Syriana thoughts

My review of Syriana will be published tomorrow, but in the meantime, a few stray thoughts and links that didn't fit in it.

First: Go see it. Really.

Second, director Stephen Gaghan is a smart, articulate guy, and gives good interview. Check out this interview on AintItCool. Also worth reading is the transcript of this interview of Robert Baer (the ex-CIA agent whose book See No Evil inspired Gaghan) by Robert Siegel.

Third, several reviewers seem aggravated by the complicated, hard-to-follow plot. They think it reduces the chances of mainstream success, which is probably true, that it reduces the chances that the movie's message about oil will sink in, which may or may not be true, and that it reduces the movie's artistic merit, which is certainly not true.

Gaghan has said he made the plot convoluted and confusing on purpose. It's an artistic choice certain to reduce the movie's popularity, but I think it works. It tosses the viewer into action that seems like it's already ongoing -- like we missed the beginning and it will continue after we're gone, like we're getting a peek into places we're not supposed to see. Several strong and contradictory points of view fly past, making it hard to discern what's really going on, but that's how the world is. Gaghan said:

I would travel around the world, I would meet people, and they would seem so certain of their point of view. Just articulate, brilliant, knowledgeable. An hour later, I would meet somebody articulating the exact opposite position. Brilliantly, nuanced, certain. And it was scary. Scary.

Lots of people don't like to be scared and confused, so I can understand not enjoying the experience, but it's a mistake to think it reflects some sort of failing on Gaghan's part.

Fourth, I would take issue with the conclusion of Oil Drum's Super G:

That man’s got a pair, you gotta give him that

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) delivered a major speech on energy independence today. The setting was a meeting of the National Governors Association -- specifically, the Governors' Ethanol Coalition.

I'll probably have more to say about it in coming days, but for now, I've just reprinted the entire speech below the fold, for your viewing pleasure.

I think it's pretty ballsy. But let me know what you think.

Umbra on green roofs

Dear Umbra, Our garage is in need of a new roof. We would like to build a “living roof” and...

Mostly promise, some peril

Every year, approximately 2 million new houses are built in the U.S. Should these homes be built so as to generate their own electricity cleanly and renewably? Or should these homes require new grid and dirty-power plant investments, paid for by all ratepayers?

Installing solar systems when homes are built makes sense for several reasons:

• Installation is cheaper when building a new home than retrofitting an old one;
• the cost can be wrapped into the mortgage -- the best kind of financing;
• it's easier to integrate into building components -- with the potential for better aesthetics;
• if solar were incorporated at a large scale, utilities could make the appropriate adjustments to the grid, saving all ratepayers some money.

Which is why the announcement that the City of Roseville is requiring solar on 10-20% of new housing starts is such good news.

Beaver Theodosakis, founder of prAna, answers questionsBeaver Theodosakis, founder of prAna, answers

Beaver Theodosakis. What work do you do? I’m founder and president of prAna. What does your business do? prAna’s core...

You Taint Seen Nothing Yet

Fans and foes of gene-modified crops square off over biotech pollution Folks who want their vittles straight up with no...

A green gift-giving guide for all the folks on your holiday list

Are you the type who puts off holiday shopping until the last minute, makes a guilt-ridden and miserable foray to...

SUVs are about perceived safety, not actual safety

Just noted: this abstract from an article (pdf) in the journal Crime, Media, and Culture:

Driven to extremes: Fear of crime and the rise of the sport utility vehicle in the United States

During the mid-1980s, the sport utility vehicle (SUV) emerged as one of the most popular automobiles in the United States, a trend that continued throughout the 1990s ... Situating the SUV in the context of fear of crime and risk management during the 1980s and 1990s, it is suggested that the SUV's popularity reflects American attitudes toward crime, random violence, and the importance of defended personal space. While consumer attraction to the SUV is typically attributed to two key features -- safety and interior space -- these pragmatic justifications may be viewed as euphemistic. Safety is not road safety but personal safety. Space is not interior cargo space but social space, including the privileged ability to traverse inhospitable terrain to remove oneself from society. (Emphasis added.)

This seems somewhat right to me. SUVs aren't particularly safe vehicles to drive. But they feel safe, at least to some drivers. And that mostly has to do with being large and imposing -- or, essentially, with being perceived as a menace. Managing other people's perceptions might be important if the threat is strangers who mean to do you harm. But it's irrelevant -- or, more accurately, dangerous -- if the threat is flipping upside down at 60 mph.

Which makes me wonder if there's any way to convince people that being safe is actually more important than feeling safe. Sometimes I doubt it.

Japanese dolphins on Primetime

If you found my post about the plight of dolphins in Japan interesting upsetting, ABC News' Primetime will be covering the issue this Thursday:

[T]he popularity of dolphin parks is booming, with visitors lining up to get up close and personal with the adorable animals. But a "Primetime" investigation finds that there's a dark side to the dolphin park industry.

For more information, read the press release from the Earth Island Institute.