SBA Sample-Text A - Film Review - Global Issue
SBA Sample-Text A - Film Review - Global Issue
SBA Sample-Text A - Film Review - Global Issue
Gore’s Mission:
Mission: Planet Earth
A film review of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth
Stephen Wu
Former vice president of the United States, Al Gore, is on a mission. His destination? No, it is
no longer the highest political office in the United States it seems. He will leave that mission to
other noble-minded men (or women). Mr Gore has set his sights on loftier goals. The aim of
his mission now is Planet Earth.
In 2007, Al Gore shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change as a result of the tireless work he has done to educate people all over the world
about the dangers of global warming. The problem was poignantly portrayed in his Oscar-
winning documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth.
What exactly does An Inconvenient Truth tell us about global warming? What is causing our
planet to get hotter? How do we know? What are the consequences? Is there anything that we
can do to help? These are some of the questions that Al Gore takes on in the film.
In An Inconvenient Truth, the concept of global warming is explained, first in scientific terms,
and then in a format that even young children can appreciate: a Simpsons-like animation film
about the unsuspecting “Mr Sunbeam” who meets a menacing gang of greenhouse gases.
This cartoon is meant to illustrate the greenhouse effect. Like the green-tinted glass of a
greenhouse that provides a warm environment for plants, greenhouse gases in the Earth’s
atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, trap the sun’s heat, which has a warming effect on the
Earth. In itself, this is a good thing. Without greenhouse gases, the Earth would freeze.
However, human activities are tilting the balance. We are burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil
and petrol, and this is releasing vast amounts of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the
atmosphere. At the same time, we are clearing forests for wood and for creating more
farmland. Plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide, but when we cut them down, the problem of
global warming gets worse. As the amount of carbon dioxide increases, the atmosphere absorbs
more heat and the Earth continues to get warmer.
The evidence that Mr Gore presents in his film is overwhelming and very convincing. The vast
majority of scientists agree, claims Mr Gore, that global warming is not natural; rather, it is
caused by human activities.
What are some of the devastating effects of global warming? According to the film, mountain
glaciers are melting very quickly. What’s worse is that polar ice caps, as well as shelf ice in
Greenland and Antarctica, are also melting at an unprecedented rate. This will ultimately result
in rising sea levels which will submerge low-lying coastal areas around the world.
Weather patterns have also become more unpredictable. For instance, the number of
hurricanes, or typhoons, has nearly doubled over the last thirty years. At around the same time
An Inconvenient Truth was being filmed, Hurricane Katrina struck the city of New Orleans,
causing extensive damage from flooding. In many other parts of the world, heat waves,
droughts and wildfires are also on the increase.
If global warming continues, we can expect the consequences to get even worse, not only for
humans but for many other creatures on Earth. Climate change and coastal flooding and will
result in a massive refugee crisis for humans and the extinction of many species of animals.
Mr Gore claims that “we already know everything we need to know to effectively address this
problem.” But what can we do?
If a greater number of humans were able to use more efficient electrical appliances, drive
smaller cars that get higher mileage, take mass transit more frequently, and invest in
renewable sources of energy like solar and wind power for our energy needs, we could
drastically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thus reducing global
warming and slowing down its effects. “The solutions are in our hands,” says Mr Gore. “What
we need is determination.”
The final message of the film is that the every individual must play a part for the sake of future
generations. If we all make small changes to our daily routines today, this can add up to big
differences in stopping global warming. We can choose the way we live, and our choices can
make a difference – one way or the other.
If you have not seen An Inconvenient Truth, you can begin by watching this film. Check out the
website www.climatecrisis.net for more ideas on saving the planet.