We look at that river
running smoothly.
You notice the leaves
whispering in the wind.
We hear the birds.
We heard core plugs.
In the distance, you hear a cow.
We feel the grass.
The mud gives a little bit on the waterfront.
It's quiet. It's serene.
And suddenly,
gives a change within us
It's like background respirássemos and we said:
"Oh yeah, I forgot it."
This is the first image of Earth seen from space
that some of us have ever seen.
It was taken on the eve Christmas 1968
during Apollo 8.
... Within the margins on comfortable.
But we are filling this fine layer of atmosphere with pollution.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Al Gore.
My name is Al Gore.
It used to be the next president United States of America.
I do not think this is particularly funny.
Long ago I have been trying to tell this story,
and I feel like I have failed to convey the message.
I've been a long time in politics and I take pride in our services.
They must be kidding me. This is a national disaster.
Bring all the damned Greyhound buses in this country,
and put us to move to New Orleans.
They are thinking of small,
and this is a very, very, very seriously.
What we need now?
There are good people,
politics in both parties,
What does this have in mind
because it admits and acknowledges
that the moral imperative of make big changes
is compelling.
... Unless we solve the devil the biggest crisis this country's history.
An Inconvenient Truth
... Identified the points of landing and lost radio contact
when passed through dark side of the moon.
And inevitably there was a thriller.
So when they returned to have radio contact,
looked up
and took this photograph, which was known as "Earthrise"
This simple picture exploded
the consciousness of humanity.
Led to changes dramatic.
18 months after this photograph,
had started the modern environmental movement.
The next photo was taken the last of the Apollo missions.
Apollo 17.
This was taken on 11 December 1972
and is shooting more often published throughout history.
And it's the only picture that we have the earth from space
when the sun is directly behind the spacecraft,
so the earth is totally illuminated and not partly in darkness.
The image next to them will show almost never been seen.
It was taken by a spacecraft called Galileo
which was launched to explore the solar system.
And departing from the gravity land, turned the cameras back
and noted a moving image a day of fast rotation,
here compressed into 24 seconds.
Is not it beautiful?
This image is in some magical way.
It was made by a friend of mine, Tom Van Sant.
He took pictures in 3000 separate satellite
taken over a period of thirty years and joined digitally.
He chose images that give a cloudless view
each square centimeter Earth's surface.
All land masses portrayed accurately.
When it is all open becomes an iconic image.
I showed you this because they want to tell a story about two teachers I had.
One of those I loved and another who was a true hero to me.
I had a teacher who teaching geography
pulling a world map forward the frame.
I had a colleague in the 6th year he raised his arm
and pointed to the outline the east coast of South America
and to the west coast Africa
and asked: "Have you been together?"
And the teacher said:
"Of course not. It is the most ridiculous I've ever heard. "
This student eventually become a drug addict with a bad reputation.
The teacher ended up become scientific adviser
the current administration.
But, you know, the teacher was in fact reflect
completion of the institution scientific height.
Continents are so big it is obvious that one can not move.
But in fact, as we know today, they moved around.
Moved away from each other.
But at any given time, were in fact engaged.
But this hypothesis was a problem.
Reflected the popular wisdom
that causes us trouble is not what we do not know,
is what we are sure it is not so.
This is indeed an important point, believe it or not,
because there is another assumption similar
that many people have in mind, Today, global warming,
and that is not so.
The assumption is more or less like this: The earth is so great
it is impossible to cause a lasting detrimental impact
in the terrestrial environment.
And maybe that was true at times, but it is not so.
And one of the reasons is no longer true
is that the most vulnerable Earth's ecological system
is the atmosphere.
Vulnerable because it is so thin.
My friend and deceased, Carl Sagan used to say:
"If we have a big ball with a layer of varnish on it,
the thickness of varnish, compared to that globe
is approximately the same
that the thickness of atmosphere
compared with the Earth itself.
It is thin enough
to be able for you to change the composition.
This brings us to the discussion of basic principle of global warming.
And I will not spend much time with this, because they know well.
Solar radiation reaches us in the form of light waves
warming the Earth.
So some of the radiation is absorbed and warms the Earth
and radiated back into space
in the form of infrared radiation.
Some of the infrared radiation that comes out is retained
this layer of atmosphere and is trapped within the atmosphere.
And that's great because it keeps Earth's temperature
within certain limits,
that remain relatively constant and livable.
But the problem is that this thin layer the atmosphere is becoming thicker
all the pollution that if there is accumulating.
And what happens is that by making thicker the layer of the atmosphere
more infrared radiation reflected is trapped.
So the atmosphere heats up in worldwide. This is global warming.
Well, this is the traditional explanation.
I'll show them what is for me a better explanation.
GLOBAL WARMING or Some Like It Hot!
You're probably thinking why your ice cream melted.
Well, Susie, the guilty are not foreigners.
Is global warming.
- Global ...? - Yes
Let me introduce you Mr. Ray of the Sun
He came from the Sun to visit the earth.
Hello Earth. I'm just going them around to brighten the day.
And now I'm off.
Not so fast, ray of sun
We are the greenhouse gases. Do not think that salt here!
Oh, my God. That hurts.
Soon the earth is fraught with rays of the sun
Their bodies to rot warming our atmosphere.
How do we get rid of the gases the greenhouse effect?
Fortunately, our attractive political
came up with a new form of combat global warming last minute.
Since 2063,
We dropped an ice cube simply Giant in the ocean, from time to time.
Like his father put in the drink every morning.
And then gets angry.
Of course, as greenhouse gases continue to grow,
need time more ice.
Thus, we solve the problem of time.
- But ... - Once!
This is the image that started me
my interest in the subject.
I saw her when she was a university student
because I had a teacher named Roger Revelle
it was the first person to propose measuring carbon dioxide
Earth's atmosphere.
He saw where the story led us,
after the first few chapters.
After the first year of data,
He intuited that the meant
for what was to come.
They devised this experience in 1957.
Charles David Keeling hired
it was very reliable and accurate
to make these measurements decades.
