ARCS, Chapter 2

The chapter mentions global warming as an effective example of kairos at work; I couldn't agree more. No one was a greater champion of global warming than Al Gore, whose 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth won two academy awards that year.

His efforts would have went largely unnoticed if he decided to release such a documentary a decade earlier; but the natural disasters of the years leading up to its release found a more receptive audience. The 2004 disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow detailed a fantastical account of the effects of global warming on the world, and not only drew attention to the issue of global warming, but became the highest grossing movie ever filmed in Canada. Additionally, between the tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the viewing public became open to the idea of global warming as a cause of natural disasters around the world--this lead to an increased awareness in America and other developed nations, as well as lifestyle changes to match. This is a perfect example of a successful use of kairos. Al Gore's message continues to flourish, while perhaps in an earlier time, he would be dismissed as a fanatic (not that some have not tried to do so, a la George Bush).

Al Gore communicates the immediacy of the issue by choosing to detail exactly where the world will be in as soon as 50 years. Due to important documents, such as the Kyoto Protocol, remaining unsigned,  pollution will continue to skyrocket, and glaciers in several national parks will cease to exist in as soon as ten years.

ARCS mentions the consideration of interests, which is one of the most important factors working against the Kyoto Protocol at the moment. Republicans and corporations represent a particular interest; since cutting back on emissions will affect the cost-effectiveness of several businesses, and limit several elements of "free-market." Al Gore, as a Democrat, represents the interest of his party and of his personal views, with many viewers interpreting his delivery on the subject to be a power-play for future attempts at office. I represent a certain interest in deciding to choosing to write about this topic, and my subtle bias against the views of corporations reveals my inclination toward Leftist politics. Each individual interest affects the arguments we make for or against Al Gore's film, and other such topics of controversy in America.