Chart and figures from "An Inconvenient Truth"

Charts and figures from "An Inconvenient Truth"

Dec 2006

These charts and figures are from "An Inconvenient Truth" (2006), produced by Participant Productions. The image labels are based on the approximate time position in the DVD (hh_mm_ss). Click on a thumbnail to see a full, more readable image. The text notes are brief descriptions of the topics of the figures and charts, drawn from the film and book (the book "An Inconvenient Truth", by Al Gore in 2006, parallels the film and contains most of the same images as in the film, and more).

00_16_08

Measured since 1958, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has been increasing steadily.

00_20_19

One thousand years of temperature history obtained from isotope analysis of ice cores.

00_20_53

One thousand years of CO2 and temperature data -- the curves have similar shape.

00_22_49

650,000 years of CO2 and temperature history, from Antarctic ice cores. Dips record ice ages. CO2 concentration and temperature are related. CO2 has spiked upward in recent years.

00_23_53

If no changes are made, CO2 concentration is predicted to climb much higher (to 600 ppm) in 45 years.

00_29_54

Ocean temperatures since 1940. Blue indicates normal range, green indicates range predicted by climate models due to human causes.

00_30_01

Ocean temperatures (see previous chart). Red line indicates actual ocean temperature history (outside and above normal range -- climate models were right).

00_37_19

As ocean temperatures rise, storms intensify, causing increased insurance pay-outs.

00_37_21

Incidents of major flooding have increased in recent decades.

00_37_40

37 inches (94 cm) of rain in 24 hours flooded Mumbai, India in July 2005.

00_38_12

Global precipitation has increased in last century by 20% but not evenly; some areas have received less. Sub-Sahara Africa is severely affected.

00_44_25

Arctic sea ice extent and thickness has diminished precipitously since the 1970's.

00_47_30

The 'Global Ocean Conveyor Belt' carries heat around the globe, in particular, to Europe. However, disruption due to ice melt has stopped heat flow to Europe in the past.

00_52_12

Global warming shifts the seasons, disrupting ecological relationships. The time of Black Tern bird arrival (blue) and bird hatching (yellow); hatching no longer coincides with insect peak (orange), starving chicks in the Netherlands.

00_55_01

Antarctic ice shelf break-up predicted by models has occurred. Larsen ice shelf (green) broke up from 1995 to 2002. Sea levels are rising. A 20 ft (6m) rise in sea level would create over 100 million refugees.

01_04_09

Population has exploded in the last 200 years. In 1945 there were 2.3 billion people, in 2006 there are 6.5 billion, and in 2050 there may be 9.1 billion.

01_04_22

Much of the population growth is occurring in developing countries.

01_04_26

Population growth and rising living standards drive demand for food.

01_04_29

... and demand for water.

01_05_07

Lights from fishing fleets (blue), fires (red), gas flares (yellow), and cities (white).

01_07_57

Relative contribution to global warming, by country. "USA is responsible for more greenhouse gas pollution than South America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Japan, and Asia -- all put together."

01_08_12

Carbon emissions per person, for selected countries.

01_08_23

Carbon emissions per country, for selected countries.

01_17_52

"We don't have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. Without a planet, we won't enjoy gold bars, and if we do the right things, we'll have both."

01_21_22

Comparison of vehicle fuel economy and emission standards around the world.

01_21_37

California proposes standards that exceed US national standards. US car manufacturers suing California, saying targets are unreachable in 10 years -- despite manufacturers in other countries already doing it now.

01_22_09

Companies building more efficient cars are doing well; US car manufacturers are losing market capitalization.

01_23_11

USA can reduce its emissions by 2050 to pre-1970 levels by a combination of approaches...

01_23_19

... more efficient use of electrical energy (blue), more efficient buildings (purple), improved vehicle efficiency (green), more efficient transport network (light green), increased reliance on bio and wind energy (tan), CO2 sequestering (white).

01_28_02

"Future generations may well have occasion to ask themselves, What were our parents thinking? Why didn't they wake up when they had the chance? We have to hear that question, from them, now."