Began releasing balloons weather all year
and chose the Central Pacific
because it was the most remote area.
He was a scientist too practical and objective.
Placed great importance data material.
It was a wonderful time for me
because, like many young people,
I contacted with intellectual excitement,
ideas that I never have considered
even in my dreams fancier.
And he showed our class
the results of their measurements only after a few years.
It was alarming to me.
But he was alarmed
and made it clear our class
what he felt was the meaning of it.
And I absorbed it as a sponge.
He made the connection
among the largest changes of our civilization
and the pattern that was now visible
the atmosphere the entire planet.
Then projected for the future where it led us
unless we make some adjustments.
And it was clear as day.
After the first seven eight, nine,
We could see the pattern that was developing.
But I put this question:
Why is it that goes up and down every year?
He explained that if we look for the planet's land masses,
there are very few south of the equator.
The vast majority is north of the equator,
and most of the vegetation lies north of the equator.
Therefore, when the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the sun,
that is, in our Spring and summer
The leaves emerge and breathe carbon dioxide,
and the amount in the atmosphere down.
But when the northern hemisphere is tilted in the opposite direction of the sun,
as it is in our Autumn and winter
leaves fall and exhale carbon dioxide.
and the amount in atmosphere goes up again.
So it's with the whole earth, 218 00:15:11,725 ​​--> 00:15:14,665 once a year, inhale and exhale.
So we started measuring carbon dioxide in 1958.
And you can see
that by the mid-'60s, when he showed this picture to my class,
it was clear that the levels were rising.
I respected him and learned so much with him, to follow it.
And when I entered Congress in the mid-70,
helped organize the first hearings on global warming
and I asked my teacher to come and give the opening statement.
And I thought it would have a impact so great,
that would put us on the path to solving the problem, but it was not.
But I continued with the audience. And in 1984, went to the Senate
seriously and we urge the subject
roundtables with science and the like.
I wrote a book on the subject, I applied for the presidency in 1988,
in part to try to win visibility to this issue.
And in 1992 I went to the White House. We passed a version of a carbon tax
and some other measures to try to deal with the matter.
We went to Kyoto in 1997 to help you get a treaty
that is so controversial, at least in the U.S..
In 2000,
my opponent has committed to regulate CO2 and then ...
This was not a commitment fulfilled.
But the purpose of this
is that during this time, could see
I have seen over the years.
Continues to rise. He is relentless.
And now we begin to see the impact in the real world.
This is Mount Kilimanjaro more than 30 years ago
and more recently.
A friend of mine just return from Kilimanjaro
with a photograph he took a few months ago.
Another friend, Lonnie Thompson, studying glaciers.
Here's Lonnie with the last slice one of the once mighty glaciers.
Within a decade there will be more snow on Kilimanjaro.
This happens in the Park Glaciers National.
I climbed to the top of this in 1998 with one of my daughters.
Within 15 years, this is the "Park Formerly Known As Glacier "
This is what is happening year after year to the Columbia Glacier.
Retreats each year that passes.
It is a pity, because these glaciers are so beautiful.
But going up to see them
Now this is what they see daily.
In the Himalayas there is a particular problem
because 40% of people World
get the water you drink systems of rivers and springs
that are fed by more than half the melted ice
from these glaciers.
And in the next 50 years, 40% of these people on earth
will face a very serious shortage
due to this melting.
Italy, the Italian Alps.
The same view today.
An old postcard Switzerland.
For all seen the Alps the same story.
This is also true South America
This is Peru 15 years ago.
And the same glacier today.
Argentina 20 years ago. The same glacier today.
75 years ago in Patagonia, on the edge of South America
This vast ice no longer exists.
There is a message in it.
It is worldwide.
And the ice has stories to tell us.
My friend Lonnie Thompson, makes holes in the ice.
Penetrate deep
and bring samples of the holes examine the surface where the ice
and study it.
When snow falls, capturing small bubbles of the atmosphere
and they can go there and measure
the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere in the year that snow fell.
What is even more interesting, I think, is
they measure the different isotopes of oxygen
and obtain a very accurate thermometer.
which says that temperature was
in the year that the bubble was stuck in the snow when it fell.
When I was in Antarctica I saw some samples as well.
And kind and said they looked at:
"This was when the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Act. "
And I could not believe it.
But I could see the difference the naked eye.
Just a few years after this law was passed,
is clearly distinguishable.
They can go back year after year
the same way as an expert forests reading tree rings.
And we can see each annual layer caused by the melting and refreezing,
so they can go back a thousand years, in many of these mountain glaciers
And they built a thermometer with the temperatures.
Blue is cold and the Red is hot.
Now, I show that for several reasons.
First, the so-called skeptics sometimes say:
"Oh, all this is a phenomenon cyclical.
After all, there was a period Mediaeval Warm. "
Oh, it was. There he is, right there.
There are two more.
But compared with the that is happening now,
there is no comparison.
So if we look at the temperature values ​​in a thousand years
and compare them values ​​of 1000 years of CO2
we can see how they almost fit into one another.
Now, a thousand years of CO2 in mountain glaciers,
is one thing.
But in Antarctica, they can back to 650,000 years.
This is, incidentally, the first time
someone out of a restricted group of scientists see this image.
This is the current era,
and this is the last ice age.
Then it comes up. Let's go back 650,000 years.
This is the warm-up period between the last two ice ages.
These are the second and third ice ages back.
The fourth, fifth, sixth
and the seventh ice age back.
Now, an important point.
Throughout this time, 650,000 years,
CO2 levels have never went beyond
300 parts per million.
Now, as I said, they can measure the temperature.
Here the temperature has done on Earth
Now, one of the things that jumps out at you ...
Well, let me put it this way: If my colleague from the 6th year
speaking Africa and South America were here,
he would say: "Did they ever fit together?"
"The most ridiculous thing I've heard! "
But embedded, of course
And the relationship is really very complicated.
But there is a relationship much more powerful
all other which is as follows:
Where there is more carbon dioxide, the temperature warms
because it captures more heat the sun inside.
