 at the time - so The Age of Stupid is the second movie ever that has made me cry. We live in a world where economic growth, employment and profits somehow are seen as having a higher priority than planetary/human survival. Somehow, we (at least me) live under the pretext that the human spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation would somehow wither away if we were to reduce, or even stabilize, our planetary load. Furthermore, we have a hard time translating happiness, and its increase, into something that doesn't has to do with consumerism. The Age of Stupid is a documentary that not only made me vegetarian, but it has also fundamentally changed the way I do business. My e-store now contains a consumption warning, explicitly asking my would-be customers NOT to shop - or at least restrict their spending as much as possible. I encourage other business owners to do the same - which of course is a futile and even comical thing to do for those who hasn't seen this film. So make sure as many people as possible get the chance to watch it. Ask your local cinema to put it up, order a DVD and hold private screenings.
Review of The Age of Stupid
