The Unofficial Sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth"

This post, written by Olivia Zaleski, originally appeared on The Huffington Post

Recently I had the opportunity to catch a sneak preview of Leonardo Dicaprio's, The 11th Hour. Said to be the unofficial sequel to An Inconvenient Truth, the film leaves off from an established understanding of environmental crisis and approaches the subsequent solutions humans must undertake to ensure a worthwhile future.

Following typical documentary format, the film reels vivid imagery to commentary from an impressive collection of scientists, political leaders, designers, and visionaries. Pundits range from former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev to sustainable design authority William McDonough. In total, the film features 50 independent voices.

Though The 11th Hour presents a depressing laundry list of statistics, it's not all doom and gloom. The film also highlights humanity's genius and ability to continue growth and innovation with systems that sustain rather than degrade. In an effort to take An Inconvenient Truth to the next level and create action out of awareness, The 11th Hour provides a layman's guide to existing resolutions and developing proposals. The "solution summary" covers all the bases from sustainable design to renewable energy to biomimicry. Such an overview of options is positive -- a welcomed change from the reprimanding voice so often associated with the environmental movement.