In areas of the United States that contain the modern cities
of Clevland, Detroit and New York, alignment north
this is the difference between a beautiful day
and have a kilometer of ice over our heads.
Do not forget it when you look at this.
Carbon dioxide,
never rose above the 300 parts per million,
that's where it is now.
Well above where some ever been,
measure how far these records.
Well, if they have patience for me, I would like to emphasize this point.
Here the team
tried to teach me to use this device here.
So if I do not kill me, I ...
It's here.
Look how it is above values ​​of the natural cycle,
And we who we did it.
But, ladies and gentlemen, in the next 50 years,
in fact, in less than 50 years,
will continue to rise.
While some children who are here are my age,
here's how it will be less 50.
Ever heard of breaking this scale?
In less than 50 years, will be here.
There is no single fact or date or number
that has been used to compose this that is minimally controversial.
The so-called skeptics look at this and say:
"So? Seems to be okay."
Well ..
Once again, if side temperatures,
this to the cold side, corresponds to a mile of ice over our heads
what would this amount aside from hot?
Ultimately, this does not is itself a political issue
but much more a moral issue.
If we allow happen,
is profoundly immoral.
He had so much faith in our democratic system,
in our independence.
Actually thought and believed the story
was convincing enough to cause a real sweeping change
in the way Congress reacted to this issue.
I thought that they also would be alarmed.
But they were not.
Fights,
the victories that are not real victories, the losses that are not real losses.
May serve to expand the meaning
advances of some trivial
exaggerate the apparent importance
some heavy setback
April 3, 1989.
My son broke free of my hand
and chased a friend across the street.
He was six years old.
A machine breathed for him.
We would probably lose it.
He finally breathed.
We were a month in hospital.
It was almost as if
we could look at that calendar and make ...
And everything vanished.
Seemed trivial and insignificant.
He was so brave. It was so ...
It was a kind so brave.
It became my world upside down
all shook up and then fall.
My way of being in life, changed everything for me.
How should I go my time on this planet?
Investment seriously
trying to learn more deeply about the subject.
I went to Antarctica.
I went to the south pole, north pole, the Amazon.
I went to places where scientists I could help realize
parts of the subject I
had not understood in depth.
The possibility of losing I was most precious.
I gained an ability
that might not have before.
But when I felt,
felt that we could actually lose it,
that we take for granted can not be here for our children.
These are actual measurements of atmospheric temperature
since the American Civil War.
In any year of choice, it may appear that are going down,
but the overall trend is extremely clear.
And in recent years,
is and continues to intensify.
In fact, if we look at the 10 hottest years measured
this atmospheric record,
all occurred in the past 14.
And the hottest of all was 2005.
We have seen some of the heat waves
that are similar to what scientists say
presumably be much more common.
There are a couple of years ago in Europe, there was a massive heat wave
that killed 35,000 people.
India has not attracted much attention,
but in the same year, temperatures there reached
50 degrees centigrade.
This past summer the American West
there were many cities that have hit records the highest temperatures ever.
and the number of consecutive days with 38 degrees or more.
Two hundred towns and cities West broke all records.
And in the East, there were many locations where it happened.
Including, incidentally, New Orleans.
Therefore, the temperature increases are happening around the world,
including the oceans.
This is the natural range of variation ocean temperatures.
Well you know, people say: "Oh, it's natural,
"Ups and downs, there is cause for concern. "
This is the range that would expected over the past 60 years,
But scientists who specialize in global warming have computer models
who have long predicted this range temperature rise.
Now I'll show them, just released,
the current temperature the ocean.
And of course when the oceans warm, this causes stronger storms.
We have seen in recent years
date of a major hurricane.
Hurricanes Jeanne and Frances and Ivan were among them.
And in the same year that we had this succession of major hurricanes,
also beat all records tornadoes in the United States.
Japan also was not so attention of our media,
but it broke all records in typhoons.
The previous record was seven.
Here are the 10 that they had in 2004.
The science textbooks were to be rewritten
claimed to be impossible because there is a hurricane in the South Atlantic
But that same year, the first ever hit Brazil.
The summer of 2005 was for the books.
The first was Emily that hit the Yucatan.
After Hurricane Dennis appeared and made lots of damage,
including the oil industry.
This is the largest oil platform the world after Dennis has passed.
This was against the bridge at Mobile.
And then of course came Katrina.
It is worth recalling that when struck Florida, was Category One
But lots of people killed and caused billions of dollars in damage.
And then what happened?
Before reaching New Orleans,
gone through warmer waters.
As the temperature water rose,
wind speed increased
and moisture content increased.
And go see Hurricane Katrina to form over Florida.
And then as it enters the Gulf over warmer waters,
Acquires this energy and is more and stronger and stronger.
Look at the eye of the hurricane.
And of course, the consequences were so horrific
there are no words describe that.
Yes, we are receiving reports and calls that are breaking my heart.
People to say: "I have been in my attic. Do not take it anymore.
"Water gets me around the neck. I do not think I can handle it. "
And this happens as we speak.
We talked to everyone of the importance the subject of the 17th Street Canal.
We said, "Please, Please take care of it.
"I do not care what they do. Desenrasquem up! "
Something new to America.
But how on earth could this happen here?
There were warnings that the hurricane could become stronger.
There were warnings that this hurricane,
days before it arrives, would open gaps in the levees,
would cause the type of damage which eventually cause.
And a question that we as people, we must decide
is how to react when we are warned
by the world's top scientists.
There was another storm in years 30 different gender.
A terrible storm and without precedent in Europe,
and Winston Churchill warned English people
it was unlike any thing that had happened before
and that they had to to prepare for it.
And many people did not want believe.
He was truly exasperated with all the indecision.
And he said the following:
The era of procrastination, of half measures, expedients ashamed of consolation,
of delays, is coming to an end. In its place we enter a period of consequences.
Making mistakes in generations centuries and
had consequences that could be overcome.
We can no longer afford it.
We do not ask this happen,
but it happened.
Al Gore is the winner the national popular vote.
But the state of Florida, who win, win the White House.
Declare Florida column of Al Gore ...
