Well, my step-father of 25 years actually. My
father still needs a bit of convincing about it.
Anyway, if you read my diaries or Daddy, Papa and Me blog, you'll know my schtick is that the personal is political and vice versa.
This personal story of how a movie affected one moderate-Republican-turned-moderate-Democrat man is quite something.
Let me set it up...
My step father has been planning on
the uber-luxury Lexus 460h sedan for nearly two years and ordered it recently. He's been salivating over it. With additions, the price tag was around 70k. Though a hybrid, it's an 8 cylinder car with a gas mileage of only around 22-24 mpg. He's been dreaming of this car as his (well-deserved) luxury during retirement.
Then an inconvenient truth intervened.
He and my mother went to see the movie, An Inconvenient Truth. As my mother tells it, they both were quite overwhelmed by it, but the impact on him was particularly amazing.
He walked out of the theater, turned to my mother and said:
"I'm canceling my Lexus order tomorrow morning"
And he did. Instead he ended up buying just a couple weeks ago a new Toyota Camry hybrid that gets 40mpg and cost 30k with add ons.
He saved 40k
It's not all he has done, they also got rid of their hot tub (a huge electricity hog), changing light bulbs to compact florescents as the others burn out, and many more similar things around the house.
But he didn't stop there. No, he went much further. He and my mother, between the two of them have seven (yes, 7) adult children. He decided to make them all an offer. If they fulfilled the following two conditions:
1. See the movie
2. Buy a car with a minimum of an EPA rating of 35mpg within the next four years
They will contribute 5,000 dollars towards the purchase of the car. He wrote it all down in a letter to us and even included all the cars that meet the criteria being sold today.
All seven children have or are planning to take him up on the offer (we plan to in two years when our Passat is paid for :).
But, if you thought the story ended there, you'd be wrong ;).
You see, my partners parents went to go see the movie a couple weeks ago on our recommendation. They had heard of my step-father's offer to his kids too.
The day after they saw the movie, they were also so moved by it, they decided to make the same offer to their four adult children: 5,000 dollars if they buy a minimum 35mpg car. They decided not to buy a few things to make good on the offer.
This works for us, with our trade-in in two years, federal rebate (if it still exists) and 10,000 from parents.. we'll be buying a nice hybrid at a low price :).
But more than anything, it tells an amazing tale about how this movie is having an profound affect on those who have seen it, even.. and especially... the generation of our 70 and 82 year old fathers...the hero of this story is Al Gore and the movie
This movie has moved them to leave an amazing gift for the next generation (and I'm not talking about cars).