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An Inconvenient Truth: the scientific argument

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Abstract

The movie An Inconvenient Truth is a powerful portrayal of global warming and its impacts. The main scientific argument presented in the movie is for the most part consistent with the weight of scientific evidence, but with some of the main points needing updating, correction, or qualification. The detailed argument relies almost entirely on past and current evidence and neglects almost all information that can be gained from computer models, perhaps because such information would be difficult for a lay audience to grasp, believe, or connect with emotionally. This places an undue weight on current events as signs of ongoing climate change: some such events are apparently not related at all to climate change, while for other specific events the role of global warming is difficult or impossible to establish.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, 3150 TAMUS, College Station, TX, 77843-3150, USA

    John W. Nielsen-Gammon

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  1. John W. Nielsen-Gammon
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Correspondence to John W. Nielsen-Gammon.

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Nielsen-Gammon, J.W. An Inconvenient Truth: the scientific argument. GeoJournal 70, 21–26 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9126-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9126-z

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