That giant bang you heard last week was the sound of Sean Hannity's head exploding.

The catalyst for the explosion? The announcement that Al Gore, in conjunction with the United Nations panel on climate change, had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work on global warming education. As Variety reports, Gore's Laurie David-produced documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, was a catalyst. From the article:

In awarding the prize to both Gore and the U.N. panel on climate change, the Nobel committee alluded to "An Inconvenient Truth'' when it noted that Gore's "strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change. He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted.''

"Inconvenient Truth'' producer Laurie David said, "Do I think the film was a piece of this? Yes.''

"I think the award was a result of not just one film, a powerful film,'' but of Gore's "more than 30 years of hard work on this issue.''

Of course, not everyone agrees with the film's message; its $49 million box office gross and overwhelmingly positive reviews have been a source of irritation for various right-wing pundits and industrial lobbyists, who claim Truth is based on hysterical extrapolations rather than sound scientific data. Variety's report recounts a recent battle over the film's inclusion in British school curriculum:

The film has become part of the regular curriculum in countries around the world, but its content is still stirring up controversy, with critics charging that it is partisan. British High Court Judge Michael Burton, ruling recently on an effort to ban the film from U.K. schools, said "Truth'' was "broadly accurate.'' He said it could be shown in schools if "guidance notes'' are included that draw attention to nine different errors made in "the context of alarmism and exaggeration.''

John Lesher, president of "Truth'' distrib Paramount Vantage, said the movie "was created relying on the best scientific evidence available. While the judge highlighted a handful of points he took issue with, the ruling that the film can be screened in U.K. schools verified that the central message of the film is true.''

Source: Variety