An Inconvenient Truth Movie Packet [PDF]

Name: _____________________ Date: _____________________

Environmental Science "An Inconvenient Truth" Movie Packet I.

Answer the following questions using information from Part I of the movie:

1.

Why are photos of the Earth from space historically significant?

2.

What is the most vulnerable part of the Earth’s ecological system? Why?

3.

How is pollution affecting the atmosphere? What effect does this have on global warming?

4.

Why does the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere decrease in spring/summer and increase during the fall/winter?

5.

What has happened to the overall concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere since 1958?

6.

What effect has global warming had on glaciers around the world?

7.

How far back in time have scientists been able to measure the average global temperature?

8.

How does historical CO2 concentration compare with historical global temperatures?

9.

What is the highest CO2 concentration had ever been before now, in parts per million? How does the current atmospheric CO2 concentration compare?

10. Why does Gore view global warming as a moral issue?

11. What has been happening to average atmospheric temperatures since the Civil War? According to the movie, what is the hottest year on record?

12. What effect does warmer ocean temperature caused by global warming have on storms? What recent evidence supports this belief?

13. With respect to global warming, what do you think Gore means when he quotes Churchill by saying, “we are entering a period of consequences”?

II.

Answer the following questions using information from Part II of the movie:

14. What effect does global warming have on amount of precipitation (rain)? What evidence exists to support this?

15. What effect does global warming have on oceans? What effect does it have on soil?

16. What is the first of the two ‘canaries in the coal mine’?

17. What is expected to happen to the Arctic ice cap during summers in the next 50 to 70 years?

18. What effect does the Arctic ice cap have on the sun’s rays? What would happen to the sun’s rays if the ice were to melt?

19. What could happen as a result of a 5°F increase in average global temperature?

20. What happened when the glaciers from the last ice age melted and poured into the north Atlantic Ocean? What could happen in the future if the Greenland ice cap were to do the same thing?

21. According to the movie, what country is the worst contributor to global warming?

22. How many new diseases have emerged in the past quarter century?

23. What is the second of the two ‘canaries in the coal mine’? What is its ‘alarm bell’ for global warming?

24. What effect does the melting of floating sea-based ice have on land-based ice?

25. What is believed would happen to coastal regions throughout the world if Greenland’s ice were to melt? How many people would this effect?

26. What has happened to Earth’s population in the last 60 years? What is expected to happen to population by 2050?

27. What does Gore mean by “Old Habits + New Technology = Dramatically Altered Consequences”? What example does he use to explain this?

III.

Answer the following questions using information from Part III of the movie:

28. What percentage does the United States contribute to global warming? How do our emissions compare to other regions of the world?

29. In the study of scientific articles on global warming, what percentage was found to disagree with consensus on global warming?

30. Why does Gore believe the choice between the economy (“gold bars”) and the Earth is a false choice?

31. How do mileage standards for cars in the United States compare to mileage standards for cars in other parts of the world?

32. What are two technologies Gore suggests we can use to decrease carbon emissions?

33. Who are the only two nations in the world who did not ratified the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas emissions?

34. What are three examples of the United States taking and solving difficult problems in the past?

35. What idea is Gore hoping to get across by quoting Carl Sagan’s famous “pale blue dot” statement?

IV.

Answer the following questions about global warming using ideas from the movie:

36. What are three suggestions made by the movie to help people reduce their carbon emissions?

37. How does Gore relate his family’s tobacco farm and the death of his sister due to smoking to the situation we now face as a society with global warming?

38. Why do you think American politicians have avoided taking on the issue of global warming for so many years?

39. Why do you think energy companies and politicians have purposely tried to introduce doubt and disagreement into reporting on global warming?

40. Overall, what did you think of the movie? Do you think it was worthwhile to watch in class? Why or why not?