Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb. If the vast majority of the world's scientists are right, we have just ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction involving extreme weather, floods, droughts, epidemics and killer heat waves beyond anything we have ever experienced.

If that sounds like a recipe for serious gloom and doom -- think again. From director Davis Guggenheim comes the Sundance Film Festival hit, An Inconvenient Truth, which offers a passionate and inspirational look at one man's fervent crusade to halt global warming's deadly progress in its tracks by exposing the myths and misconceptions that surround it.

That man is former Vice President Al Gore, who, in the wake of defeat in the 2000 election, re-set the course of his life to focus on a last-ditch, all-out effort to help save the planet from irrevocable change. In this eye-opening and poignant portrait of Gore and his "traveling global warming show," Gore also proves himself to be one of the most misunderstood characters in modern American public life. Here he is seen as never before in the media — funny, engaging, open and downright on fire about getting the surprisingly stirring truth about what he calls our "planetary emergency" out to ordinary citizens before it's too late.

With 2005, the worst storm season ever experienced in America just behind us, it seems we may be reaching a tipping point - and Gore pulls no punches in explaining the dire situation. Interspersed with the bracing facts and future predictions is the story of Gore's personal journey: from an idealistic college student who first saw a massive environmental crisis looming; to a young Senator facing a harrowing family tragedy that altered his perspective, to the man who almost became President but instead returned to the most important cause of his life — convinced that there is still time to make a difference.

With wit, smarts and hope, An Inconvenient Truth ultimately brings home Gore's persuasive argument that we can no longer afford to view global warming as a political issue - rather, it is the biggest moral challenges facing our global civilization.

The DVD is packaged to make the smallest possible environmental footprint — it is made of 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, no excess materials, and absolutely no plastics. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this DVD will benefit the bipartisan climate effort, The Alliance for Climate Protection.

Also included on the DVD are special features including:

• 30-minute introduction by Mr. Gore, with updated information
• "The Making of An Inconvenient Truth"
• Music video by Melissa Etheridge: "I Need to Wake Up"
• Commentary by Director Davis Guggenheim
• Commentary by Producers Lawrence Bender, Laurie David, Lesley Chilcott and Scott Z. Burns

Paramount Classics and Participant Productions present a film directed by Davis Guggenheim, An Inconvenient Truth. Featuring Al Gore, the film is produced by Laurie David, Lawrence Bender and Scott Z. Burns. Jeff Skoll and Davis Guggenheim are the executive producers and the co-producer is Leslie Chilcott.

Praise

As Roger Ebert wrote, "In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film."

Larry King called it "One of the most important films ever" and Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com wrote, "It doesn't matter whether you're a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative... your mind will be changed in a nanosecond."