An Inconvenient Truth

Homework #2: An Inconvenient Truth

The answers shown here are based on the information given in the movie "An Inconvenient Truth."

1.     The picture of Earth Rise started the modern day environmental movement.

2.     The atmosphere is the most vulnerable part of the earth system because it is so thin.

3.     Compared to the earth, the atmosphere is about as thick as a coat of varnish on a globe.

4.     Trapping infrared radiation can be a good thing because it keeps the temperature of the earth in certain boundaries, which in turn keeps it constant and livable. On the other hand, it heats up the atmosphere worldwide.

6.     More than 40% of people depend on glacial melt for their drinking water

7.     Studying ice cores is important because the bubbles trapped in the ice contain a certain amount of CO₂. This amount can be measured and analyzed.

8.     When the carbon dioxide concentration increases, the temperature increases as well.

9.     The hottest 10 years on earth occurred in the years 1992-2006.

10.  As the water temperature under a hurricane increases, the wind velocity increases as well and causes stronger storms.

11.  Over the past few decades, Lake Chad has dried up to almost nothing.

12.  More than 90% of the sunlight hitting the ice is reflected.

13.  The ocean currents distribute the heat between the poles by deep-sea circulation. This is called “conveyor belt” circulation.

14.   If the ice sheets of Western Antarctica were to melt, the sea level would rise about 20 feet.

15.  List the three factors causing the collision between civilization and earth

1. Increase in population

2. Certain consequences of the scientific and technological revolution that have a large affect on the world, such as larger and more powerful tools and advanced warfare technologies.

3. Perception of the issue. The gradual change is not jarring enough to instigate worry and action.

16. Approximately 30% of global carbon dioxide emissions come from forest fires.

17. The USA is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

18. The USA has the lowest government standards for gas mileage of automobiles.

19. The USA and Australia are the two nations have not signed onto the Kyoto Protocol.