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1-Page Summary of Inconvenient Truth

Overall Summary

Al Gore released an inconvenient truth in 2006. The book was based on the documentary of the same name and presented scientific information about global warming, interspersed with stories from his life that demonstrate how this issue affects him personally.

An Inconvenient Truth is a documentary about climate change and global warming. It begins with Al Gore’s introduction to the issue of climate change, which came from his college professor. The book then goes on to discuss how carbon dioxide levels are affecting the world’s temperature and glaciers around the globe. Following this, it looks at how Gore shifted his focus after he had a close call with death in an accident involving his son, who was six years old at that time. This led him to refocus on what makes Earth livable for future generations and made him aware of rising temperatures caused by increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The next part discusses weather patterns as they relate to global warming: heat waves, hurricanes, desertification, etc., including their impact on human life and economy.

Al Gore discusses the polar ice caps and his personal experiences with nature. He talks about how he has spent time on farms, which helps him understand issues of climate change better. He also describes how people have lost touch with nature in their daily lives.

Al Gore discusses how climate change is threatening species throughout the world. He talks about coral reefs, ocean acidification, and algae proliferation. He also explores Antarctica’s melting ice shelves and rising sea levels that threaten coastal cities around the globe.

Al Gore starts off this section by sharing a personal story about his commitment to public service. He says that he loves the American system of government because it’s so free and open, but we need to use our freedom wisely. In the next part, Gore talks about how human civilization is affecting nature and climate change. We have a moral obligation to use technology in ways that benefit people as well as the planet. Climate change isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s also a political one with corporate interests involved in hiding information from us.

He continues to discuss climate change, which is a reality that scientists agree on. He then talks about the current actions and future possibilities of global warming. His last story explores how it has become politically expedient to discredit and deny the existence of global warming because people do not want to change their lifestyles.

Gore ends the book on a positive note, reminding us about how we’ve overcome obstacles in the past. He also reminds readers of ways to make a difference by being mindful of transportation and energy issues. In addition, he lists misconceptions about climate change as reminders of his core message: that people need to understand the truth about global warming.

Section 1

In his introduction, Gore talks about the urgency of climate change. He reflects on how he came to believe in global warming and why it is important for people to understand what is happening. He also mentions some obstacles that are preventing people from understanding the issue better. His tone is urgent but hopeful as he reminds readers of what’s at stake if we don’t act now, while pointing out opportunities for progress: “we can harness the sun and wind; we can stop wasting energy; we can use our planet’s plentiful coal resources without heating up the earth.”

The next pages show images of the earth from space, and explain why these images are so extraordinary. Gore segues into a discussion of the atmosphere and follows it with a discussion about global warming. The sun heats up the earth, which then sends back infrared rays to keep us warm. Some of those rays are trapped by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, making Earth’s temperature rise.

Inconvenient Truth Book Summary, by Al Gore