"An Inconvenient Truth"
Contrary to what media reports may lead some to believe, the melting of the ice shelves in polar regions poses a real and serious threat to the world. Each year the sea levels rise a meter. According to the projected models used by Al Gore in “An Inconvenient Truth”, if the sea levels were to rise, low-lying regions could be completely submerged beneath water.The populations living in the low-lying regions are being forced to move and in some cases learn new ways to make a living.The impacts of higher sea levels not only affects people but also organisms. The affect high sea levels have on organisms is a major issue. The organisms that make their home in icy regions are being forced to either adapt to the melting or immigrate elsewhere.Gore firmly believes that global warming should be the first issue on the minds of the world.
Over the past few decades, scientists in many fields have looked to glaciers and ice shelves from around the world as indicators of global climate change. These huge expanses of frozen water take up many millions of square miles not only in the arctic and antarctic regions, but also in mountain ranges around the world. Ice, by its nature, can only exist for extended periods of time in extreme environments. Environments such as the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland, where temperatures are routinely below freezing, allowing such huge masses of frozen water to accumulate. With that being said, however, these biomes are extremely susceptible to any change in the Earth’s atmospheric conditions, a trait that is being shown to have serious consequences. Due to the many effects of the process known as global warming, global temperatures have very steadily risen over the past few decades, causing a series of chain reactions that negatively impact these ice shelves.
In the film “An Inconvenient Truth”, Al Gore focuses on the many reasons why global warming is occurring and why it needs to be at the forefront of our concerns. One of the main problems that Gore focuses on is the rising sea levels around the world. He discusses the causes and enormous consequences of rising sea levels. In the film, Gore uses several different methods to make his argument to the audience. He uses statistical data as well as visual aids, such as time lapse photos and projection models, to inform and persuade the audience of the dangers of the many environmental issues that we face today. One of the causes that Gore gives for the rise in sea levels is the increase in the global mean temperatures. He connects the increase in temperature to the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. To show the audience how all of these factor contribute to rising sea levels, Gore uses his PowerPoint presentation to show graphs of all the data that has been collected of carbon dioxide concentrations throughout history. With this data, Gore uses projection models, which scientists have created, to show how high carbon dioxide levels will rise, and then as a result how high global temperatures will rise. With the statistical data, Gore gives the audience the logical reasoning behind his argument, showing the facts that are harder to dispute than speculations.
Low-lying regions are some of the most populous places in a country. With the recent epidemic of rising sea levels there are more and more displaced people , whether internally or externally, in the world. With their home being invaded by water they are being forced to move to higher ground. Having to adjust to a new environment could be difficult. Different cultures need different products to live off of. Another issue that higher sea levels cause is, beach erosion Beach erosion leaves building and other fixed structures more vulnerable to storm waves. Erosion involves the redistribution of sand from the beach to offshore. This allows storms to happen on higher levels of land. The sand and sediment eventually come back during long-period swell waves. It is an expensive problem for countries to fix.
In addition to using historical data that has been collected, Gore shows the audience different images, such as time lapse photos and simulations of rising sea levels. With the issue of rising sea levels, Gore shows multiple simulations of what will happen to several majorly populated cities if certain ice caps were to melt. The ice cap that Gore focuses on is the one in Greenland, he shows a simulation of what Greenland would look like if its ice cap were to continue melting at the rate that it is melting now. Gore also shows the effects of the melting ice caps with the simulations of the rising sea levels. These simulations show the destruction that would happen if sea levels were to rise by what only seems a small amount. By doing this, Gore is allowing the audience to connect the data that he had previously shown them to something that is more tangible. He uses the photos and simulations to show the audience what the future could look like if actions are not taken to help our environment.
Global warming has, and will continue to cause, a general trend of warming the oceans of the world, bodies of water with occupy 70% of the Earth’s surface. If this water, most of it in the oceans, is even slightly colder than it normally is, it will impede the formation of new ice located in the polar ice shelves. Increased heat, caught within the earth’s atmosphere by the Greenhouse effect, heats both the ice itself, and the water that it floats on top of. As the ice gets warmer, it’s ability to stick together in these giant sheets fails, causing massive chunks of ice to fall into the ocean, a process called calving. Since the water is warmer, these chunks melt at an increased pace meaning that when the colder months come, there is less left around to refreeze into the shelves. In addition, the warmer water makes it harder for the shelves to reform as it takes colder temperatures to get the water to the freezing point. Thus, the cycle of the shelves calving and melting continues.
