Notes to Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”
1.
Al Gore says that atmosphere is “thickening” - - nope. It is only changing in chemical composition
2.
“Climate Change” is a better term than “global warming” because it encompasses:
3.
a.
projected increasing extremes in any direction
b.
an ice age could result from excessive warming
The atmosphere appears vast, but is really thin in depth and thin in density – like car polis. In the ‘old’ days we dumped
derelict cars and dead animals into small streams. The quantity and quality (synthetics) make that unworkable now. Is there
any reason to believe that the same is NOT true for the atmosphere?
4.
Warmer oceans (undeniable) are the source of heat for hurricanes.
5.
Ocean ice was melting BEFORE human-produced CO2
6.
Peer review is a big key – there are ‘journal’ articles, sometimes published by hobbyists and preachers, allegedly showing
evidence that ‘global warming’ is a hoax.
7.
Global warming is not evenly distributed: more change where it is most unwanted: Phoenix is only a fraction of a degree
warmer, while the poles are perhaps 10 degrees warmer
8.
More heat means more precipitation and more clouds. But are the clouds and precipitation where we need them? Worse,
more heat means that land covers more of the share of evaporation. Rain occurs more over water where it is not needed.
9.
If we can accept that a small change in average atmospheric temperature can result in gradual, but powerful accumulation of
change, such as ice storage, then why can’t small change in average atmospheric temperature be caused by accumulation of
atmospheric gases that hold heat? By the same token, is there any way to disagree that small change in average annual
temperature over the entire earth cannot be spread disproportionately? Further, can any argument be made that dark ocean is
not substantially different from white ice? Finally, can any argument be raised against the allegation that water is as
divergent in heat absorption n excellent means of holding heat
10. The fact that nature provokes its own vast climate change does not mean that we should radically increase the speed at which
change occurs. Conditions are risky enough as is.
11. Mostly short wave IN – mostly long wave out. Gore says “sunshine” or “sunlight” – that is only about 45%
12. Business and community success increasingly require close cooperation and tight control over resources. An increase in
erratic weather can wreak havoc with human systems that have little margin. For instance, financing for the Vancouver
Olympics ran roughly $1.0 Billion for police security alone, a human variability. Meanwhile, a lack of snow-fall almost
doomed large portions of the event. Afterward, residual financial debt is a dire portent for future Olympic hosts.
13. The ‘premium’ paid for risk accounting may rise exponentially as:
a.
we further encroach on nature’s proclivities (more beach homes in Florida)
b.
our valuation of life and property rises
14. Aside from proponents of climate change, apparent extremes in weather are often ascribed to supernatural causes, including
religion (Diety or devil). An even better explanation for apparent climate change may actually be our perceptions:
a.
rapid population growth in vulnerable areas. For instance, Southern California and the U.S. gulf coast are
deceptively risky places for more than brief visits, yet population growth there is rapid and persistent.
b.
The quality and quantity of reporting tools are burgeoning: home videos, commercial news media and governmentsponsored programs all direct attention to natural calamities.
c.
Human expectations are growing: as quality-of-life improves for most people most of the time, we tend to complain
more about adversity from nature. In previous eras, death and suffering due to natural events were more accepted.
15. The labels “conservative” and “liberal” are unfortunate: they tend to polarize positions rather than accommodate underlying
interests. Opposition to belief in human-caused climate change may result from improper association of that issue with other
issues that popular culture ascribes to the same general political realm, such as abortion. Issues should be evaluated on their
own merits, rather than judging them on the basis of their apparent association with a social or political group to which one is
opposed in general.
16. Did Gore move the “zero” scale to 0.5 to exaggerate apparent change?
17. People opposed to environmental issues may be failing to recognize that current environmental conditions are better than
they would have been if similar opposition had prevailed in the past. How many conservatives would actually want to roll
back legislation to an era that allowed practices that today would be considered egregious? If air quality in Salt Lake City is
dangerous at times, how much worse would it be if ‘conservatives’ had prevailed in previous eras of regulatory promulgation,
such as the original Clean Air Act?
18. Does ‘doing the right thing really produce jobs and wealth? How so? Sometimes we just have to do the hard thing.
19. Whether or not climate is warmer, variability is also an issue: less predictability can be a severe burden for agriculture and
flora/fauna
20. Arguments may often be based on skewed selection of facts. For instance:
a.
atmospheric CO2 declines regularly during winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
b.
Evidence of thickening icecaps near the poles may be applied to suggest global cooling as well as global warming.
c.
Natural processes produce some components of ‘smog’ such as nitrogen dioxide from forest decay.
d.
Every year, countless weather records are set for both cold and heat. How data are selected can be used as evidence
for almost any conclusion.
21. The fact that proponents of ‘climate change’ admit to divergence in many aspects of data and analysis can also be used as
grist for conclusions either for against them:
a.
skeptics may point to such uncertainties, gaps and apparent contradictions as evidence against drawing any
conclusion except that climate change conclusions are not reliable and therefore supporting policy is not warranted.
b.