Bulletin: Florida back to be placed in the undecided column.
George Bush is president elect of the United States. He is ...
The Florida goes to Bush. The presidency is Bush. Is determined.
At 2:18 in the morning, we design ...
Well, officially declare that Florida is technically tied.
Although I disagree strongly the court's decision ...
I accept it.
I accept the decision this result.
... Solemnly swear ...
I, George Walker Bush solemnly swear ...
... to faithfully execute the role of president ...
Well, it was a blow, but ...
What can you do?
We took the most possible.
Brought to the fore
I had a mission been pursuing
all these years
And the show went back to pass slide again.
One of the effects of global warming that often goes unnoticed
is that it causes precipitation
But most come at once following major storms.
Because evaporation from the oceans raises the humidity,
when storm conditions trigger the showers, more rain falls.
The insurance industry has already realized itself.
The extent of losses is rising.
See the damage caused by these severe weather events?
And 2005 does not even finished yet.
When finished, it will blow scale.
Europe had a great year similar to what we had
which says that nature is going mad.
All kinds of disasters unusual,
like a walk in nature the Book of Revelations.
Floods in Asia.
Mumbai, India in July.
940 mm of rain in 24 hours.
By far the largest downpour
that any city in India had ever received.
Huge floods in China too.
Global warming, paradoxically, not only cause more floods,
but also more droughts.
The neighboring province, right next to
had a severe drought at the same time that these areas were flooded.
One reason for this due to the fact that
global warming not only increase global precipitation
but also relocates precipitation.
It focuses primarily this part of Africa
on the edge of the Sahara.
Unbelievable tragedies have unfolded there.
and there are many reasons for this.
But Darfur and Niger are among these tragedies.
And one of the factors that have been combined for this
is the lack of rain and increased droughts.
This is Lake Chad, once one of the largest lakes in the world.
dried up in recent decades almost to disappearance,
greatly complicating the other problems they already have.
The second reason
why this is a paradox:
Global warming creates increased evaporation from oceans
feeding the clouds,
but it sucks the moisture from the soil.
The soil evaporation increases dramatically
with high temperatures.
And that has consequences for us in the United States, too.
This is the output of Carthage.
When I was 14, got rid of the family car
even there.
It was on that barrier and overturned.
And are viewing this bull Black Angus?
We were raising Black Angus.
My father was appointed Creator of the month.
He grew up on a farm.
Throughout his Senate career
he continued to return here and raising livestock.
Learn from our father on earth
is something very special.
My childhood education was quite unusual in that
I spent eight months each year in Washington DC
a small hotel suite.
Then, the remaining four months, were spent in this great and beautiful farm.
Here was a dog.
Here had a pony.
I could shoot my shotgun here.
I could go swimming in the river here.
Go out and lie down in the grass.
As a kid it cost me
to learn the difference between fun and work.
The places where people living were chosen
depending on the weather pattern
which has been more or less unchanged on Earth
since the last ice age 11 thousand years ago.
Here on this farm, patterns are changing.
And it seems to be gradual during a human life
but over time, as defined by this river,
is happening very, very quickly.
Two warning signs:
The first is the Arctic.
This, of course, is the ocean Arctic, the ice cap floating.
Greenland this side here.
I say wake up call
because the Arctic is a two regions of the world
experiencing more quickly impacts
of global warming.
This is the largest ice shelf Arctic,
The ice shelf Ward Hunt.
Broke in half there three years ago.
Scientists were amazed.
These are called drunken trees moving in all directions.
This is not caused by wind damage not for alcohol consumption.
These trees support the roots in permafrost (frozen layer below ground)
and the permafrost is melting.
And so they now hang in all directions.
This building was built on the permafrost
and collapsed with Thawing permafrost.
The house of the woman had to be abandoned.
The pipeline is suffering immense structural damage.
And, incidentally, the oil they want to produce in this protected area
in northern Alaska, I hope you do not,
will depend on the input and Output of trucks.
And the trucks go on the frozen ground.
This shows the number of days in the tundra of Alaska is
cold enough to allow driving on it.
35 years ago, 225 days a year.
Now: under 75 days per year
because the spring comes early and autumn starts later
and temperatures remain to rise.
I went to the North Pole.
I've been under the ice cap a nuclear submarine
that came to surface through ice in this way.
Since they began patrolling in 1957,
they go under the ice
with the radar turned up
measuring ice thickness
because they can only come to light locations
with a meter or less thick.
From what they have to keep a meticulous record
and not revealed for reasons of national security.
I went there to persuade them to reveal it and they did.
And here are showing those records.
Beginning in 1970, there was a sharp drop
the amount, extent and thickness the Arctic ice cap.
Decreased by 40% in 40 years.
And there are now two important studies that show
that in the next 50 or 70 years,
during the summer it will disappear altogether.
Now we can say: "Why is this a problem?"
And "How could the ice cap on Arctic melting so fast? "
When the sun's rays hit the ice,
more than 90% of them are reflected back into space like a mirror.
But when it reaches the open sea, more than 90% is absorbed.
And so, as the water surrounding warms,
this accelerates the melting ice.
Currently, the ice cap Arctic acts as a huge mirror.
All rays are reflected in more than 90%.
This keeps the Earth cool.
But as it melts,
and, in turn, the ocean receives this energy,
more than 90% is absorbed.
So there is a faster development of heat here,
North Pole, the Arctic Ocean,
and the Arctic in general than in anywhere else on the planet.
This is not good for creatures like polar bears that depend on the ice.
A new scientific study shows that
first to go to find fact that polar bears had drowned.
while trying to swim long distances, up 100 miles to find ice.
And that was not true.
But what does this mean for us?
To have a wide extent of sea
on top of our world that used to be covered with ice?
Should you worry a lot
because it has effects around the world.
The Earth's climate is like a big redistributing heat machine
the equator to the poles.
It does so through the current ocean currents and winds.
We are told that climate scientists Earth is a nonlinear system.
A pompous way of saying
that changes do not are all gradual.
Some occur suddenly in great leaps.
