Olivia WyettFI8C04/11/11
Worksheet: An Inconvenient Truth
1. What is the most vulnerable part of the Earth and why?
The most vulnerable part of the Earth is its atmosphere. It is vulnerable because it’s very thin compared to the Earth. Since the atmosphere is so thin, we humans are able to change its composition. The atmosphere is being enlarged by the pollution we are creating, which brings us to the root of global warming.
2. Describe how global warming occurs.
Firstly, the sun’s radiation heats the Earth, in light waves. Some of this absorbed radiation is released in the form of infrared radiation. A fraction of the infrared radiation is trapped in the atmosphere, which is not bad because it controls the Earth’s temperature. But lately these boundaries are being crossed, and the Earth is heating up. This is because of global warming. The pollution humans are emitting is thickening the atmosphere, and therefore more of the infrared radiation cannot escape the atmosphere.Since there is more radiation, the Earth is heating up. As time progresses, more and more pollution thickens the atmosphere, which becomes bigger and bigger, trapping more and more radiation. Every second we wait, the thicker we make our atmosphere and the more advanced this dilemma becomes.
3. The Earth’s temperature fluctuates but what is its general trend?______
The Earth’s temperature is getting warmer and warmer, because of the trapped radiation in our atmosphere. It does change from summer to winter, but nevertheless it never stops getting hotter and hotter. Even though we do not feel the consequences of our actions now, where we live, they are being felt at the poles.
4. The Earth’s carbon dioxide levels fluctuate from summer to winter. What causes this natural fluctuation?
The Earth’s carbon dioxide levels fluctuate from summer to winter because most of the vegetation on Earth is north of the equator. In our spring and summer, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, andthe plants are coming to life. Their leaves come out and start inhaling carbon dioxide, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere goes down. Then in the fall and winter, when the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, the leaves fall and exhale carbon dioxide, increasing the amount in the atmosphere.
5. What can bubbles of atmosphere trapped in glacial ice tell us?
When snow falls, it traps bubbles of atmosphere. After the snow freezes, we can study the bubbles in the glacial ice, and figure out the year that snow fell. We can also figure out the temperature of that very year. This has been studied for years now, and from this we have concluded that as the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the temperature increases.
6. How do measurements of carbon dioxide and temperature compare?
As the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the temperature increases. The numbers fit together like puzzle pieces. The reasoning behind this is that when the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere increases, said atmosphere thickens, trapping more and more radiation, raising the temperature. Whenever the level of carbon dioxide increases, this unwanted reaction always follows, inevitably.
7. What is the main reason that storms are becoming stronger?
The main reason storms are becoming stronger is the oceans are getting warmer. As the ocean temperature increases, the wind velocity increases, as well as the moisture content. As storms travel over warm water, they pick up more energy and get stronger and stronger. Storms will continue to tragically destroy what we work for as long as we keep polluting, thickening our atmosphere, and in doing so, fueling our oceans with heat.
8. The movie mentions “canaries in a coal mine.” What is meant by this and what are the “2 canaries” for global warming?
If you put a canary, which are sensitive to gas, in a coal mine full of dangerous gases, it would die before you did, serving as a warning that you were next. The Ward Hunt ice shelf is our first warning. It is the largest ice shelf in the arctic. It was never supposed to split, but the arctic is experiencing the consequences of our dangerous gases being emitted into the atmosphere before we do. In other words, were next.
Our second warning is in Antarctica. It is the biggest mass of ice on Earth, and ice shelfs are breaking off of it. This canary goes by the name of Larsen B, and Larsen B’s getting warmer. And guess what? If Larsen B melts, it will form a pool of water, but instead of flowing into the ocean, it will percolate through the ice around itself, like rain water through soil, all the while absorbing a whole lot of energy in the form of heat, from the sun, melting even more ice. Then, this strong flow of water will continue to grow and continue to melt more and more ice until nothing is left but a whole lot of warm water, and moreof the ice around Larson B will fall. Then, all the floating ice gone, the land ice will fall, and the worldwide sea levels will go up 20 feet. This means a lot less habitable land, which we are going to need, at the rate at which our population is growing. Larsen B did melt, in little more than a month’s time.
9. What are some ecological problems that can result from global warming?
Numerous new problems are arising. One of them is that the winter is becoming shorter, caterpillars are coming out earlier than before, and the baby birds cannot keep up, so that means trouble for the baby birds. Also, new species are expanding. For example, pine beetles are taking over entire forests, killing millions of acres of trees, since the newly shortened winter is not wiping them out. Another problem? Mosquitoes. They are moving to higher elevations, disrupting entire cities built purposely above their previous habitats. As well, new diseases are emerging as well as a reemergence of older, previously controlled diseases. Coral reefs are bleaching from global warming, and the fish depending on these reefs are suffering too. In conclusion, the species lost is occurring at a rate 1000 times greater than what is considered natural.