In 2009, Al Gore followed up with the publication of Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis, a book that "gathers in one place all of the most effective solutions that are available now and that, together, will solve this crisis". "It is now abundantly clear that we have at our fingertips all of the tools we need to solve the climate crisis. The only missing ingredient is collective will."

Charts and figures from "An Inconvenient Truth" Dec 2006 These charts and figures are from "An Inconvenient Truth" (2006), produced by Participant Productions. The image labels are based on the approximate time position in the DVD (hh_mm_ss). Click on a thumbnail to see a full, more readable image. The text notes are brief descriptions of the topics of the figures and charts, drawn from the film and book (the book "An Inconvenient Truth", by Al Gore in 2006, parallels the film and contains most of the same images as in the film, and more).
00_16_08 Measured since 1958, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has been increasing steadily.	00_20_19 One thousand years of temperature history obtained from isotope analysis of ice cores.	00_20_53 One thousand years of CO2 and temperature data -- the curves have similar shape.
00_22_49 650,000 years of CO2 and temperature history, from Antarctic ice cores. Dips record ice ages. CO2 concentration and temperature are related. CO2 has spiked upward in recent years.	00_23_53 If no changes are made, CO2 concentration is predicted to climb much higher (to 600 ppm) in 45 years.	00_29_54 Ocean temperatures since 1940. Blue indicates normal range, green indicates range predicted by climate models due to human causes.
00_30_01 Ocean temperatures (see previous chart). Red line indicates actual ocean temperature history (outside and above normal range -- climate models were right).	00_37_19 As ocean temperatures rise, storms intensify, causing increased insurance pay-outs.	00_37_21 Incidents of major flooding have increased in recent decades.
00_37_40 37 inches (94 cm) of rain in 24 hours flooded Mumbai, India in July 2005.	00_38_12 Global precipitation has increased in last century by 20% but not evenly; some areas have received less. Sub-Sahara Africa is severely affected.	00_44_25 Arctic sea ice extent and thickness has diminished precipitously since the 1970's.
00_47_30 The 'Global Ocean Conveyor Belt' carries heat around the globe, in particular, to Europe. However, disruption due to ice melt has stopped heat flow to Europe in the past.	00_52_12 Global warming shifts the seasons, disrupting ecological relationships. The time of Black Tern bird arrival (blue) and bird hatching (yellow); hatching no longer coincides with insect peak (orange), starving chicks in the Netherlands.	00_55_01 Antarctic ice shelf break-up predicted by models has occurred. Larsen ice shelf (green) broke up from 1995 to 2002. Sea levels are rising. A 20 ft (6m) rise in sea level would create over 100 million refugees.
01_04_09 Population has exploded in the last 200 years. In 1945 there were 2.3 billion people, in 2006 there are 6.5 billion, and in 2050 there may be 9.1 billion.	01_04_22 Much of the population growth is occurring in developing countries.	01_04_26 Population growth and rising living standards drive demand for food.
01_04_29 ... and demand for water.	01_05_07 Lights from fishing fleets (blue), fires (red), gas flares (yellow), and cities (white).	01_07_57 Relative contribution to global warming, by country. "USA is responsible for more greenhouse gas pollution than South America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, Japan, and Asia -- all put together."
01_08_12 Carbon emissions per person, for selected countries.	01_08_23 Carbon emissions per country, for selected countries.	01_17_52 "We don't have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. Without a planet, we won't enjoy gold bars, and if we do the right things, we'll have both."
01_21_22 Comparison of vehicle fuel economy and emission standards around the world.	01_21_37 California proposes standards that exceed US national standards. US car manufacturers suing California, saying targets are unreachable in 10 years -- despite manufacturers in other countries already doing it now.	01_22_09 Companies building more efficient cars are doing well; US car manufacturers are losing market capitalization.
01_23_11 USA can reduce its emissions by 2050 to pre-1970 levels by a combination of approaches...	01_23_19 ... more efficient use of electrical energy (blue), more efficient buildings (purple), improved vehicle efficiency (green), more efficient transport network (light green), increased reliance on bio and wind energy (tan), CO2 sequestering (white).	01_28_02 "Future generations may well have occasion to ask themselves, What were our parents thinking? Why didn't they wake up when they had the chance? We have to hear that question, from them, now."