On a worldwide basis, the average annual temperature is
of about 15 degrees centigrade.
if we have an increase of 2.5 degrees,
what is the lowest of our projections,
look at how this translates globally.
This means an increase of only half a degree at the equator,
but more than 6 degrees on the pole.
And so, all patterns wind and ocean currents
that have formed since the last age ice and have been relatively stable,
walk and unpredictable change.
And one that most concerns them,
where more time spent to study the problem,
is the North Atlantic
where the Gulf Stream rises and meets with the cold winds
from the Arctic through Greenland.
And with the heat evaporates removed from the Gulf Stream
and the steam is taken to Western Europe
by prevailing winds and the Earth's rotation.
But it is interesting that all the ocean current systems
this is on this bond?
They call it the belt ocean carrier.
The red are the currents hot surface.
The Gulf Stream is best known of them.
But the blue represent the cold currents
running in the opposite direction,
and do not see them all because they run along the ocean floor.
At the top of the North Atlantic, after the heat has been extracted,
what remains is water cooler and more salt
because the salt will not anywhere.
And therefore, it becomes more dense and heavy.
And so, this cold water dense and heavy, sinking
the rate of 19 billion liters per second.
Then it pulls back this current to the south.
At the end of the last ice age,
while the last glacial retreating from North America,
the ice melted and formed a giant freshwater lake
in North America.
the Great Lakes are what remains of this huge lake.
He graduated from the ice dam easternmost one day broke.
And all the freshwater came unexpectedly,
tearing up the Gulf of St. Lawrence here
and diluting the cold water, dense, salty,
making it sweeter and lighter, so it stopped sinking.
And the pump stopped working.
And the transfer of Heat stopped.
Europe and returned to an old ice for more than 900 to 1000 years.
And the changing conditions as we have now
to an ice age
may happen in just about 10 years.
Now this is a sudden jump.
Now of course this does not it will happen again
because glaciers of America North are not there e. ..
There will be one out there somewhere another large mass of ice?
Ah, yes.
We'll talk to it.
It is extremely frustrating for me
transmit information and a again, as clearly as I can.
And we still be by far
the worst contributor to the problem.
And look around
for signs really significant
that we are about to really change.
And do not see them for now.
Some renowned scientists said a factor of air pollution
are oxides of nitrogen from decomposition of vegetation.
They are causing the haze that gave the name the Smoky Moutains (Smoky Mountains).
Thank you.
This type was so far environmental extremism,
we will be up to the neck with owls and no job for any American.
This guy is crazy.
Even if humans were causing global warming, and we are not,
This might be the biggest cap ever stuck
the American people.
We are dealing with something that is highly emotional.
If a subject is not
the tip of the tongue voters,
is easy for them to ignore it.
Say, "Well, we deal with it tomorrow. "
Therefore, the same phenomenon change of all these standards,
Is also affecting the seasons.
Here is a study the Netherlands.
The date on which they reached the peak of arrival of migratory birds
25 years ago was April 25,
and the young hatched on June 3.
Even at the time caterpillars were to appear.
Planning of Nature.
But after 20 years of warming,
the caterpillars reach their peak two weeks earlier,
and juveniles tried to follow them, but failed.
And so they are in problems.
And there are millions of ecological niches
who are affected by heating overall this same way.
This and the number of days with frost in Southern Switzerland
during the last 100 years.
Fell rapidly. But now look at this.
This is the number of species invasive alien
who rushed to fill the new ecological niches that were open.
This also is happening here in the United States.
Have you heard of the problem the pine beetle?
These beetles used to be killed by cold winters,
but there are fewer days with frost,
and consequently the pines are being devastated.
This is part of the 5.7 million acres of Alaskan spruce
who were killed by the bark beetle the tree. Exactly the same phenomenon.
These are cities that were founded
because they are just above the line of mosquitoes.
Nairobi is one of them, Harare is another. There are many more.
Now the mosquitoes with warming, climb to higher altitudes.
There are a number of disease vectors infectious diseases that are of concern to us
who also are expanding its field of action.
Not only mosquitoes, but all these others.
30 And there appeared alleged new diseases
that appeared only in this last quarter century.
And many of them, with SARS, caused tremendous problems.
Resistant forms of tuberculosis. And there are others.
And there has been a resurgence of some diseases
we have had under control.
Bird flu, of course, a matter very serious, as you know.
The West Nile Virus.
Appeared on the east coast Maryland in 1999.
Two years later, had crossed the Mississippi.
And after two years, had spread throughout the continent.
But these are signs very worrying.
Coral reefs around the world,
because of climate and other global factors,
They are discolored and end up like this.
And all species of fish that depend on coral reefs
are also in danger because of this.
Together, the loss of species now occurs
at a rate one thousand times natural base rate.
This leads me to the second warning sign.
Antarctica
By far the largest mass ice on the planet.
A friend of mine said in 1978:
"If you see breaking platforms ice along the Antarctic Peninsula,
"Care,
"Because this should be seen as a alarm bell for global warming. "
And indeed, if we look close to the peninsula,
each site where they see a these green patches here
is a larger ice shelf that the state of Rhode Island
that left only in last 15 to 20 years.
Let us focus attention only one of them.
It's called Larsen B.
I want to look at these black pools here.
It makes us seem as if almost we see through ice
to the ocean below. But it is an illusion.
This is meltwater How lakes,
And if they fly over a helicopter,
summer are over 200 meters.
They are so majestic, so colossal.
In the distance we have the mountains and just before the mountains
we have the continental shelf, there.
This is ice floating
supported and there is ice on land at the foot of those mountains.
From here to the mountains are about 30 to 40 kilometers.
Now, it was thought that this would remain stable for at least 100 years,
even with global warming.
Scientists who have studied these ice shelves,
were absolutely amazed
when they were looking for these images.
In a period of 35 days,
started January 31, 2002,
this ice shelf disappeared completely.
They could not understand how the devil this was happening so fast.
And they were trying to understand which is that they were wrong.
And that was focused in the lakes of melted water.
But even before they can realize what had happened there,
something else began to goes wrong.
