Another Inconvenient Truth

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Back on Wed., May 10, 2006, I posted, “Matthew and Michael Paul Astorga,” a piece about how I had a chance encounter with events involving Michael Astorga, the man alleged to have killed Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriff James McGrane Jr. on Mar. 22, 2006.

A channel 7 KOAT-TV News photographer had videotaped me, below left, standing over a spent shell casing at the scene.

After the fatal balloon accident Mon., Oct. 08, 2007, KOAT-TV reported on previous deadly balloon accidents. They ran archived footage of the 1982 El Globo Grande balloon accident that killed four and injured five people. I had flown that day, landed and while packing up my balloon, saw the El Globo Grande rising, while on fire, over the North Valley.

I followed the balloon that eventually settled into the Rio Grande. I joined a number of other balloonists, crewmembers and citizens in trying to recover the balloon. I had indirectly gone into “cop mode” and took charge. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s brought in their airboat and we attempted to get the waterlogged fabric into the vessel. Because of the amount of water in the balloon and the way we put the fabric in the boat, there was no way for the water to escape. I cut panels of fabric to let the water out. I told a local Federal Aviation Administration field office inspector of what had been done to recover the balloon.

A channel 7 KOAT-TV News photographer had videotaped me, above right, standing in the river struggling with the balloon.

At times I feel that I am experiencing, “Forrest Gump moments,” having been at events that later are viewed as historic and it seems that my images end up in the TV memory banks.

I am seen from my backside and metaphorically, it might be prophetic. I am perceived by some as being an ass for pointing out facts that some wish would remain hidden. To that, I plead, “Guilty!” However, that maybe is just what former Vice-President Al Gore calls "An Inconvenient Truth."

So what’s wrong with this picture?

There are some things that need to be said.

"An Inconvenient Truth" is the name of his Academy Award winning documentary film. Gore, along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 12.

The premise of Gore’s message is that man is adding to global warming and that if not checked it, will have an irreversible affect on the world.

Mayor Martin Chávez has adopted Gore’s philosophy and wants to make Albuquerque a city that does not add to climate change. He has taken strides within the government to adopt energy policies, such as using natural gas and purchasing hybrid vehicles.

Now it seems that Chávez’ plans include indoctrinating city employees with Gore’s ideas. All 6,500 employees are being mandated to see the film. The first groups had to spend upwards of four hours sitting through lectures and the entire film, according to a city source who shall remain anonymous to keep them from being retaliated against.

Once questions about the propriety of showing a film with a political theme were raised, city leaders changed the curriculum. In a Journal story, Director of Human Resources Patricia Miller said that the film had been edited to show only the “scientific portions.”

"Overall, the response has been good," Miller told the Journal’s city hall reporter Dan McKay. That’s not what I hear city workers think.

Though the Bush administration has not been quick to embrace Gore’s premise, the scientific evidence has overtaken the political ideology.

That’s the point. Not everyone agrees as to what is the extent of the problem.

Natural warming has been going on for centuries, proof is seen in Glacier National Park, where the ice has been receding this geological cycle. It is difficult to say where natural warming ends and man made heating overtakes it.

Chávez is pushing Gore’s political ideology on civil servants who are required to remain non-partisan.