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An Inconvenient Truth
Al Gore's Global Warming Movie
You've seen the movie. Now save the planet!
 The science is solid
The consequences are here
The solutions are at your fingertips
 The documentary An Inconvenient Truth highlights the very real dangers of global warming. After years of debate, a near consensus among the world's scientists has concluded that we are warming the planet. We are changing the planet, and unless we take steps now to curb global warming, our way of life, our planet, and our children are all in grave danger.
But there is hope. As the movie explains, there are steps each us can take in our daily lives, simple decisions that will reduce global warming pollution. The Sierra Club's network of activists and volunteers are dedicated to curbing global warming. We are working with churches, labor unions, mayors and state governments to bring about a cleaner, smarter energy future.
To find out what we are doing, and how you can get involved, read below.
Cool Cities: More than 200 mayors from across the country are taking steps to reduce the global warming pollution from their cities. Find out what your city is doing and how you can join with Sierra Club activists to bring clean energy to your hometown: www.coolcities.us
The Hotline: Stay current on Global Warming news and issues with the Sierra Club's Hotline, a bi-weekly email update that will give you chances to get involved in curbing global warming. Sign up here!
Take Action! Congress is currently considering legislation that will dramatically improve the efficiency of cars and Light trucks. Not only is this the biggest single step we can take to curbing global warming, but it will also save Americans money at the pump while reducing our addiction to oil. Take Action!
Ten Easy Pieces: Small changes multiplied by millions of people add up to an enormous difference. Find out what you can do in your own life to confront global warming.
Get More People to See the Film: You've seen the Gore film, but what about your friends, neighbors, and co-workers? Visit the film's home page at http://www.climatecrisis.net/ to find out how they can pledge to see the truth. See what some moviegoers thought here.
Scientific Consensus
Scientists around the world have used different methods to come to the same conclusion - global warming is real, and we are causing it. Scientific facts on global warming include:
Ten Hottest Years on Record: All ten years have been since 1990! They are: 2005, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2001, 1997, 1995, 1990, and 1999.
CO2 Build Up in Atmosphere: Scientists began making precise measurements of the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at Mauna Loa, Hawaii, and at the South Pole in the late 1950s. They have since expanded their observations to many other locations. Their data show convincingly that the levels of carbon dioxide have increased each year worldwide. Furthermore, these increases are consistent with other estimates of the rise of carbon dioxide emissions due to human activity over this period. More information here.
IPCC reports: The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has produced a series of reports that is the definitive account of the science, causes, and likely affects of global warming. Read more.
Consequences and Dangers
The effects of climate change are already upon us. We have already seen subtle changes in our climate, changes that will intensify if we continue to refuse to act on the issue. And while some industries may refuse to agree with the dangers, the world's leading climate scientists have reached the same conclusions: unless humanity acts immediately to curb our emissions of global warming pollutants, the safety of our civilization is at stake. Dangers include:
Sea Level Rise from Melting Glaciers: According to glaciologist
Robert Bindschadler: "You
might say ice sheets are the 'canaries in the coal mine' of climate science.
And right now the canaries are chirping an alarm." Read
more.
More Powerful Storms: It is not possible to attribute the extreme
weather in the Gulf of Mexico in 2005 to global warming. There are too many factors
that form a hurricane, and the damge a hurricane causes, to link it directly
to global warming. However, it is certain that unless we curb global warming,
we can expect stronger and more violent storms in the future. Dr. Kerry Emanuel,
one of the world's leading hurricane experts, says that all other issues remaining
the same, hurricane wind speeds should increase about 5% for every 1 degree Celsius
increase in tropical ocean temperature. Read
more.
Diseases: As our climate changes, the agents that carry infectious diseases, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and bacteria, will appear in unexpected places. We have already seen cases of diseases thought to be contained to tropical areas only showing up as far north as Washington DC and New York City. Read more.
Solutions
Power Plants: Humans are causing global warming because we are pumping too much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Much of this pollution comes from burning fossil fuels for energy to light our homes, power our industries, and move our cars. Thankfully, we have the solutions today to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases.
Cars that Go Farther on a Gallon of Gas: The biggest single step we can take to curb global warming is to raise the fuel economy of our cars and light trucks. Cars and light trucks account for 40% of U.S. oil consumption and emit 20% of the nation's carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, the heat-trapping gas that causes global warming. Each gallon of gasoline burned pumps 28 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, with the average car emitting approximately 63 tons of CO2 over its lifetime - and the average SUV or pickup emitting around 82 tons. However, by using advanced technology - like hybrid engines, smarter transmissions, and aerodynamic designs - we can cut global warming emissions from automobiles in half.
Renewable Energy, such as Solar and Wind Power: The technology to produce clean, dependable energy from renewable sources like wind, solar, and geothermal energy is here and ready to power America. Technological advances brought the cost of electricity generated by wind down 82 between 1981 and 2009. Solar energy technology has made remarkable progress as new photovoltaic cells have been developed to convert even greater amounts of sunlight directly into electricity. These clean sources of energy can produce electricity for our homes and businesses without polluting the environment, affecting the global climate or endangering human health.
Energy Efficiency in Our Homes and Buildings: We can save energy
in our homes and office buildings by installing energy efficient appliances,
lighting, heating and cooling equipment, and using better insulation. These responsible
steps would keep millions of tons of carbon dioxide pollution out of the atmosphere
each year. Buildings like this home outside of Frisco, TX use half the electricity
of similar sized building by incorporating current technology and thoughtful
design - saving money and reducing its impact on the environment. American industry
can also benefit from energy efficiency technology; by installing energy efficient
equipment, companies can reduce production costs and become more competitive.
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