Political Science

Outline

1. Introduction

a)      Background of the discussion

b)      Al Gore’s assertion and basis of his theory

c)      Thesis statement

2. Discussion

a)      Impacts of technological revolution on global warming

b)      Effects of population explosion of global warming

c)      Scientific criticism of Gore’s theory

3. Conclusion

a)      Empirical evidence against Gore’s theory

b)      Position that the Congress should take on the issue of global warming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Global Warming by Al Gore Theory; Fact or Fiction

Introduction

The advent of global warming and the myths surrounding the phenomenon have sparked many debates in global politics especially in terms of observations and strategies needed to end the problem. Al Gore, the former vice president of the United States and 2007 Nobel Laureate has been a significant figure in the fight against global warming. His theory concerning global warming, which is based on human activities as the impetus towards the rise in temperatures and other catastrophic elements, has however been disapproved of and rejected by the scientific community as a myth that lacks credible prove. Gore in his words asserts that, “the relationship between human civilization and the Earth has been utterly transformed by…the population explosion, the technological revolution, and a willingness to ignore the future consequences of our present actions,” (Gore, & Media, 2006, p. 8).

Discussion.

Regarding technological revolution, human kind has evolved from simplistic old age practices like the hunting and gathering practices to farming that was majorly impacted by the mechanization ages. The industrial revolution saw the sprucing up of manufacturing plants within a global scale and this has led to a significant level of pollution on the atmosphere, with a bias towards the carbon dioxide content. Consequently, “much of that CO₂ is being absorbed into the oceans that…will increase the concentration of calcium carbonate to levels that will prevent formation of corals and interfere with the making of shells” (Gore, & Media, 2006, p. 8). Gore’s theory additionally holds the view that with the continued rise in temperatures, glacial covers in Western Antarctica, North Pole, and Greenland, are melting at an elevated degree that threatens as possible twenty feet rise in the sea levels. Floods and other related water cataclysmic events as hurricanes and tornadoes are likely to result form the increased water levels.

Gore specifically cites Hurricane Katrina as one water catastrophe and claims that as global pollution gradually increases, the strengths and destructive abilities of such catastrophes will also increase in a proportionate or more than proportionate scale. Population explosion has necessitated land clearance activities like vegetation clearance and deforestation initially as a way for creating more farming lands to meet the heightened food demand caused by the increased populace. As the gradual increase of the world’s populace continued increasing, more was demanded of the earth’s resources in terms of settlement areas as well as food rearing areas. Urban spillages accounted by the horizontal expansion of cities have continued claiming more forests and lands, for residential and trade (industrial) purposes. Deforestation has led to the destruction of “critical habitats…causing the loss of living species at a level comparable to the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago,” (Gore, & Media, 2006, p. 8).

Gore’s theory has been criticized by scientists who argue that the premise is just but an appealing postulation that lacks scientific evidences (Lyttle, 2007). Hurricane specialists have conducted researches in a bid to ascertain the hypothesis that links up global warming and human activities and the results have proved Al Gore’s theory as fictional and a product of an individual that lacks knowledge of the atmospheric working patterns. These scientists have claimed that global warming has been effected by the level of salts present in the oceans and seas.  During the periods of high temperatures, evaporation levels and precipitation increase. This in turn causes the salinity of oceanic water to reduce and with the drop in slat deposits in the water the temperatures become cold. With lower temperatures, evaporation and precipitations reduces drastically and the salinity again starts increasing, accompanied by temperature rise. The result is a cyclical pattern marked by the seasons of alternating temperature rises and decreases as prompted by the levels of water salinity.

Conclusion.

To prove the assertion, the scientists have cited the cool periods 1900 to 1949 where one hundred and one hurricanes were experienced globally as opposed to the warm periods of 1957 to 2006 that had only eighty-three hurricanes (Lyttle, 2007). The inference thereof is that the earth will naturally move to the cool climate again and generate lower global temperatures on its own. Additionally, it has been measured that human activities account for only 3.5 percent contribution of the total global warming; this is a very insignificant fraction and it is not possible in leading to impacts that may affect the whole globe. With this argument, I beseech you as the members of congress to reject Al Gore’s theory on global warming as mere speculation, until he offers concrete evidence that ties the various claims to global warming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Gore, A., & Media, M. (2006). An inconvenient truth: the planetary emergency of global warming and what we can do about it. New York, NY: Rodale.

Lyttle, S. (2007, October 14). Gore gets a cold shoulder. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/gore-gets-a-cold

shoulder/2007/10/13/1191696238792.html