An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary
Emergency of Global Warming and What We
Can Do About It
By Al Gore
Rodale Books 2006, 328 pps.
Thirty years ago, the environment was
a popular concern. Grassroots groups raised
our awareness about recycling, carpooling,
pollution and the ozone layer. Earth Day
was proclaimed in San Francisco; and wrapped
in his woolen sweater, President Jimmy
Carter urged Americans to set thermostats
to energy-saving levels. Yet somewhere
along the way, these issues became less
pressing as the country moved toward larger
cars and greater consumption. Attention
turned increasingly to global terrorism,
not global warming. Now Al Gore wants
to put the environment back on the agenda—and
after another summer of record-breaking
temperatures, more Americans may be ready
to listen.
In “An Inconvenient Truth,”
Gore declares that we have reached a point
of planetary crisis. He begins by outlining
the basic science of global warming, then
traces four decades of scientific research
to demonstrate the hazardous effect of
escalating carbon dioxide emissions. From
Katrina to Darfur, powerful storm systems,
melting glaciers, increased drought and
soil moisture evaporation are all indications
of the devastating toll unrestrained development
is taking upon the Earth. And while the
United States is responsible for 30 percent
of the world’s greenhouse gas pollution,
our country has been slower than many
to address the problems. Indeed, Gore
charges that the federal government, big
business and even the media have obfuscated
the gravity of the situation. Why is it,
he asks, that of 928 recent scientific
articles, not one questions the causes
of global warming, while in the popular
press, 63 percent of articles suggest
there is debate over the issue?
While Gore exposes the seriousness of
global warming, his message is not an
apocalyptic one. People need to avoid
moving from denial to despair, he writes,
because measures can and should be taken.
“Each of us can become part of the
solution: in the decisions we make on
what we buy, the amount of electricity
we use, the cars we drive and how we live
our lives.” Gore suggests that the
truth about global warming is an “inconvenient
one” because people will have to
make significant changes. But he argues
that a collective effort can make a difference
and will be harmful neither to the economy
nor to our standard of living. The final
section of the book provides suggestions
for ways people can get involved individually,
from lowering energy consumption in the
home, to choosing hybrid automobiles,
recycling, composting and telecommuting.
Gore has sounded the alarm about global
warming for several years, in part through
a multimedia presentation he’s delivered
in cities around the world. More recently,
he joined director David Guggenheim to
produce a documentary based on this presentation,
featuring dramatic film clips and simulations
that demonstrate, for example, just how
much of Florida, Holland and New York
City will be submerged, should sea levels
continue to rise unabated. For this book,
Gore retained much of the same format,
emphasizing visuals, charts and graphs
over extended text. Yet as the hard-copy
version of the film, the book provides
greater elaboration of the arguments and
allows readers to ponder statements that
pass by all too fleetingly in the celluloid
presentation. We also hear more of Gore’s
own story. Discussing how personal experiences
prompted his commitment to the environment,
Gore writes that after his son’s
near-fatal car accident, he felt convinced
that he “was handed not just a second
chance but an obligation to pay attention
to what matters.”
Aimed at a general audience, “An
Inconvenient Truth” may not achieve
the level of depth sought by some engineers,
especially those already at the forefront
in combating global warming, whether on
a local level or through ambitious macro-engineering
projects. Yet with its cogent arguments
and graphic examples, Gore’s book
makes for compelling reading. Both it
and the film, which should soon be released
on DVD, can serve as useful pedagogical
tools in the engineering classroom.
Robin Tatu is a freelance writer
based in Washington, D.C.
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