The UNIQUE program at Sacramento State held showings of Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” The film is based on the effects global warming imposes on the environment.

Davis Guggenheim, director of the documentary, focused on Gore’s journey as he educated people about the severity of global warming.

Throughout the film, Gore touched on the perspective scientists have on the world’s climate-change, how politics and economics are associated with global warming and how global warming is largely a human-based creation.

Held in the University Ballroom, the first viewing filled a good portion of the available seating.

Sac State student Gregory Prior, 19, said he learned new information about global warming upon viewing the film.

“I learned a lot. Mostly about the South Pole melting and how the ice in the mountains is causing the heat levels to rise,” he said.

Though Prior attended the showing to fulfill an assignment for his critical thinking class, he said he thinks it’s important for not only students to have knowledge about global warming, but everyone as a whole.

Other students attended showings of the film out of curiosity. Alex Sherry, 18, said he heard of the film and wanted to see it firsthand.

“It brings up a lot of interesting points, there is some stuff I agree with and some that I don’t,” he said.

The panel answered questions the audience had, and allowed the audience to voice its own views on the topic of global warming.

Virginia Matzek, assistant professor of environmental science and member of the panel, shared her thoughts about why global warming should be a concern to college students.

“As college students start to go out into the world and make these decisions (what they eat, what they drive, and how they live) for themselves, they really need to think about the impact they have on the earth,” Matzek said. “You have the ability to change the way your future is like.”

Kristian Diaz, 21, said students who didn’t attend any of the four showings should make an effort to see the film.

“They should watch it, so they can get their own viewpoint on the subject that I think affects everyone,” Diaz said.

The film was also shown last semester, and according to a UNIQUE employee, it received a large amount of support. An estimated 2,800 students attended the four viewings held last school year.

Jose Martinez can be reached at [email protected].