You’ll need to rent, purchase or borrow the DVD of “An Inconvenient Truth” for this assignment. The DVD is widely available at video rental stores, and on the internet. I bought mine at good old Target for $20. It is available from Amazon.com for the same price (new) or as low as $5.95 (used), plus shipping.
PLEASE don't attempt to shortcut this assignment by skipping the film and writing your report based on information you might find at various internet sites or in your textbook. The film is loaded with specific and relevant information not found anywhere else. I'll be able to tell from your report if you didn't watch the film, and your grade will reflect it. This is an important film - please see it. THANK YOU.
What do you remember of Al Gore? Most likely, you remember him as the Vice President during the Clinton presidency, and as the loser to George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election. After his loss to Bush in 2000, many people thought that Gore dropped out of sight, perhaps enjoying a lazy, early retirement.
In fact, Gore is anything but retired. He’s been very busy in the years since 2000 touring the world to educate people about global warming. In 2006, his efforts became the film “An Inconvenient Truth.” The film won an Oscar for Best Documentary Film of 2006.
It would be fair to ask, “Why should I listen to Al Gore? After all, this is a science class and he’s a politician, right?” It is true that Gore made his career in politics. But he has always had a keen interest in science (beginning in college), and has studied the debate about global warming closely for decades. Over the years, Gore has built up an impressive command of the scientific facts and evidence surrounding global warming. I can assure you that the scientific evidence presented in the film is pretty well beyond dispute among most mainstream climate scientists. If you doubt it, please go read the latest reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the most widely respected scientific body in the world when it comes to climate science. The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 was awarded to the IPCC and Al Gore "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change" - from the Nobel Prize site at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/
Unfortunately, “An Inconvenient Truth” has a strong pro-Gore, anti-Bush political perspective. I say “unfortunately” because I suspect that the political aspects of the film reduce its effectiveness (especially among people who don’t much like the Democratic Party). Whatever your political affiliation, I would ask you to recognize that what matters in the film is the MESSAGE, not the MESSENGER. All of us should, if we can, put aside our feelings about Al Gore (or George Bush), negative OR positive, and focus on the scientific evidence that Gore presents so well.
Before you begin, I recommend reading what your book has to say about climate change and global warming on pages 326-341.
Your assignment (30 points) is to write a report based on the issues presented in “An Inconvenient Truth.” You get 10 points automatically for taking two hours to watch the film. The remaining 20 points will be based on the written report.
Your report should be 600-800 words long, and include not only the facts and evidence presented in the film, but also your own views and critical opinions. (Note: a “critical opinion” is an opinion supported by logical arguments and facts. It is NOT what you happen to “feel” about something, irrespective of the facts. Support any opinions that you express with facts and evidence.)
Give your report a brief introductory paragraph at the beginning and concluding paragraph at the end, to give it organization. Use paragraph breaks to divide separate topics within the body of the report.
Organize your report around the following questions:
Note: To get more ideas about the third question, I recommend logging on to the film’s web site: http://www.climatecrisis.net/ and clicking on the links called “THE SCIENCE” and "DOWNLOADS" - enjoy!
As always, please keep in mind my in my plagiarism policy. Thank you!