Cool It is a documentary about climate change. But before this sends anyone who has ever listened to five minutes of talkback radio running for the slowly-rising ocean, be aware that this is a doco with a difference. Here there are no doomsayers; no scare tactics; just one man and his quarter-trillion dollar plan to fix not only climate change, but many of the world's most urgent issues.This one man is Bjorn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and world betterment maverick. His unique approach to the issue of global warming, in which he shoots down almost every public policy on the issue in preference of rationality, has earnt him equal parts admirers and demonisers. The film excels in its biting criticism of the Western and developing world's approach to the problem. Lomborg doesn't argue that we aren't doing any good, but rather that we are not maximising our return on the social good generated per dollar spent. He deconstructs and demolishes projects like 'Earth Hour' and the 'cap and trade' scheme (similar in nature to Australia's freshly-implemented carbon tax) with an engaging tone that makes sense to even the most apolitical viewer.Given the film's subject matter, it is only a matter of time before the inevitable comparisons to An Inconvenient Truth arise. Here, Lomborg, with the help of articulate talking heads from all over the world, picks apart the 'blatant scare tactics' used by Gore in a manner that is, if nothing else, an intriguing exposition on the behind-the-scenes agendas of documentary filmmaking.The final third, in which Lomborg recruits scientists to justify the mechanics of his plan, can be occasionally hard to swallow, particularly if one's knowledge of physics ended on the last day of Year Nine. And yet, this late onslaught of high-level science only lightly sours what is a wholeheartedly thoughtful experience. *There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on [email protected] and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.**

I've read that polar icecaps are unusual in the history of planet earth. I've read that the polar sea wasn't frozen a few million years ago (a short period of time geologically speaking) and I've read that Antarctica had lush forests and fauna just a few million years ago, and that lost ecosystem is now buried under miles of ice. And even more worrisome would be if a large volcano where to erupt and block the sun for a year or more. We would really want as much global warming as possible in that case. Further I read that when the earth gets colder and has polar ice caps that the weather is much more volatile and extreme. And except for the past couple of hundred years the earth was drifting deeper into a polar ice period with temperatures getting colder and colder. This sounds awful. By sheer dumb luck, man is making the earth warmer. And perhaps better than ever.I also wonder if scientists are given grants based on the "scariness" of their investigations. Perhaps scientists are more likely to get grant money if their predictions are dire.I also read that farm land become more productive the warmer it becomes.With these notions above in mind, I was a global change skeptic of sorts. Then I watch this film and my skepticism has hardened considerably. I now I pity/fear/despair anyone that carries on about carbon footprints, global warming or polar bears. And to watch giant corporations engage in fear mongering about global warming is truly alarming.If you like to talk about this subject, no matter what your position is on global warming, you need to understand the ideas in this film to avoid looking stupid.

Like Inconvenient Truth, this documentary (and it is a very good documentary) should be watched if you wish to empower yourself with additional information on the whole climate change debate. Lomborg believes in global warming, so much so that he is advocating that we do something about it. The difference between his proposals and those of the alarmists and fear-mongers is that he is questioning the current high costs for carbon reduction (and as usual the political protection of big corporations) that result in very little benefit to the planet. Instead he presents scientists who are already tackling the same problem (of global warming) but in different, non-mainstream ways that could also improve health, education, reduce poverty and enable a better way of life for people on the planet. So why should people decry this documentary when all he's asking is for us to consider alternatives that may be more efficient but potentially less profitable for the folks protecting the status quo? Remember, we only need to protect Earth for humans to survive and thrive on it, otherwise the planet will take care of itself as it has been doing for millions of years. Even if Earth's environment becomes that of Mars, Earth would adapt and continue. It's mankind that will disappear. What Lomborg is asking all of us to do is to think of and support alternative solutions that are practical without bankrupting mankind (thus stopping anything from being done in the first place because of the high costs). If putting solar panels on your house while painting your exterior walls and roof white COULD cost no more than what you would pay for cable TV in one year and it helped reduce your dependence on fossil fuels by cutting your energy bill as well as cooled the planet, wouldn't this be worth doing and writing to your congress representative for? As he points out, turning your lights off for one hour per year and lighting candles so that you can see in the dark does not affect climate change whatsoever. In fact, your candles are probably making it worse. Change your tactics: Do good that really makes a difference (follow the money and the data) rather than do good that's only a facade (skin deep).

Not rating the documentary here, which is pretty standard anyway, but the man himself. He thinks he is so smart, but his conclusions and reasoning is terribly flawed and simplified,but what took me over the edge is him going to Nigeria and showing how he is distributing food and helping out. And asking the kids what do they want, yeah, education, cars.... as we had to choose between spending money in that or averting global warming, how incredibly simple isn't it. And the irony is that Nigeria is feeding us with oil while leaving their population in misery. Disgusting. All I can say, disgusting. This man disgusts me like no one has in a long time. I really hope his dangerous message doesn't get across.