Texas-Sized Lessons in Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Sequel'

An opinion piece by Daniel Cohn, associate professor of the Rice University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, " three cameo appearances by Houston highlight some of the most important take-home messages of Al Gore's new film, 'An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.'"

Houston's 100-year storm—the Memorial Day flood of 2015—is an example of the "deluge" threat of climate threat. Deluge, drought, and melt are the three main threats from climate change represented in the movie, according to Cohn.

Cohn writes the opinion piece to reiterate the movie's points in the face of political opposition from the state's leaders. "The movie's graphic portrayal of damage from global warming refutes Texas' most prominent skeptic, House Science Committee Chair Lamar Smith, who recently proclaimed the 'benefits of a changing climate,'" argues Cohn.

Still, notes Cohn and the movie, each with specific examples, climate leadership is also apparent in Texas. Texas, Cohn expects, will remain "at center stage" of the climate debate much longer than Gore's film will be in theaters.