When the floating ice broke,
ceased to hold the ice on land
and supported the ice on land began to fall into the ocean.
It was like taking the cork a bottle.
And there was a difference between the ice floating and the inland ice.
It is the difference between an ice cube floating in a glass of water,
which, when it melts, it raises the water level in the glass,
and a cube of ice that is on a pile of ice cubes
which melts and pours over the edge.
That is why citizens these Pacific nations
had to be evacuated to New Zealand.
But I want to concentrate on West Antarctica
because it illustrates two factors about the land ice and sea ice.
It's a bit of both. Rests on top of islands,
but the ocean appears underneath.
As far as the ocean heats up, has an impact on him.
If it disappears,
Sea levels around the world will rise up to about 6 meters.
We measured changes concern the underside of the ice sheet.
It is considered relatively more stable, however,
another large mass of ice that is roughly the same size.
Greenland will also rise sea ​​level nearly 6 meters
to disappear.
The friend of mine just bring some photographs
what is happening in Greenland at this time.
Dramatic changes. These lakes are of the same gender
who graduated from here, ice shelf in Antarctica.
And scientists thought
that when the water to seep New in ice to freeze again.
But they found that what ultimately goes
is that it continues to penetrate. Open tunnels to the bottom
and makes the ice as it Swiss cheese
a bit like termites do.
This shows what happens to cracking
and when the lakes are formed, give rise to what is known as "moulins".
The water sinks to the bottom
and lubricates the contact surface ice with the rock.
Look at these people here to give scale.
This is not an extreme Greenland this is the center of mass of ice.
This is a colossal flood impetuous
freshwater melted
digging vertical through the Greenland ice
to the bedrock below.
Now, to some extent always there were seasonal thawing
and formed themselves "moulins" in the past, but not like now.
In 1992, this amount was measured ice melting in Greenland.
Ten years on, here what happens.
And here's the thaw of 2005.
The scientific adviser Tony Blair said
because of what is happening this time in Greenland,
maps of the world must be redesigned.
If Greenland were to collapse and melt,
or if half of Greenland and half of West Antarctica
disintegrate and melt,
here's what would happen to sea ​​level in Florida. 929 00:59:54,605 ​​--> 00:59:58,325 This is what would happen in San Francisco Bay.
Lots of people live in these areas.
The Netherlands, one of the Netherlands.
Absolutely devastated.
The area around Beijing is that the home to tens of millions of people.
Even worse in the area around Shanghai
where there are 40 million people.
Worse still, Calcutta, and east, Bangladesh,
The area covered includes 60 million people.
Think of the impact on each few hundred refugees
when they are displaced by an environmental phenomenon.
And then imagine the impact of a hundred million or more.
Here is Manhattan.
This is the place of the memorial the World Trade Center.
After the terrible events September 11,
said, "Nevermore."
But this is what would happen Manhattan.
You can measure it accurately.
as scientists have accurately predict
the amount of water that would open cracks in the levees of New Orleans.
The area where the Memorial World Trade Center will be located
will be under water.
Is it possible that we should prepare against other threats besides terrorists?
Perhaps we should worry about other problems, too.
1.3 billion people.
An emerging economy.
More and more needs energy.
Huge coal reserves.
The range of coal in North China.
- The Inner Mongolia. - Right.
Then there is the province of Shaanxi.
- And also large coal mines here. - Up here?
- Yes - It is an open pit mine?
- Yes - Yes
When I visited China,
learned from their scientists. They are really at the forefront.
Give me an idea of ​​the number
new coal-fired generating plants.
Well, I have to say that the number is huge
because they are so profitable.
This issue is really the same in China and the U.S..
Both use old technologies that are dirty and polluting.
... More floods and more droughts
and increasingly strong storms,
And global warming is implicated in this pattern.
If you wanted to give some suggestions for all of us here
about what we can do the situation now.
Separating fact from fiction
and the strict correlation of misunderstandings
is part of what they learned here.
But when the warnings are strictly and are based on sound science,
then we, as human beings, whatever country we live,
we must find a way we are sure
that the warnings are heard and get answers too.
We are both in trouble get rid of these familiar patterns
we rely on the past.
Both face consequences completely unacceptable.
We are witnessing a clash between our civilization and the Earth.
And there are three factors are causing this collision:
The first is population.
When my generation, the generation of "baby boom, "was born after the 2nd World War,
the population had just to exceed the two billion.
Today, I'm 50 or so years,
and has risen to almost six thousand and five hundred million.
And if I hope to achieve demographic of "baby boomers"
will exceed nine billion.
So if you are accurate 10000 generations to reach 2 billion
and then, in the course of a lifetime human, our,
ranging from two to nine billion
something profoundly different is happening now.
We are putting more pressure on Earth.
Most of lies the world's poorest nations.
This creates a pressure in search of food.
Creates pressure in search of water.
Creates pressure on vulnerable natural resources,
and this pressure is one of the reasons
why we have seen devastation of the forest,
not only tropical but elsewhere.
It is a political issue.
This is the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
A set of policies here, another set of policies here.
Much of it derives not only slaughter, but also the fires.
Almost 30% of the CO2 that is released into the atmosphere every year
comes from forest fires.
This is a picture of fast moving Earth at night over a period of 6 months
showing the lights of white city
and forest fires and bush fires in the red.
The yellow areas are flames gas, such as in Siberia.
And this brings me to the second factor
that transformed our relationship to the earth.
The scientific and technological revolution is a tremendous blessing
once we brought tremendous benefits
in areas such as medicine and communications.
But this new power we have also brings responsibility
think about the consequences.
Here is a formula for thinking.
Old habits old older technology have predictable consequences.
Old habits are hard to change more new technology
may have consequences dramatically different.
Wars with spears, bows and arrows
and rifles and machine guns, is one thing.
But then came new technology.
We have to think so different about the war
because the new technology changed so completely
the consequences of old habit
we can not just keep recklessly models of the past.
Likewise, always exploring the Earth for our sustenance.
For most of our existence, we used relatively simple tools.
