Lim, Janelle Yvonne C.

COSORES An Inconvenient Truth Reflection Paper

Introduction: AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH is a documentary, an instrument of public education and talks about the problem of global warming in the earth and inspires people to take action to save the earth. This documentary centers on Al Gore, and his campaign to make global warming a recognized problem worldwide. Gore combines objective scientific evidence, humor and personal insights to create a powerful exploration of what he clearly believes is the most critical issue of this or any other time in human history. Davis Guggenheim was the director of the documentary. Synopsis/Summary: The documentary was about global warming and on how can we protect our mother earth for future generations. Al Gore shows pictures of the earth and also shows us up-to-date data and statistics, which is also compared by figures in our prior years to show us the degree of damage we have done tour planet earth. The documentary also has elaborate cartoons and diagrams so that people of all intellectual capabilities can understand and relate to the topics under discussion. Added to that, he shows also pictures of the destruction of earth just like comparative photographs from footage of collapsing ice shelves, data on the record numbers of storms, disappearing glaciers around the world, great floods, and other kinds of extreme weather, new diseases which include viruses which hit the people , photos of dying polar bears animations of the effects of rising sea levels, and disappearing coral reefs. It has in depth explanations as to how all this damage has come to occur and why most people fail to respond to all warnings concerning about the planet. It also states that politics and mislead information has been given to most public, so that this issue can be ignored and not resolved as solutions and alternatives can cause a lot of problems and hassles economically. He tells that only political will can make a change and to encourage the people to stand up for saving the earth. One thing more it also shows his defeat with George W. Bush during the presidential election last 2000 in United States of America. It shows us that many countries prefer to go with censorship than to spend behind alternatives. He also mentioned about the Kyoto protocol where he showed the nations which signed that said protocol. Al Gore clearly mentioned the fate of the poor scientists who were persecuted for trying to reveal "unwanted" information to the public. He said that many controversies were put up against the Global Warming theory, but the public now has the right shed some light on this matter. He also relates his life story in the documentary just like the death of her sister because of lung cancer and the near-fatal car accident of his son. He also gives solution on how to solve climate crisis:1) Neutralize your

2)remaining emissions 3)Don t waste paper 4)Carry a refillable beverage bottle 5)Modify your diet to eat less meat 6)Buy things that last 7)Pre-cycle reduce before you buy 8 )Vote with your dollars 9) Support an environmental group 10) Telecommute from home.

Reaction: The documentary of Al Gore is very interesting, because it does not only give you information about global warming but also it will awaken you to take good care of our mother earth. It clearly showed the environmental conditions our planet is facing. Part of the reason why I like it was that Gore presents a powerful message that combines factual information, humor and, ultimately, hopes. I really like how Al Gore relates his life story with what was happening in the earth, especially global warming. I was shocked that there was already big increase on carbon dioxide emission. I don't like the fact that he put some issues in politics, especially on what happened in 2000 presidential election in America . The global warming issue was properly and well explained by giving so animations, graphics, and video clips. I realized how much we take our actions for granted, never giving any thought if those actions will have negative impact on the environment. I really like what he said in the documentary, We no longer have much time left to change, but we do have time. I was awakened by the documentary and it made me feel that it's our time to secure our future. I learned that if we are humane enough about the issue of global warming, we must encourage ourselves to make the change. Indeed, An Inconvenient Truth hits sharp and it hits hard. If you love our mother earth, watch it. No wait, don't just watch it, do something. Start making changes, to save the earth for ourselves and the next generation who will inherit it.

The current climate our planet has these days is unusually hot compared to the previous decades. This is so because of global warming. It has been Al Gore s campaign during the U.S. federal elections since America has been the biggest contributors to global warming. However, Americans have not yet realized then how global warming could bring abrupt changes worldwide. All they were after was reform in their government. Global warming, as described in the film An Inconvenient Truth, is the trapping of green house grasses causing the earth to be hot and is bound to get worse over the years. It is because of the thinning of the ozone layer, which guards every living individual in the planet from the sun s ultraviolet radiation. It is also mentioned that the more carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere, the more heat is trapped in the earth.

According to the researches in the film, 40% of the world is dependent with their drinking water from the rivers and springs of Himalayas. Antarctica, Patagonia and other parts of the world covered with ice are gradually melting. Dry lands, on the other hand, get parched, thus making it unsuitable for vegetation. The comparison of carbon dioxide composition in the atmosphere for the past 600,000 years has been shown in the film and for the graph for year 2005 was way shoddier to the previous years. This year had the highest carbon dioxide composition in the atmosphere. With global warming, there will also be a relocation of precipitation, which means that some places experience a lot of typhoons and rain showers while others drought. The hurricane Katrina is the strongest one that has stricken North America, and is a proof of the global warming taking place in our planet. It is because bodies of water warm up fast, and with warm bodies of water, hurricane can take place anytime. The fast change in seasons is also one of the many outcomes of global warming. Countries in the Artic and Antarctic Circle experience early spring and late fall. Also, polar ice caps in Antarctica have been found out to decrease by 40% over the years. Thirty kinds of diseases have emerged with the unforeseen changes in climate most popular among these are the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or commonly known as SARS and the Avian Flu. Even the corals beneath the oceans and seas are affected by global warming. They experience bleaching, thus loosing its life, making it unsuitable for sanctuary for the school of fishes. Personally, I believe that human life should be valued more than political issues. People in America tend to be much involved on how their country s leaders administer their nation. Unaware, Al Gore s proposals could save a million lives and not their state alone since global warming is a worldwide dilemma. The film is highly informative and an eye-opener. We always have tendencies neglect environmental issues. We do not know what will be the consequences of our irresponsibility. The hurricane Katrina may just be ahors d'oeuvre (read: starter) to all the big adversities. Maybe it s a sign that our earth is in danger. Our perception of a clean environment is a garbage-free-pollution-free environment. It does not polish off at that matter. There are also other matters we should consider such as this issue and others that are bound to bring a much catastrophic consequence. When God created the earth, he told man to take care of His creations that is why He created man as the highest form of being from the other creations. Man is given the gift freewill and the ability to think to bring about positive changes in the world He created. But are we giving justice to the gifts he has given? The answer lies to both you and me.

Global warming may be disregarded by most because it may not be a big crisis as for now. But who knows? The Mother Earth might just get furious to us and get our lives in a blink if an eye because of our being negligent to its needs. Act now. Before it s too late.