Last month, we gathered to watch An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, Al Gore’s 2017 follow-up to the landmark documentary that helped bring climate change into mainstream conversation. The afternoon sparked some great discussion, and we wanted to share a recap for those who couldn’t make it — and connect the film’s message to what’s at stake in our elections this November.
What the Film Is About
An Inconvenient Sequel picks up a decade after the original An Inconvenient Truth, and the opening message is both sobering and energizing: the scientists were right. The predictions Gore made in 2006 — more intense storms, rising seas, melting ice sheets, record temperatures — have come true, often faster than projected. Temperatures are rising, storms and disasters are getting worse, ice shelves are melting, and cities like Miami are flooding. Common Sense Media
But the film isn’t a doom-and-gloom exercise. It documents how the crisis has become more severe, but also highlights the many solutions at hand — clean energy is replacing dirty fossil fuels in more and more places around the world. The Climate Reality Project Gore travels the globe training a new generation of climate leaders, and the film’s climax centers on the hard-fought diplomatic work that led to the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 — a moment of genuine international cooperation that felt, however briefly, like turning a corner.
The film also has an uncomfortable coda: it ends with images of the first acts of Donald Trump’s administration, including the United States exiting the Paris Climate Agreement — a pattern that repeated itself again in early 2025 when the newly installed Trump second administration once again abandoned the Paris Agreement. Citizens’ Platform What felt like a dark epilogue in 2017 turned out to be a preview.
A Key Message: If Leaders Won’t Lead, Citizens Must
One of the film’s most enduring themes is captured in its subtitle — Truth to Power. The film is essentially a call to activism, with the slogan: “If our leaders refuse to lead, our citizens will.” Rotten Tomatoes That message feels more urgent than ever heading into 2026.
A recent poll conducted in January 2026 found that 93% of Montana Democrats, 82% of Independents, and even 55% of Republicans say they are concerned about climate change. Daily Montanan That’s a majority across the political spectrum — which means this isn’t just a partisan issue. It’s a Montana issue.
And yet, a vast majority of Montana voters oppose elected officials voting to roll back environmental protections and resource management policies on public lands. Daily Montanan The gap between what voters want and what many of our elected officials are actually doing has never been wider.
Why 2026 Elections Matter
In November, Montanans will elect all 100 state representatives, 25 state senators, two members of the Public Service Commission, both members of Congress, a U.S. Senator, and a Montana Supreme Court justice, among many other local offices. Daily Montanan That’s an enormous ballot with enormous consequences for our environment.
The Public Service Commission races deserve special attention — the PSC regulates utilities and plays a direct role in whether Montana invests in clean energy or doubles down on fossil fuels. A majority of Montana voters — including 51% of Republicans and 93% of Democrats — say America should prioritize expanding clean, renewable energy to meet the nation’s energy needs. Daily Montanan The PSC is where that preference becomes — or doesn’t become — reality.
At the federal level, Rep. Ryan Zinke on the western side of the state has drawn a robust field of Democratic challengers Daily Montanan — and Zinke’s record on public lands and energy policy makes that race one to watch closely for anyone who cares about Montana’s environment.
The Film’s Hopeful Bottom Line
What we took away from watching An Inconvenient Sequel together wasn’t despair — it was a renewed sense of urgency and agency. The film shows that progress is possible when people show up, speak up, and vote for leaders who take these issues seriously. Georgetown, Texas — an overwhelmingly Republican city — was featured in the film for its commitment to 100% renewable energy. Change happens in unexpected places when the right people are at the table.
Montana has incredible natural assets worth protecting: Glacier National Park, the Yellowstone River watershed, millions of acres of public lands, and an agricultural economy that depends on a stable climate. The question in 2026 is whether the people we send to Helena and Washington will protect those assets — or sell them out.
An Inconvenient Sequel is available to stream on several platforms if you missed our screening. We encourage you to watch it, share it, and let it fuel your commitment to getting out the vote this year.
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