Dawn Riser blog creates a headline

The call came out of the blue. A young voice said he was calling from the Evening Standard, he had been reading my blog and was interested in what I'd said about Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth.
He was compiling the Readers Views page for today's paper and wondered if I could send him a shorter version of my blog post.
So I did. Later, he called me again. Liked my piece but would like to develop a couple of things. How did the film compare with other recent documentaries eg the one by Mike Moore and The Day After Tomorrow? As I hadn't seen these films I was unable to help with that one. Secondly - is there anyone in the UK able to put across these messages more strongly to a UK audience? By this time I was travelling home by train, so we discussed a few ideas and he said he would write them up and call me for my approval.
He called back and after some discussion we agreed to add the bit about Test the Nation and Planet Idol to fill out the story. We didn't discuss what would be left out.

Here's the text of the letter published above my name in the Evening Standard tonight.
So that you can compare, here is the text I initially sent to him:

I was surprised that the City Screen in York was full for the preview of Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth. I had to stand in line and wait for a seat in the hope that someone wouldn't show up.
At its most basic the film is nothing special. Just a series of graphs charting the arrival of global warming and predicting it's potential damage if we don't do something soon. The presentation is interspersed with short recollections from Al Gore's past and stills of shrinking ice caps, glaciers and polar regions. The upbeat ending makes believe that it's not too late to rescue the planet from pending doom.
Will it show to capacity crowds when it's on general release in Britain? Will it change anyone's mind here about the threat of global warming?
At the preview I'm sure I was sitting with the already converted, who left inspired to turn down the thermostat, use the car less and to recycle more waste. Your average cinema goer may prefer more entertainment. An action adventure or romantic comedy.
The film's biggest weakness is Al Gore. Not Al Gore the campaigner, but Al Gore as the presenter of his own film. An impartial film maker harnessing a range of views would be more convincing for a UK audience. Those who do choose to watch it will think, despite it's hard hitting and factual content, that it's all together too smultzy and self congratulatory to be convincing.
All the same I am telling my friends to go and see it. It's the best argument so far to counter the belief that we are in just another climate cycle that can be ignored. And just as my initial prediction was proved wrong, it may be that An Inconvenient Truth plays to packed houses in Britain as well as Manhattan.

It's interesting how things change in the publishing process. Were my views fairly represented? I'll leave you to judge.