The plow, the tractor.
But even as tools The blades are different today.
A shovel used to be like.
The blades grew.
And each year become more powerful.
Therefore, our ability to affect in this case, the Earth's surface,
was completely changed.
We can say the same about irrigation, which is a great thing.
But when diverted rivers without considering the consequences,
then, sometimes, rivers no longer reach the sea.
There were two rivers in Central Asia
that were used the former Soviet Union
recklessly to irrigate cotton fields.
The Aral Sea was fed by them.
Formerly it was the fourth largest inland sea in the world.
When I went there, I saw this strange sight
of a huge fleet of fishing lodge in the sand.
This is the canal that the fishing industry tried desperately to build
to get to shore receding.
Making mistakes in how we deal with nature can have
far greater consequences
because our technologies are many times larger than human scale.
The sum of them, makes us a force of nature.
And this is also a political issue.
This is a computerized map of the world
distorted to show the contributions relating to global warming.
In our country we are responsible for more than the entire South America,
throughout Africa, throughout the Middle East,
and all of Asia, all together.
The average per capita in Africa, India, China, Japan, European Union, Russia.
Here we are. Well, well above all others.
If we take into account the population, is a bit different.
China represents a greater role and Europe as well.
But we are undoubtedly in the same the largest contributor.
And therefore, it is up to us look at what we think about it,
because our way of thinking is the third and final factor
that transforms our relationship to the earth.
If a frog jump into a pot of boiling water,
Immediately jumps out because it senses danger.
But the same frog,
to jump into a pot warm water
that is slowly heated to boiling,
will sit there without moving.
Will continue there even with the temperature continuing to grow steadily.
It will stay there until ... To be saved.
It is important to save the frog.
But the question is this.
Our collective nervous system is how the nervous system of the frog.
Sometimes it takes a sudden jolt before we realized the danger.
If it seems gradual, even if to happen quickly,
we are able to stay there sat without answering.
And without reacting.
I remember always my childhood
that summer was synonymous working in tobacco.
I used to love. It was during this period
to work with the staff of the farm
was more fun for me.
Since 1964, the report Ministry of Health,
was exposed to evidence the relationship between
cigarette smoke and lung cancer.
We continued to grow tobacco.
Nancy was almost 10 years older than I,
and were only two.
She was my protector
and my friend at the same time.
She started smoking in adolescence
and never stopped.
He died of lung cancer.
It's one of those ways nobody wants to die.
The idea that we had
part of the economic model
which produced cigarettes,
that produced the cancer,
was so ...
so painful on so many levels.
My father stopped producing tobacco forever. Stopped.
Whatever the explanation
that seemed to make sense in the past, no longer did now.
He stopped.
It is part of human nature take time to turn things. I know that.
But I also know that you can be a day of doom
wish we had that on things faster.
There are three misconceptions in particular that confuse our thinking.
First, there is no disagreement among scientists
whether the problem is real or not?
Actually, not quite.
There was a huge study on all papers
published in a newspaper of scientific analysis on global warming in the last 10 years.
It was a great outlet sample of 10%: 928 articles.
And you know the number who disagreed with the scientific consensus
that are causing the warming global and it is a serious problem?
Of the 928, zero!
The misconception that there disagreement among scientists
was deliberately created by a relatively small group of people.
There was a leak of a their internal memos.
And here's what he said, according to the press:
Their goal is to relocate global warming
as a theory and not as fact.
This has happened before.
More doctors smoke Camels.
After the report of Ministry of Health
There was an escape of one of its memos 40 years ago. Look what it said:
"Doubt is our product,
"Since this is the best way to create controversy in the public mind. "
But it was successful?
Remember that there were 928 reviewed articles,
and zero percent disagreed consensus?
There was another study of all articles published in the popular press.
Over the past 14 years, took a sample of 636.
More than half of them said:
"Well, we are not so sure. It can be a problem, can not be. "
So, no wonder people are confused.
Bush helps change climate report.
Yes.
What you got?
Working for whom?
The Chief of Staff?
I'll ...
This is the office environment the White House.
The American Petroleum Institute. Can say that is the lobby of petrol and gas.
Is this true?
Completely.
Do me a favor and see more Who were their customers.
Then he was an advocate the Exxon Valdez case.
Hmm .. much. Thank you.
Scientists have a independent obligation
to respect and present the truth as they see it.
Why is it directly contradict
that the witness is giving science on this issue.
The last paragraph of this section was not written by me.
Was added to my testimony.
If forced to modify a scientific conclusion,
is a form of fraud science that they commit.
You know, the Soviet Union, order for scientists
into changing their studies to stay in line with the ideology ...
I saw scientists
who were persecuted,
ridiculed,
deprived of their work, income
just because the facts they had discovered
had led to the an inconvenient truth
they insisted.
He worked for the Institute American Petroleum.
And in January 2001
was placed by President as responsible for environmental policy.
Received a memo from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
that warned of global warming
and changed it. He has any scientific competence.
But she took responsibility overlap with those of scientists.
I said, "I want to see the look this type of calligraphy. "
This is the memo from the EPA. This is what it really scratched.
He says: "No, can not say that. This is just speculation. "
This was embarrassing for the White House
by that guy resigned a few days later.
And the next day to have resigned, went to work for Exxon Mobil.
You know, for over 100 years, Upton Sinclair wrote this:
It is difficult to make a man understand something
if your salary depends your not understanding.
The second misconception.
We have to choose between economy and the environment?
This is a big question.
Many people say that we have.
I was trying to convince the previous administration,
the first Bush administration, to go to Earth Summit.
And they organized a large conference at the White House
to say: "Oh, we're dealing with the matter."
And one of these charts caught my attention.
I want to speak one minute of it.
So here we have the choice we have to do
this second group.
Here we have a balance balancing two different things.
On one side, we have gold bars.
Do not look good?
I'd love to have some of them.
In the other scale, the entire planet.
I think it's a false choice for two reasons.
Number one: if we have not a planet ...
The other reason is that if we do what is right,
then we will create tremendous wealth
and we will create huge job.