The outcomes for the melting of these caps is rather bleak. If all of this ice melts, global sea levels could rise by as much as several meters. In addition, many people around the world get their drinking water from melt-water that results from normal glacial melt. Finally, the ecosystems of these biomes would be ultimately destroyed as many organisms that have adapted to living solely in these conditions would become extinct or be forced to adapt to new global conditions. Ultimately, neither of these prospects is particularly good.
Over the past few decades, scientists in many fields have looked to glaciers and ice shelves from around the world as indicators of global climate change. These huge expanses of frozen water take up many millions of square miles not only in the arctic and antarctic regions, but also in mountain ranges around the world. Ice, by its nature, can only exist for extended periods of time in extreme environments. Environments such as the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland, where temperatures are routinely below freezing, allowing such huge masses of frozen water to accumulate. With that being said, however, these biomes are extremely susceptible to any change in the Earth’s atmospheric conditions, a trait that is being shown to have serious consequences. Due to the many effects of the process known as global warming, global temperatures have very steadily risen over the past few decades, causing a series of chain reactions that negatively impact these ice shelves.
In the film “An Inconvenient Truth”, Al Gore focuses on the many reasons why global warming is occurring and why it needs to be at the forefront of our concerns. One of the main problems that Gore focuses on is the rising sea levels around the world. He discusses the causes and enormous consequences of rising sea levels. In the film, Gore uses several different methods to make his argument to the audience. He uses statistical data as well as visual aids, such as time lapse photos and projection models, to inform and persuade the audience of the dangers of the many environmental issues that we face today. One of the causes that Gore gives for the rise in sea levels is the increase in the global mean temperatures. He connects the increase in temperature to the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. To show the audience how all of these factor contribute to rising sea levels, Gore uses his PowerPoint presentation to show graphs of all the data that has been collected of carbon dioxide concentrations throughout history. With this data, Gore uses projection models, which scientists have created, to show how high carbon dioxide levels will rise, and then as a result how high global temperatures will rise. With the statistical data, Gore gives the audience the logical reasoning behind his argument, showing the facts that are harder to dispute than speculations.
Low-lying regions are some of the most populous places in a country. With the recent epidemic of rising sea levels there are more and more displaced people , whether internally or externally, in the world. With their home being invaded by water they are being forced to move to higher ground. Having to adjust to a new environment could be difficult. Different cultures need different products to live off of. Another issue that higher sea levels cause is, beach erosion Beach erosion leaves building and other fixed structures more vulnerable to storm waves. Erosion involves the redistribution of sand from the beach to offshore. This allows storms to happen on higher levels of land. The sand and sediment eventually come back during long-period swell waves. It is an expensive problem for countries to fix.
In addition to using historical data that has been collected, Gore shows the audience different images, such as time lapse photos and simulations of rising sea levels. With the issue of rising sea levels, Gore shows multiple simulations of what will happen to several majorly populated cities if certain ice caps were to melt. The ice cap that Gore focuses on is the one in Greenland, he shows a simulation of what Greenland would look like if its ice cap were to continue melting at the rate that it is melting now. Gore also shows the effects of the melting ice caps with the simulations of the rising sea levels. These simulations show the destruction that would happen if sea levels were to rise by what only seems a small amount. By doing this, Gore is allowing the audience to connect the data that he had previously shown them to something that is more tangible. He uses the photos and simulations to show the audience what the future could look like if actions are not taken to help our environment.
Global warming has, and will continue to cause, a general trend of warming the oceans of the world, bodies of water with occupy 70% of the Earth’s surface. If this water, most of it in the oceans, is even slightly colder than it normally is, it will impede the formation of new ice located in the polar ice shelves. Increased heat, caught within the earth’s atmosphere by the Greenhouse effect, heats both the ice itself, and the water that it floats on top of. As the ice gets warmer, it’s ability to stick together in these giant sheets fails, causing massive chunks of ice to fall into the ocean, a process called calving. Since the water is warmer, these chunks melt at an increased pace meaning that when the colder months come, there is less left around to refreeze into the shelves. In addition, the warmer water makes it harder for the shelves to reform as it takes colder temperatures to get the water to the freezing point. Thus, the cycle of the shelves calving and melting continues.
The outcomes for the melting of these caps is rather bleak. If all of this ice melts, global sea levels could rise by as much as several meters. In addition, many people around the world get their drinking water from melt-water that results from normal glacial melt. Finally, the ecosystems of these biomes would be ultimately destroyed as many organisms that have adapted to living solely in these conditions would become extinct or be forced to adapt to new global conditions. Ultimately, neither of these prospects is particularly good.