An Inconvenient Truth

Last week I watched Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth." This highly acclaimed film shows the reasoning behind climate change and why it should worry us. While Gore made some good points, he also made several errors in his film, that harmed the cause that he was trying to promote.

Some of the points that he made were poor for several reasons. First, he often time reverted to emotional appeals such as: ethos, pathos, and logos. These appeals involved the calm scene of the river, the story of his son's tragic accident, his disappointment over his failed presidential bid, or even his use of an electrical lift to show data. Using such props and appeals overall weakens his argument, as it casts attention from the science, to other issues. Unfortunately, such a movie should not be made by a failed politician, as he wore his politics on his sleeve, taking unnecessary shots at the former President. The movie could ultimately add up to propaganda, and could be much better presented by somebody not named Al Gore. In addition, the former Vice President's science is also a little skewed, and while most of the data is true, not all of it is. Finally, the movie concluded without offering any solutions, and if we found the film moving, we are left without any ways to help change this tragic course we are now taking.

This being said, some good points are raised. First, we are indeed putting junk into our atmosphere. The issue is not if this is completely happening, but the results that will occur. I would argue that all the burning of fossil fuels as a result of the Industrial Revolution have indeed had a negative impact on the environment. However, I would like to suggest some ideas that I personally have; taken from a year of studying Wind Energy for my Senior High School Project. First, one major issue that must be addressed is deforestation and suburban sprawl. The more trees, the better, as trees soak up Carbon Dioxide, which is harming the environment. Is it really necessary for people to live in $500,000 homes in suburbs that were previously farmland and forest? No. A second misconception is that cows are causing global warming. This is plain stupid. The Obama administration has suggested putting taxes on cows for their flatulence. Not only would this cripple agriculture, but it would be unnecessary. The methane released from cows is much less than the methane released from dumps. One way to curb the methane from both is to capture it and use it as energy. The third misconception is that cars create massive amounts of global warming. While they do on a small scale, the push for tiny cars that should be known as death-traps, is wrong. Instead of forcing people to drive tiny cars, government should push mass transit, or even walking/bicycling. What a noble thought. Walking to the grocery store. This would decrease global warming and obesity. I have in 30 seconds curbed the global warming and health care problems in this country. What is it then that creates more global warming than cars? Coal power plants and other power plants that burn fossil fuels. These plants produce the vast majority of the energy in the world, and likewise, a high amount of the emissions. This can be altered with two things: energy efficiency and alternative energy. Turn off the lights when you leave the room, have a wood stove instead of a highly set furnace, and living in Michigan or New York like me, do you really need air conditioning? This alone would decrease carbon emissions. Secondly, alternative energy must be expanded. A fact that is not well known is that there is 1 Terra watt of harness able energy in the oceans off the coast of the United States. 1 Terra watt is 1 million Megawatts, or the sum of the energy used in the United States currently, plus much, much more. The world could easily decrease it's carbon footprint without having to buy carbon allowances, or any other silly idea Mr. Gore pats around.

Overall, this is a worth while movie to watch. If nothing else it gets you to think about what you believe in. However, don't blindly follow what you are told or what you see on a screen, because it isn't always fully true.