To do what is right takes us forward.
Probably did this show Slide a thousand times.
I would say at least a thousand times.
From Nashville to Knoxville Aspen and Sundance.
Los Angeles and San Francisco. Portland, Minneapolis.
Boston, New Haven, London, Brussels, Stockholm, Helsinki,
Vienna, Munich, Italy and Spain
and China, South Korea, Japan
Thank you.
I think that what I more time on this show
was trying to identify
all those things in people's minds
serving as a barrier their understanding of this subject.
And whenever I think identified one obstacle,
I try to put it aside, to keep it. Move it.
Demolish it, finish him off.
I set a goal:
Communicate this clearly.
The only way I know to do
is city to city,
person to person,
family to family,
- Goodbye. Again, thank you. - Goodbye.
And I have faith that soon
have changed minds sufficient
to cross a threshold.
Let me give you an example
the wrong way to balance economy and environment.
Part of this problem involves automobiles.
Japan has efficiency standards fuel consumption here.
Europe plans overcome Japan
Our allies in Australia and Canada are leaving us behind.
Here is where we are.
Now, there is a reason for it.
They say we can not protect the environment too
without threatening the economy and car manufacturers.
Because manufacturers of China may come and rob us all markets.
Well, here are the standard for efficiency consumption in China at this time.
Well above our own.
We can not sell cars in China today
because they do not comply with Chinese environmental standards.
California took the initiative
selling cars with smaller consumption to 100 in California.
Now the car companies California sued
to prevent this law comes into force
because, as pointed out, 11 years from now
this would mean that California would have to have cars for sale
they were so efficient 11 years from now,
as China is today.
A measure clearly too burdensome to fulfill.
And this is helping our companies to thrive?
Well, in fact, if we look for those who are good in the world,
are companies that produce more efficient cars.
Our companies are in great difficulty.
Last misconception.
If we accept that this problem is real,
may be too large in order to do whatever it is.
And, you know, there are many people which pass directly from denial
despair
without passing through intermediate landing
to make any real something about the problem.
And with this I would like to end. The fact that we already know
all we need to know to deal effectively with this problem.
We have to do many things, not just one.
If we use electrical appliances
more efficient,
can cut this amount pollution that causes global warming
that otherwise be released into the atmosphere.
If we use other techniques efficiency, this quantity.
If we have more efficient cars, this amount.
And it all starts to add up. Another transport efficiency,
renewable technologies,
carbon capture and separation.
A great solution that will hear more.
This goes together,
and soon, we are below 1970 emissions.
We have everything we need,
save perhaps political will.
But you know what? In America politics is a renewable resource.
We are able to do this.
Each of us is a cause of global warming,
but each of us can do choices to change that.
With the things we buy, electricity we use, the cars we drive,
We can do things that take our individual carbon emissions to zero.
The solution lies in our hands.
We just have to have the determination to make things happen.
And let us leave behind while the rest of the world moves forward?
All these nations have ratified Kyoto.
Only two advanced nations in the world is not ratified Kyoto,
and we are one of them. The other is Australia.
Fortunately, several states are taking the initiative.
The nine northeastern states clustered
to reduce CO2.
California and Oregon are taking the initiative.
Pennsylvania is exercising leadership in solar and wind energy.
And there are American cities to move forward boldly.
One after another, we have seen
the commitment of all these cities to address global warming.
What about the rest of us?
Ultimately, this issue boils down to this.
Are we, as Americans,
capable of doing great things
although they are difficult?
We are able
to rise above of ourselves and of history?
Well, the record indicates we have this capability.
We formed a nation, made a revolution
and brought something new to this earth,
ensuring a free nation individual freedom.
America took a moral decision. Slavery was wrong,
could not be half free and half slave.
We, as Americans, decided
it is clear that women have a right to vote.
Defeated totalitarianism and we won the war
while in the Pacific and the Atlantic.
Desegregated in our schools.
And heal terrible diseases as polio.
Landed on the moon.
The true example of what is possible when we give our best.
We worked together in a totally bipartisan
to overthrow communism.
We have solved a crisis environment before,
the ozone hole stratospheric layer.
It was said that was a problem impossible to solve
because it was a challenge global environmental
requiring cooperation of all the nations of the world.
But we face it.
And the United States took the lead nullifying the chemicals phased
that caused the problem.
So now we have to use the political processes of our democracy,
and then decide to act together to solve these problems.
But we have a different perspective on this.
It is different from any problem we have faced before.
Remember that home movie Earth spinning in space?
One of these spacecraft continued throughout the universe,
when it was 6500 million miles away
Carl Sagan said: "Let's take another picture of the Earth."
See that pale blue dot?
That's us.
Everything that ever happened in human history
happened on that pixel.
All the triumphs and tragedies.
All wars, all the famines.
All great advances.
It is our only home.
And that is what is at stake.
Our ability to live
on planet Earth
to have a future as a civilization.
I believe this is a moral issue.
It's your turn to grab this issue.
It's our time to stand up again to secure our future.
There is nothing so unusual what I'm making here.
What is odd is I have had the show me the privilege of
when I was young.
Ladies and gentlemen, Al Gore.
It's like if you opened a window through which
the future was clearly visible.
"See that?" He asked, "See that?
"That's the future that you will live your life. "
Future generations
may well have occasion of wondering,
"What were our parents thinking?
"Why do not they agreed while there was a chance? "
We have to hear this Their question now.
Are you ready to change the way you live your life?
The climate crisis may be resolved.
Here's how to get started:
Go to www.cliamatecrisis.net
You can reduce your carbon emissions.
In fact, you can reduce your carbon emissions to zero.
Buy more efficient appliances
Regulate your thermostat (And use the clock on the thermostat)
to reduce energy for heating.
Climaxes your home, increases the isolation and do an energy audit.
Recycle.
If you can, buy a hybrid car.
When you can walk on foot or Bicycle.
Where you can, use the meter and public transport.
Say your parents to avoid damaging the world where you will live.
If you are the parent, join with your children to save the world they will live.
I save the world.
Translation by DeBosch