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Inconvenient Truth
Discussion Questions

Background
1.AquoteoftenattributedtoMarkTwainstates,
What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know. It's what
we know for sure that just ain't so."

HowdoesthisrelatetoPangaeaandtheTheoryofPlate
Tectonics?

2.Thesunemitsthreemainwavelengthsofenergythatreachtheearth.Whichisresponsibleforglobal
warming?
a.Infrared
b.Ultraviolet
c.Visible
3.AclipfromtheFuturamaepisodeCrimesoftheHotisshown.Attheendofthe
globalwarmingissolvedbydroppinglargerandlargericecubesintothe
ocean.
a.Howisthisametaphorforhowglobalwarminghasbeenhandledin
realworld?

clip,

the

b.Assumethathumanityhadthetechnologytomineandtransportlargeamountsoficefromother
planetstotheEarth.Whywouldthissolutionnotactuallywork?

Biology Teaching Resources

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http://www.aurumscience.com

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4.AscientistnamedCharlesDavidKeelingbeganrecordingdailycarbondioxidelevelsatanobservatory
inMaunaLoa,Hawaiiin1958.Whywasthislocationchosen?Howwoulddatarecordedatan
observatorylocatednearacityorforestbeaffected?

5.Thecarbondioxidegraphtotherightisoftencalled
theKeelingCurve.WhydotheatmosphericCO2
levelsfluctuateupanddowneveryyear?

6.AlGoreshowsmultiplepicturesofglaciersthathavemeltedsignificantlyoverthelastfewdecades.
SpecialattentionwasgiventotheglaciersoftheHimalayaMountains,duetothepossibilitytheywould
disappearwithinthenext25years.Thisstatement,alsofoundintheUnitedNationsglobalwarming
report,waslaterretractedbecauseitwasbasedonthespeculationofasinglescientist,notactualdata.
Inyourview,doesthisaffectthedocumentaryscredibility?

7.IcecoresaredrilledandremovedfromtheglaciersofAntarctica.Theratioofoxygen(Oxygen16and
Oxygen18)isotopesismeasuredandusedtodeterminetheapproximatetemperatureduringthetime
thatpartoftheicecorewasformed.Thismethodisoneexampleofaproxy.Explainwhataproxyis,
andwhyitisnecessaryresearchlikethis.
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8.AlGoreclaimsthattheeffectsoftheCleanAirActof1970arevisibleintheAntarcticicecores.Thisis
actuallyinaccurate,astheeffectsareonlyvisiblefromicecorestakenfromtheArctic.Regardless,does
thisclaimrelateinanywaytocarbondioxidepollution?Explain.

9.Thisisthegraphofcarbondioxideconcentrationandsurfacetemperatureasrecordedfromicecoredata.

IstherelationshipbetweenCO2andtemperatureadirectone?Whatwouldbeareasonableconclusion
todrawfromthisgraph?

10.Asaconclusiontothissegment,AlGoremakesthefollowingstatement:
This is really not a political issue so much as a moral issue. If we allow that to happen, it is deeply
unethical.

Do you believe this is a moral issue? Is the continued increase in carbon dioxide pollution by the human
civilization deeply unethical? Explain your reasoning.

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Ocean Temperatures and Hurricanes

11.Thegraphaboveshowsthechangeinoceantemperaturessincethelate19thcentury.Howdoesthe
warmingofoceanwaterrelatetothefrequencyofstrongstorms,suchashurricanes?

12.HurricaneKatrinaisusedasanexampleofastormlinkedthechangesinoceantemperatures.Whenit
originallystruckFlorida,itwasacategory1(7495mph).Explainhowthishurricanechangedbeforeit
hitNewOrleansandhowthisrelatestoglobalwarming.

13.ThissectionisconcludedwithaquotegivenbyWinstonChurchillinlate1936:
The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is
coming to a close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences..."
Why does Gore choose this quote? What parallel is he attempting to draw between the circumstances of
Churchills speech and the current global warming debate?

