An Inconvenient Truth

by Al Gore

Rodale, 2006, $21.95
ISBN 10:1-59486-567-1

   An Inconvenient Truth is based on the slide show of the same name that Al Gore has been giving around the world since 2000. (The film of the same name is a parallel evolution from the slide show).  The result is an unusual book, with clear connection to the slide show.  In particular it has excellent pictures and graphics, often with quite brief text connecting the images. An Inconvenient Truth also has excellent scientific graphics:  They are in full color and often involve three page (fold out) spreads.  The book is a visual treat.

   It does an excellent job of documenting that global warming is real, relying primarily on scientific studies than the anecdotal/common sense examples in The Weather Makers and Field Notes from a Catastrophe. As such the three books compliment each other very well. Note that while the three books describe the problem, and even suggest what we can do as individuals to “lower our carbon footprint”, none of them deals with desirable policy interventions.  This is a particularly weird omission in An Inconvenient Truth, since we would expect Al Gore, of all people, to have a well developed policy sense.

   The books policy weakness extends to the description of six (Socolow/Pacala) technical “wedges” that could significantly reduce emissions.  However, there is no discussion of the policy changes needed to bring about the identified technical changes.

   Gore also endorses trading carbon offsets where someone planting trees that shift carbon within the carbon cycle, can sell an offset allowing the purchaser to add fossil carbon to the cycle: In this book, at lest, his policy instincts are suspect.

   As befits a slide show, the book has neither a table of contents nor index.