The Video that started it all
My invitation at the end of that video for people to either pass it along or share with me where they thought I went wrong opened up a floodgate of debate that I'd never anticipated. Over the months that followed, I combed through tens of thousands of comments about the video, searching for every single objection, question, "How About," "Yeah, But," and "You Missed a Spot," that I could find. Then over the course of a maniacally busy two months, I wrote 70,000 words worth of video scripts, filmed them in my classroom at night while my family slept at home (teaching during the day), and posted them online, hoping to make an impact in the debate. At the time I called it "my magnum opus, my midlife crisis, my nervous breakdown, and my enlightenment experience, all rolled into one." (Yes, it was every bit as enjoyable as it sounds.)
My fundamental reason for doing so was my belief that every one of us in the debate--from hardened skeptic to panicked activist--essentially wants the same things: security, liberty, and meaningful relationships. And that we are all best served by bringing our beliefs about climate change closer to physical reality, through honest, rational discussion, founded on the acknowledgement that any of us might be wrong, and so it is best to build a little bit of "Plan B" into our thinking. Especially when our opinions might come up against the laws of physics. After all, what I believe will happen when I fall out of the 14th story window has no impact on what does happen. Physics trumps belief every time.
So the single ten-minute video "How It All Ends" was intended to replace the original "Most Terrifying Video" by retaining its central idea--that a simple decision grid would help us make a better bet about what (if anything) to do about climate change--while also addressing the biggest hole in the reasoning of that original video. (Appearing as "Giant Mutant Space Hamsters" in "How It All Ends.")
"How It All Ends" then pointed the viewer to an index and menu , giving an overview of the 7-hours of follow-up "expansion pack" videos, which incorporate my answers to every single criticism I could find to "The Most Terrifying Video." In the 2 years since then, I've only come across two criticisms which I hadn't already anticipated and answered in the expansion pack. To date, I have not had anybody get back to me saying that they'd watched all seven hours and still disagreed. (I don't know if that's because I was so convincing, or because those who disagreed just couldn't stand my voice anymore and went away.)
The videos are available online for free, but they can also be purchase all on a single DVD [Buy DVD Now], which is not only more convenient (especially for sharing with others away from an internet connection), but also throws a couple bucks my way. And if you decide to buy the book, then doing so through one of the links on this page [Buy Book now] would help me tremendously, because I receive a small percentage of the order, with no difference in cost to you.
I thought I was done. I wanted to be done, and just go back to being a husband, and a father, and a teacher. But the issue wouldn't leave me alone. A year later, I found I'd written a book.
I'd intended it to just be a re-purposed version of the video scripts. But my perfectionist personality--and the advances in the science since I'd done the "How It All Ends" project--didn't allow that. This time, I solicited the critiques of over 200 leading scientists, economists, authors, and analysts in the climate change debate, and dozens of them obliged me.
If you are at all intrigued by this process of searching for answers through "the wisdom of the crowd," there are three simple things you can do to further it.
1) Register for the newsletter [register here]
Sign up for the newsletter, so that you can keep up with continuing developments in the ideas that started off as a single ten-minute video and evolved into a book, honed by a two-year back-and-forth with the Internet community. I'll let you know of new developments, improved approaches, and additional thinking tools for tackling the most thorny question--of what (if anything) we should do about climate change--that humanity has ever faced.
In addition, I'll toss you fun little "gimmees" as I produce them, from a deal on the upcoming eBook (containing the material that didn't make it into the book), to the secrets of the explosions and puzzles in the "How It All Ends" videos [link], to updates on where the book and the videos (or even me, Greg Craven) are getting featured. Rest assured, I won't share your email address with anyone, and it will be easy to unsubscribe if you ever become discontented with my infrequent mailings.
2) Donate directly, or purchase something through this website [link]
Please consider buying the book [buy book] or the DVD of all the videos [buy DVD] (or both in our Special Edition Signed Copy [buy Special Edition]). Buying them through the links on this site helps me tremendously, because I receive a small percentage of the order, with no difference in cost to you.
Not sure if the book is for you, but you like to help out regardless? Please consider donating a small amount [donate now]. Really, even a buck goes a long way, because if every visitor of this site did this, we could move this project much further. Your financial support not only helps me to pay off some of the Red Bull bills I racked up over the last two years, but also to finance an initiative to build a community web site. The goal of this community web site is to use crowd-sourcing to get as many people as possible engaged in the issue of global warming, breaking out of the confines of the normal "Greenie" crowd, and into the great unengaged majority of soccer moms and NASCAR dads, of the over-busy layperson. Which is, after all, where the war will ultimately be won or lost.
In order for us to seriously change something, we need to gather the greatest community on this planet and allow them to collaborate. Building a web site for this is no easy task and requires several components in place. Having some funding, will speed up the development, so your help is greatly appreciated, even if it is just a dollar or two. [donate now]
3) Forward the video to others
Some people enjoy forwarding things to their friends and family. Others have taken a vow to never do so. But ask yourself "Can I imagine a circumstance which would make it worthwhile to take the tremendously uncomfortable step of spamming my email address book?" Try hard, and I'm sure you can. Then ask yourself, what are the characteristics of that situation that would make it worth it? Does the current risk of the question of global warming--global economic doom or global climate doom, depending on how you look at it--meet those criteria?
If there is ever a time to risk being uncomfortable--to risk maybe putting somebody out with an unsolicited suggestion that they should watch a video--wouldn't it be now, with the whole world being at stake?
So please, forward either "The Most Terrifying Video" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ] or "How It All Ends" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_anaVcCXg] (whichever you prefer) to friends and family. None of us can do everything. Every one of us can do something.
Thank you so much for sincerely considering this.
Sincerely,
Greg Craven
Corvallis, Oregon, USA