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Effects on the Poles

14.Duetotheincreaseinglobaltemperature,thedurationandthicknessofthepermafrostofthenorthern
tundrahasbeendecreasing.Describehoweachofthesehavebeenaffected.
a.AlaskaOilPipeline
b.TruckTransportation
c.Buildings
d.Submarinessurfacing
15.Whydoessnowandicereflectmuchofthesunsinfraredenergy,whileoceanwaterabsorbsit?

16.ThelatitudeoftheUnitedKingdomissimilartothatofNorthernQuebecandLabradorinCanada,yet
thetemperaturesaremuchmilder.Usethediagrambelowtoexplainwhy.

17.HowmightthemeltingofGreenlandsglaciersimpactthissystem?

Effects on Life
1.WhatistherelationshipbetweenglobalwarmingandtheincreaseofinvasivespeciessuchasthePine
BarkBeetle?

2.AlGorestatesthatspecieslossiscurrentlyoccurringatarate1000xthenormalbackgroundrate.There
aremultiplecausesofextinction,withhabitatlossgenerallyconsideredthemostsignificant.Howdoes
globalwarmingcontributetohabitatloss?

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3.WhywasthecollapseoftheLarsenBiceshelfinAntarcticasuchasurprisetoscientists?

4.IftheicecoveringGreenlandweretomelt,howmuchwouldglobalsealevelsrise?

5.Explainwhyariseinsealevelisaconcernforthehumanpopulations.Givespecificcitiesthatwouldbe
mostatrisk.

Technology
6.AlGorepresentstwoformulasregardingtechnology:
Old habits plus old technology = predictable consequences.
Old habits plus new technology = dramatically altered consequences.

How does the given example of traditional vs. modern warfare compare with global warming and
greenhouse gases? Why are the consequences of human actions so much greater now than in our past?

7.Themapbelowshowstherelativecontributionofeachofthemajorcountries/continentstoglobal
warming.WhyistheUnitedStatesthegreatestcontributor,eventhoughwehavealowerpopulation
thanChinaortheentiretyofEurope?

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Call to Action
8.Asampleof928scientificarticlesregardingglobalclimatechangeweresurveyedtoseehowmany
disagreedwiththeIPCCsconclusionsthatglobalwarmingisoccurringandthatitisprimarilyhuman
caused.Howmanydisagreedwiththeseconclusions?

9.Whatpercentofthemassmediaarticlesdisagreedwiththoseconclusions?

10. HowdoesthisquotefromUptonSinclairrelatetotheglobalwarmingdebateaspresentedbythemass

media?

"It's difficult to get a man to understand something if his salary depends on him not understanding it."

11.Whyistheresuchabigdifferencebetweentheresultsofthetwosurveys?

12.TheconflictbetweentheeconomyandtheenvironmentissummarizedinthisimagefromaWhite
Houseconference.Explain,inyourownwords,thedecisionweasacivilizationarefacedwith.

13.Listthreepotentialstrategiesthatcouldbeusedtoreducecarbondioxideintheatmosphere.

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Further Reading
14.Onepotentialsolutionofglobalwarmingthathasbeendiscussedisthestratoshield.Learnmoreabout
thisideaattheIntellectualVenturesLabwebsite.Doyouthinkthisisaviablestrategy,oradangerous
risk?Explain.DoyouseeanyparallelsbetweenthisandthesatiricalIcecubeintheoceansolution
presentedbytheFuturamaclip?
Article:http://intellectualventureslab.com/?p=474
Video:http://intellectualventureslab.com/?p=296

15.TheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA)website
(http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/weatherevents.html)hasalistofcurrentclimateextreme
events.Chooseaspecific,recenteventfromthelist.Explainhowthiseventmayrelatetoplanetary
changesduetoglobalwarming.

16.TheTragedyoftheCommonsisanessaywrittenbyGarrettHardinabouttheabuseofnaturalresources
thatarenotownedbutsharedbyeveryone.Thetwocartoonsbelowsummarizetheessay.
http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/info/cartoon_commons1.html
http://www.garretthardinsociety.org/info/cartoon_commons2.html
WouldyouconsiderglobalwarmingandcarbondioxidepollutiontobeanexampleofaTragedyofthe
Commons?Explainyouranswer.

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