An Inconvient Truth
Former Vice President Al Gore is not only a politician, but a strong believer in the phenomenon known as “global warming”. Throughout his years in Washington, Gore has strongly advocated bills devoted to preserving the Earth’s hospitable biosphere. Gore has compiled years worth of evidence on how Earth’s climate has changed, how it will continue to change, and has compiled it into a single presentation. His presentation has been compiled into a documentary entitled An Inconvenient Truth. As credible as Gore’s movie appears, Gore encountered some flaws as well.
One of the main problems of trying to sell the issue of global warming to the naysayers is finding something they cannot ignore. Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth uses many such examples, but one of the stronger ones is the use of the imagery of melting glaciers. Glaciers have often been cited as a symbol of stability and strength, as they are large structures and take extended periods of time to move. However, many glaciers over the last several years have melted at such a large degree that they have almost disappeared completely. The imagery of seeing such a large object crumbling before our eyes is powerful, particularly in a post 9/11 world. Gore’s use of the destruction of beautiful naturally occurring structures is a very strong sentiment, and serves both to convince with facts and sway with emotion.
Another problem discussed in An Inconvenient Truth is the issue of Hurricanes and Severe Weather. In the movie, Gore references Katrina and how it affected New Orleans and the states surrounding it. We are told that global warming is increasing the intensity of hurricanes, but we are not provided with information on the amount of uncertainty and vigorous scientific debate on this issue. The fact that hurricanes and severe weather are effecting the world is true, but the effect and intensity of this issue is not as dramatic as Gore talks it up to be.
Gore supports Aldo Leopold’s stance about the relationship between humans and the Earth. Leopold states, “There is as yet not ethic dealing with man’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it” (1), and then, “The land-relation is strictly economic, entailing privileges but not obligations” (1). In Gore’s film, he tries to show the relationship between humans and the Earth. Humans are portrayed almost as a parasite on Earth, taking for our own pleasure and not giving back anything. Through the use of certain images, Gore is almost able to make one feel guilty for what humans are doing to the Earth.
Al Gore’s essay and film, An Inconvenient Truth, he shifts away from religion and to credible sources that appeal to a much broader audience. In his essay, Gore states, “Whether we believe that our dominion derives from God or from our own ambition, there is little doubt that the way we currently relate to the environment is wildly inappropriate” (239). The word God can be a reason to read or not to read this article, depending on your religious views. This would suggest that a smaller number of individuals read this article over watching the film. Both film and essay convey the same general idea, but are targeted towards different audiences.
In whole, the film expressed important information and details pertaining to global warming that should be addressed to the world’s population. However, the film contains flaws and misleading information that can confuse those who watch without further detail. It represents somewhat of a double standard for scientific research on global warming and what is credible to share with the world population. This essay expresses that both the film and essay approach the same general ideas but are targeted for different audiences.