Climate Scare
Climate Scare Is all the hype about man made climate change going to destroy the human race. In The 11th Hour by Leonardo DiCaprio, we hear and see the perceived effects man-made climate change is having on our planet. Flooding, hurricanes, and drought, all caused by man’s use of fossil fuels, our only chance of survival, eliminate our use of fossil fuels. Bill McKibben agrees with this theory, in “350 Science” he informs us the current level of carbon dioxide (CO2), 392 parts per million, is much too high. His suggestion is that carbon sequestering is necessary to prevent our destruction. Patrick Moore reiterates this theory in “An Inconvenient Fact”. He contradicts DiCaprio’s belief of curtailing forestry and encourages improved forestry as a tool for carbon sequestering. While The 11th Hour suggests hurricanes, and flooding are caused by man, Scott Mandia tells us differently in “The Little Ice Age in Europe”. In it he describes conditions in Europe during ice age periods that mirror the conditions DiCaprio and others predict in The 11th Hour. We know that the CO2 levels are rising, but the dooms day predictions are false and misleading. All of their predictions have happened in recorded history, during times of colder temperatures and lower CO2 levels. Drought and horrible storms will occur no matter what level of CO2 is in the atmosphere or the average temperature is, we need to dedicate more resources to preparing for these disasters. Leonardo DiCaprio narrated the documentary The 11th Hour, in it he conveys the message of many preeminent scientists in climatology, environmentalism, and physics. According to them the use of fossil fuels is causing irreparable damage to the climate. They also list their predictions of what this effect will have. Storms, flooding and drought will increase in severity and occurrences, causing massive destruction and loss of human life. As DiCaprio puts it “global warming is not only the number one environmental
Cited: The 11th Hour. Dir. Leonardo DeCaprio. Perf. Sephen Hawking, David Suzuki, Sylvia Earle and
David Orr. Warner Brothers, 2007. DVD
Mandia, Scott. The Little Ice Age in Europe n.p. n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2011
McKibben, Bill. 350 Science. n.p. 10 Jun. 2010 Web. 9 Sept. 2011
Moore, Patrick. “An Inconvenient Fact.” The Vancouver Sun 29 Aug. 2007 Print