Scientists Debate The Accuracy Of Al Gore’s Documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”
There is no question that Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth is a powerful example of how scientific knowledge can be communicated to a lay audience. What is up for debate is whether it accurately presents the scientific argument that global warming is caused by human activities. Climate change experts express their opinions on the scientific validity of the film’s claims in articles just published online in Springer’s journal, GeoJournal.
An Inconvenient Truth is about Al Gore’s campaign to educate citizens about global warming and inspire them to take action. The papers in GeoJournal agree that it does an excellent job of raising public awareness of man-made global warming and explains why increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases lead to warming. They also agree that its main weakness is that it tries to use individual extreme events, such as Hurricane Katrina, to prove the existence of global warming.
In the first opinion piece (1), Eric Steig from Washington University states that the film gets the fundamental science right. The minor factual errors do not undermine the main message of the film, which explains the theory that increasing carbon dioxide causes a warming tendency in the lower atmosphere.
John Nielsen-Gammon from Texas A&M University also agrees that the main scientific argument presented in the movie is for the most part consistent with the weight of scientific evidence (2). He comments that unfortunately, it neglects all information that can be gained from computer models, and instead relies entirely on past and current observational evidence. This increases the film’s emotional impact but weakens the scientific argument.
David Legates from the University of Delaware addresses assertions about trends in precipitation, floods, droughts and storms in particular (3). He concludes that there are significant errors in the film, owing to alarmism and exaggeration, which give a false impression of both the current state of climate change and that the science is settled.
In another paper (4), Roy Spencer from the University of Alabama in Huntsville also discredits the scientific validity of the documentary. In his view, the film’s main omission is that while humans are almost certainly responsible for global warming, there are other natural causes of climate variability which the film does not address. In his opinion, the “real inconvenient truth is that science has no idea how much of recent warming is natural versus the result of human activities”.
After providing a succinct summary of the state of climate change science (5), Gerald North from Texas A&M University concludes the debate by stating that although there are some inaccuracies and exaggerations in the film, on the whole it represents mainstream scientific views on global warming.
Steven Quiring, also from Texas A&M University and author of the issue’s introduction(6), comes to the conclusion that whether scientists like it or not, An Inconvenient Truth has had a much greater impact on public opinion and public awareness of global climate change than any scientific paper or report.
References
- Steig EJ (2008). Another look at An Inconvenient Truth. GeoJournal (DOI 10.1007/s10708-008-9130-3)
- Nielsen-Gammon JW (2008). An Inconvenient Truth: the scientific argument. GeoJournal (DOI 10.1007/s10708-008-9126-z)
- Legates DR (2008). An Inconvenient Truth: a focus on its portrayal of the hydrologic cycle. GeoJournal (DOI 10.1007/s10708-008-9125-0)
- Spencer RW (2008). An Inconvenient Truth: blurring the lines between science and science fiction. GeoJournal (DOI 10.1007/s10708-008-9129-9)
- North GR (2008). An Inconvenient Truth and the scientists. GeoJournal (DOI 10.1007/s10708-9127-y
- Quiring SM (2008). Science and Hollywood: a discussion of the scientific accuracy of An Inconvenient Truth. GeoJournal (DOI 10.1007/s10708-008-9128-x)
[Joan Robinson @ Springer Science + Business Media]
Tags: al gore, an inconvenient truth, climate change, global warming

The discussion uses several terms that all mean most of these individuals live or die off of resources that promote the psudo science (read ‘bad’ science) used by individuals involved in the ‘man-made’ global warming discussions.
Their statements are all couched in verbiage that allows them to affirm or deny what ever was just said.
e.g.
“Gerald North … concludes the debate by stating that although there are some inaccuracies and exaggerations in the film, on the whole it represents mainstream scientific views on global warming.”
Mainstream - meaning those living off grants (not the generally retired or individually funded who all generally agree global warming - if it exists, is not man made or caused.)
Living or dying off of grants, means that their lips sync the chorus of the funding. In fact, if they don’t, they are rapidly with out fundings, invitations, free lunches etc.
Reading how much snow/ record low temps/ and often data that is inconvenient to ‘AlGores’ diatribe (yes, I believe the only inconvenient truth, is his ability to get such tripe in the media - which has less veracity than he).
The whole of world climate, does not reflect the 3 out of the last 10 years. It totals out at all of the last 4+ Billion.
In those years, included are sun hot and sun very hot years (and temps in between). Included are times when the oceans were higher or lower than now, because of land mass movement (techtonic plates shuttling about raising the Himalayan gulch to its current level) and times when Antarctica was a tropic.
When Antarctica was tropical, man did not exist, as we know ‘man’ now. But, by theories propounded by ‘man-made global warming and AlGore, that was mankind’s fault, since MANKIND is the only cause of Global Warming.
Do I doubt? Yes.
Does the media/funding driven ’scientist’ cause me to question their findings?
Until they take a definitive stand, staking their reputations with no quibbling words to save their necks, I whole heartedly doubt them.
Don’t get me wrong. I believe we should find good and reasonable developments to all our current ways of living. Mercury laden pig tailed fluorescent light bulbs, starvation causing ethonol and other get solved quick schemes aside, the current ideas and answers are all loaded guns aimed towards our heads. Frozen Menthonol, Shale oil, even certain forms of atomic energy pose more realistic near terms answers, rather than raising the cost of food (to starve the masses with over priced corn, soy, mean and poultry) just to produce ‘environmentally correct’ alcohol fuels that cost as much energy to make as they save? while using up our water resources (note why Georgia ran out of water this year) and raising the cost of food?
For that conference to have had any weight in credibility, real antagonists to the issue, and real discussion of causal relationships to the source of warming, and results of current solutions needed to be presented.
It is amazing Hillary was not there dodging snipers…
(sorry, that was almost uncalled for).
I am a doubter of man-made global warming. I am not a scientist. I have read too much, and seen too many of the fallacies of all the ‘pro man-mades’ to come close to believing any of them.
I have read enough of the ‘anti man-mades’ to be filled with cause to question… both sides.
That means neither side ‘wins’.
But, the man-mades have an agenda. That gives all that they say a very deep tarnish.