Is Al Gore right about global warming? What's your motivation for your answer?

Question

Have you seen the movie An Inconvenient Truth? Well if you have do you agree with Al Gore's statements, and if you haven't what do you have to say about global warming?

Answer 1

check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XttV2C6B8pU al gores con clusions are wrong...this is from the real scientists

It's the full Swindle video

Answer 2

Honestly that movie drives me nuts. For one things he keeps on making statements about the need to reduces greenhouse gasses, then in the next scene he is riding a private jet around. He also makes several incorrect statements in the movie including that Hurricane Katrina was caused by global warming, when the science says other wise. I believe that the message about global warming needs to get out to the public. But Al Gore's life style makes him a very bad choice and it is making it harder for scientist to talk about the issue with conservative groups of people.

Answer 3

Much of what Al Gore says is probably exaggerated. This has the effect of motivating some people (mostly on the left) while annoying others (mostly on the right).

The truth is, there is quite possibly a very serious crisis:
1) There is no doubt that human burning of fossil fuels has raised the carbon dioxide content of the Earth's atmosphere by a significant amount.
2) There is no doubt that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. There has recently been propaganda from the right, arguing that this is not the case, but they are wrong.
3) The amount of carbon dioxide already released, as an isolated effect, will raise the average annual global temperature about 3 C. This has some good effects and some bad effects. Of course, as the global warming deniers are constantly pointing out, there are lots of other contributions to the average global temperature, some positive, some negative, most unpredictable.
4) Since carbon dioxide is still being released, and alternate fuel sources will take time to develop, it is likely that carbon dioxide emissions alone will increase average annual global temperatures somewhat more than 3 C, maybe 10 C. This begins to get very bad.
5) The feedback mechanisms, both positive and negative, are not well understood. The feedback effects of water vapor and of warming the oceans are complex and not fully understood. It seems likely that a rise in temperature leads to a release of natural carbon dioxide. There is, therefore, the possiblity of a positive feedback in annual global temperatures that might last for centuries, and might be tens of degrees Centigrade. This would cause a major world extinction event. It is also possible that there are negative feedbacks, that will mitigate the effects of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. The computer models are unreliable, and no one really knows.

All in all, it is therefore a good thing that Al Gore is motivating people to take political action to reduce fossil fuel useage. We will, in any case, need to deal with the end of fossil fuels in a few centuries anyway, so the sooner the better, I say.

P.S. It is discouraging to get so many "thumbs down" on the above answer. I am have tried to outline the problem, and also the areas of uncertainty, based on my professional understanding of planetary atmospheres, and yet this analysis is simply rejected. It bodes ill for the future of mankind, that a majority of readers here are so unwilling to deal with a situation that may be critical to the future of the Earth.

Answer 4

First of all if you wish to reach a conclusion about global warming study the evidence don't trust the interpretation of a politician. Who clearly doesn't seem to heed his own advice.

The is a lot of scientific evidence to support both camps on the global warming issue, and both camps are very good and "cherry picking" the bits of data and statistics that best support their arguments, while excluding or discrediting the opposing research.

After reviewing the evidence myself I find the argument that global warming is man made and caused by "greenhouse gasses" inconclusive. There is no evidence that can conclusively say that global warming is not just a natural heating and cooling cycle of the Earth that has occurred many times before, however the also is no conclusive evidence this is a made-made problem either.

That said taking step to stop the polluting effect of burning fossil fuels couldn't hurt the environment and helps to preserve these resources for future generations.

Answer 5

Ignore Al Gore as a biased source, and instead look at respected climatologists and paleoclimatologists' research, preferably those funded by the most independent organisations possible.

Something he forgot to mention on his film - Al Gore is the chairman of Generation Investment Management, an investment firm heavily reliant on people buying into climate change on a large scale. I'd believe no more of what he says than I'd believe an oil company director insisting that oil is tasty and safe to drink, or a McDonalds chairman telling us you can eat 10 Big Macs every meal and not get fat.

Answer 6

I think global warming is true. But, I believe that humans are the cause is false. One reason for this belief is that after doing my own research I have discovered that one active volcano puts out more greenhouse gases in one day than all of the automobiles ever built. Then when you consider that on any given day there are hundreds of active volcano's then the logical conclusion is that we are an insignificant contributor to greenhouse gases.

On the other hand I believe we should curb our pollution because of local health issues. But that is a different subject.


Edit:

Bob, I read the article on volcanic activity and global warming. This article actually helps to solidify my position. That is volcano's have a larger affect on global temperatures than man. The article says, that since 1980 the earth has warmed considerably due to fewer volcanic eruptions. Although I may have had it backwards. It looks like volcanic eruptions, according to this article, are what is responsible for cooling the planet. When there are less eruptions then the earth warms up and when there are more volcanic eruptions then the earth cools down.

I stand corrected. But this only proves that man has even less influence over global warming.

Answer 7

Al Gore belongs in a rubber room. I genuinely feel sorry for the man. I think he believes he is saving the world just as he believed he invented the Internet, that love story was written about him and numerous other lunatic ideas. The fact is Al Gore got Ds in science and doesn't know the first thing about it. He pretends to be an authority and shows impressive graphs and charts but the truth is that those charts are meaningless and the evidence is cherry picked. They cannot explain the cooling that went on between 1940 and 1970 and they pretend they can explain the warming cycle since then. It is a case of the gullible following the lunatic and politically biased scientists. Cosmos needs to get a grip on reality. He doesn't know what percentage CO2 in the atmosphere is from humans. I really wonder if they understand that CO2 is part of a cycle in the atmosphere (i.e plants use it, oceans deposit it, animals exhale it, to make it simple). You cannot just say that humans are responsible for 3 degrees Celsius and if he could perhaps he could explain the cooling period mentioned above which is just one example of the inconsistencies in their arguments. My reason for arguing against global warming is that I love science and I don't like seeing it hijacked for political causes.