10. What are the 3 factors mentioned that lead to a collision between civilization and the Earth?
Population – if almost every decade another billion people are born, then our demand for resources, such as food, water and other natural resources is going to grow.
Scientific and technological revolution. So far it’s been great to help us cure diseases, but now we are living in the past. We need to be aware that our previous ways of war can no longer continue. With the new advanced technology of today, what couldn’t we do? If we had the drive, we could we anything, we could wipe out an entire population, which would be stupid as well as harmful to our planet! Did anyone ever stop and say, ‘Hey, you know, I’m not so sure we should drop this bomb on Japan, the gigantic pit we’re going to create might not be so good for our planet…’. Nope. Instead, we decided we’d try dropping another one. This was over 65 years ago. Why wouldn’t we be able to destroy more now? More people, more buildings, more of our planet? The point is we have to stop, now.
Now, for tools. Everything is bigger. Look down your street, a new house is probably going up. Ever noticed each one gets bigger and bigger? Well since we have a growing population, more and more buildings are being constructed, in bigger quantities as well as bigger sizes. So why not use bigger tools, to make things move faster? I will say that when you give humans the opportunity to excel, they take it, without a second thought. For example, we’re pretty good at destroying our planet Earth. We’re melting glaciers now, but it could be worse, right? And winter’s depressing anyway, who cares if it’s a few days shorter? Well since we’ve decided to build bigger, that means we are going to have a bigger impact on Earth, so we need to be careful. We can’t make mistakes as we go along anymore.
11. What are 3 misconceptions about global warming?
The first misconception is that not all scientists consider global warming to be a problem. Actually, we made this up to make ourselves feel better. Even though all scientists do believe that global warming is a serious problem, articles have been released to the press, stating that global warming is a theory rather than a fact. Most people do not even know if global warming should be considered as a threat or not.
The second misconception is the belief that we have to choose between the environment and the economy. Well, we have to remember that the Earth is our most precious possession, since we only have one for now. So, in 50 years, when we are all crammed onto the last of the land which is not completely submerged in water, we are going to have to try to save our planet, and in doing so, get in a lot of dept. It is simply a question of now or then.
The final misconception is that global warming is too big a problem to be solved. If the nations of this one planet we all share came together and tried to find a solution, we could succeed.
12. What is one environmental problem that was solved by the U.S. leading the way and other nations following?
The hole in the stratospheric ozone layer. It was said to be incorrigible, since it was global, but we all worked together, with the United States as our leader, and did the impossible. As we have clearly demonstrated before, we are capable of coming together, and whether that is tomorrow or in 50 years, it will be necessary, once again.
13. What can you do to reduce your carbon emissions?
First of all, I need to figure out am doing wrong. For this, I can visit a website, like the one I visited previously for health class. After I am fully aware of my problems, I can then take action. This movie as well as has helped me to generate a list of things I need to do to reduce my carbon emissions.
-buy energy efficient appliances and light bulbs
-change my thermostat (reduce energy for heating and cooling)
-weatherize my house (get insulation and an energy audit)
-recycle
-buy a hybrid car,walk, ride a bicycle,use light rail and mass transit
-switch to renewable sources of energy
-call my power company to see if they offer green energy
-plant trees
-speak up in my community
-call radio shows and write newspapers
-insist that America freeze carbon dioxide admissions
-join international efforts to solve global warming
-reduce my independence on foreign oil
-help farmers grow alcohol fuels
-raise fuel economy standards, require lower admissions from automobiles
-pray people will find the strength to change
-encourage everyone I know to see An Inconvenient Truth, and learn as much as I can about this climate crisis
-put my knowledge into action.
This movie asks that I put my knowledge into action. It tells me to encourage everyone I know to see this movie, and to learn as much as I can about this climate crisis. Before this week, if you asked me what global warming was, I couldn’t have given you much of an answer. I had heard of this problem, but I thought “Well the winter in Canada could be a little warmer anyway… And besides, what can one 13-year-old really do?” I thought that since global warming was not currently affecting me, then it did not matter. Well, I am pretty sure I am not going to be a scientist when I grow up, but this movie did inspire me. Have you ever heard of Louis-Ernest Laduree? Well he founded Laduree, my favorite bakery, 149 years ago. I do not know how one person could make so many people happy (there are currently 15 locations, and 15 000 of their famous double-decker macaroons are sold every day). He is my dream, I want to grow up and enlighten peoples’ days, with tidbits of heaven just like he did and still does. However, just like we cannot choose the economy over our planet (even though we do not technically have to choose one over the other). If we don’t fix this soon, I will never have the chance to fulfill my dreams. Maybe you don’t look at it this way, but in the end, I do think global warming is a problem, not only for me, but for everyone else on our planet Earth, and we need to take action, and fast. In fifty years, we might not have the luxury of calling Earth our home, or calling anything our home.
How many more canaries need to suffer before the message comes through?