Proponents may argue that uncertainty and complexity are ample reasons for taking action to reduce the likelihood
of worsening conditions. In a sense, ‘liberals’ are actually ‘conservative.’
22. Proponents of climate change have arguably done far more to raise the level of science debate in society. Some
commentators point out that people who generally fall into the category of ‘conservative’ tend to speak relatively more in
terms of human values, while those who might be easily labeled as ‘liberals’ may tend to speak more in terms of facts and
quantitative measures.
23. In human relationships, individuals and organizations may be classed in terms of how much they are divergent or convergent
in their thinking. Divergent thinkers may be more often skeptical of ideas and allegations, often saying “yeah but . . .” In
contrast, convergent thinkers tend to look for commonalities and agreement. Both tendencies have advantages and
disadvantages. Saying “yeah but” may raise important questions, but can result in paralysis; in contrast, looking for
agreement can lead to ‘group think’ blind action. Aside from all that, some people even oppose the very notion of looking at
things in terms of their divergence or convergence!
24. The fact that the Pleistocene era glaciation is so recent indicates substantial global warming before anthropomorphic factors
evolved. Does that pre-existing trend suggest that global warming is occurring regardless of humans?
25. Simple associations can be simultaneously true and yet misleading. “To every complex question there is a simple solution,
and it is usually wrong.” For instance, it can be argued that atmospheric systems are self-limiting: an increase in atmospheric
heat should produces evaporation that results in cloud cover that limits heat-producing electromagnetic radiation. However,
the subsequent effects of latent heat, condensation and heat transfer greatly complicate the question. Such complexity is used
as evidence in diametric conclusions about climate change.
26. How to measure one’s effectiveness in ‘common sense?’
a.
is your black trash can more full than your blue one?
b.
Is your car bigger than average, or smaller?
c.
Do you drive faster than average, or slower?
d.
Do you contribute time or money to any organization that promotes preservation of natural systems?
e.
Are you in debt, other than for school or mortgage?
27. Metaphorically, the human liver is reputed to be the last internal organ to complain about poor treatment, but when symptoms
do appear it is often too late to take effective action. If anything similar is true about earth’s climates, then warning signs and
common sense should play important roles in our thinking. For instance, the term “tipping point” is applied to many
phenomena. It is easy to make a case that the world’s largest bodies of ice can melt quickly when surrounding water, being
dark, warms quickly. Restoring a reflective cover over large bodies of water may be impossible once even the thinnest layer
of reflective white is gone.
28. If we place high demands or expectations on natural phenomena then we leave little margin for nature to do anything except
what suits us. Is that a fair burden for nature in such things as coastal human development and off-shore exploitation of
mineral resources. If demand constantly reaches capacity, then does nature have any option but to eventually disappoint us,
perhaps catastrophically? Likewise, preparation for disruptive seismic activity in the Salt Lake City area is minimal. We
trust that things will somehow work out for us, because they have in the past.
29. The fact that we may not know the consequences of anthropomorphic climate change does not mean that consequences won’t
occur. In fact, we ought to take the opposite position: the greater the uncertainty over consequences the greater preventive
effort should occur.
30. Hyperbole mixed with mainstream ‘values’ - - President Bush saying that if environmentalists have their way, we’ll be up to
our ears in spotted owls and every American will be out of work. Neither statement is even remotely possible or intended by
even the most shrill environmentalist.
31. How does land ice differ from shelf ice, or floating ice? If south sea islands are allegedly flooding due to melting polar ice,
then why is Manhattan not apparently flooding?
32. Hyperbole from ‘conservatives’ can indicate unwillingness to be genuinely factual. Bush alleged: “Up to our ears in spotted
owls and every American out of work.”
33. The U.S. share of world-wide production of greenhouse gases probably should be increased due to the extent that the U.S.
imports and consumes goods that were produced elsewhere. The U.S. trade deficit masks the extent to which we have
“exported” responsibility for greenhouse gas production.
34. Trend curves tend to not continue: we did not run out of cobalt or aluminum or anything else
35. The allegation that inadequate regulation explains the apparent difference in forestation between Haiti and the Dominican
Republic should be considered in light of the effects of trade winds on that island.
36. Conservative talk tends to focus on “rights” while liberal talk focuses more on obligations. Which view would most likely
promote the clean air and highway safety that I need for riding my bike?
37. What IS the historical average for CO2? 300 ppm? 180 ppm or 350 ppm?
38. What is the definition of “sustainable”?
39. Pre-law student said that Gore reversed the causal order: heat came first, then rise in CO 2 – did your coming to class make the
sun come up or did the sun influence your coming to class. What IF you came to class before sunrise? Would that change
your opinion about your influence over the sun?
40. Do empirical conditions count?
a.
Texas set all-time record for hottest state over a year – more than 100 days above 100 degrees
b.
Meanwhile, just next door to the east, flooding is persistent.
c.
More than 500 killed by tornadoes (1925 was 700)
d.
Are tornadoes just more reported or more common?
e.
Year 2005 was “one for the record books” for hurricanes, but subsequent years have been mild