Answer 8

Al Gore has it basically right, although his movie is a little over dramatic and sometimes shows what the worst that could happen is.

This document is more representative of what the scientific consensus is.

http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM2feb07.pdf

It still says global warming is real, mostly caused by us, and a very serious problem.

You can quibble about Gore's movie or his lifestyle, but it doesn't change the facts. We are threatened by the biggest disaster in human history.

Much more here:

http://www.realclimate.org

"climate science from climate scientists"

Their take on Gore (very similar to the above):

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=299

By the way volcanoes don't put out anything near as much greenhouse gas as man, and aren't the cause:

http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/climate_effects.html

Neither is the sun. Page 4 of the IPCC report.

EDIT

The swindle movie is nonsense.

" A Channel 4 documentary claimed that climate change was a conspiratorial lie. But an analysis of the evidence it used shows the film was riddled with distortions and errors"

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/climate_change/article2355956.ece

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/03/swindled/

Gore is a little over dramatic. Compared to that movie, his is pure truth. That one, on the other hand is:

"Pure Propaganda"

http://www.medialens.org/alerts/07/0313pure_propaganda_the.php

Answer 9

Scientists in Canada and Czechoslovakia say that it's all a bunch of bunk.

Note that Mars and other planets in our system are warming up as much and as quickly as we are.

Then there's the fact that the world's termite population produces more greenhouse gasses than the entire United States.

The state of California is warming up only because of urbanization.

...and finally the whole world as one piece isn't doing anything except spinning...there isn't one climate worldwide. I would have left the review I made for it on amazon.com, but I couldn't find it. As to why does he deserve this "crap"?

Let's see he lied, cheated, was a fat hypocrate...

He tell's us to lower our emmisions, he doesn't do it himself...

He DID claim he invented the internet, "During my time in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the internet..."

When he lost the presidency FAIR AND SQARE, he wouldn't admit it. Hey he really was a "Sore Loserman".

Answer 10

everybody is so preocupied that co2 ,or polution is the only reason of climate change
many people forget about desertification
desserts are like a fire they gobble up the edges with the heat and so grow.

forrests regulate the climate ,they absorb heat during the day and release it at night ,that is why desserts are freezing at night and cooking during the day

Forrests produce water ,and regulate the atmosphere we breathe (they absorb carbon )as well as protecting the earth from the sun

if forrest are being exchanged for ashalt,concrete and desserts
what is gonna keep this planet habitable for us

Global warming is a very complex collection of many effects

this text is limited to effects of people in the country,industrial effects on the environment and the internal combustion engine as well as the over all effects of cities and the ozone part of global warming,is another story,

climate change is caused partly by desertification ,and most desertification is caused by man
the thinner ozone layer helps to speed this up.and this is caused mainly by air polution ,also as a result of mans actions

there are natural cycles in the planets life
but a lot is influenced by mans existance ,and this is increasing with overpopulation,putting strains on Natural resources and increasing contaminations as well as destructions of essential componants the ensure living conditions for all life forms

in North Africa,India,Mexico ,millions of people are effected by land loss and desertification and some have died as a result

in china, thousands of what used to be farmers are running for their lives from the dust storms that have burried their towns and turned their lands into dessert,

,the Sahara is growing by 7 kilometers a year
and all of the desserts we know are a results of mans actions ,and they are increasing ,not getting less ,in the dinosaurs days ,there were no desserts.

collectively this planet is drying up because of bad farming practices like,over grazing and fertilizers,

each degree rise in temperature means 10%crop loss

and there is less and less water (because of deforestation),to irrigate this production ,
and there are less and less farmers to do it..
and there are 70 million more peole every year that have to eat and drink and wash

who are overpumping deep carbon aquifiers
who are plowing more and more unstable lands because they have lost so many million hectares to desertification ,
because of bad farming practises ,such as using fertilizers and heavy machinary or over grazing

RISING SEAS
The northpole is melting ,and we will know it without ice in our life times.
this does not affect the sea level because it is ice that is already in the water.but the melting ice from Green land and the south pole ,are another matter.

Source(s):

Lester E Brown is the director and founder of the global institute of Environment in the United states .he has compiled a report based on all the satalite information available from NASA,and all the information that has
come from Universities and American embassies WORLD WIDE ,
his little book--a planet under stress , Plan B has been trans lated into many languages and won the best book award in 2003

i am a Permaculture Consultant in Guerrero Mexico

Answer 11

let ask these questions first:

Is Al Gore a scientist? Is a 10,000 sf home built for 2 and heating and cooling it at 20 times the avarage Americans utility bill obscene?

Is 4 houses ( Nashville, Carthage, Georgetown and San Fransicko) really necessary for 2 people?

Does owning a Zinc mine that pollutes the air and nearby creeks constitute a "Green" expert?

Al Gore is a FRAUD!

Flies in a private jet, buy carbon "offsets" to a company he owns, is driven around in limos and eats meat (PETA is on him for that) make him incredilous!