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Group Study Guide
An Inconvenient Truth
Study Questions
- What was your understanding of global warming before viewing the film? Did you have an opinion about it?
- Did the film change your thinking about the issue? How?
- Did Al Gore’s role have an impact on your opinions about global warming? Was it positive or negative?
- Do you believe the scientific evidence is credible? Why or why not?
- In the film, Al Gore calls reversing global warming a moral issue. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- Which illustration of the evidence of global warming did you find most compelling? The plight of the polar bears? The vanishing snow on Mt. Kilimanjaro? Another?
- The U.S. is the largest consumer of fossil fuels on the planet, releasing the greatest amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Do you think America has an obligation to act and even lead the effort to fight global warming? Or do you believe America has the right to do what it wants?
- What does the Bible say about protecting the earth? Is refusal to protect the earth an offense to God? (See Gen. 1; Ps. 24; Col. 1:16.) Why or why not?
- Some religious leaders believe that the poorest and most vulnerable people on earth will be hurt the most by global warming. Why do you think they believe this? Do you believe Christians have an obligation to help spare their suffering? (See Mt. 22:34-40; Mt. 7:12; Mt. 25:31-46.)
- Do you believe we can make a difference in global warming? What steps can you personally take to make a difference?
Group Activities
- Trapping Heat: For this activity, you will conduct a brief experiment to illustrate global warming. You will need two identical “take out” coffee cups, at least one cup lid, and two thermometers. A single instant-read thermometer can also be used. Fill each cup half full with hot tap water. Adjust the water temperature at the tap until the water temperature reads 90 degrees. Place the lid on one and leave the other uncovered. Make sure there is a small hole in the lid through which the thermometer can be inserted. Take an initial temperature reading of each cup, and then take additional readings at 10-minute intervals. If done correctly, you should see that the covered cup holds more heat, cooling down more slowly than the uncovered cup. As a group, discuss the results of the experiment. Ask members to share what evidence of global warming they may have observed in your area, such as lower water levels in rivers and ponds, droughts, violent storms or hotter summers.
- Join the Debate: Global warming is a really hot topic (pun intended). As a group, discuss the issue. Ask your group members to share how they felt before and after seeing the film. Encourage them to share any misgivings they have about the reality of global warming. Do they believe it is a myth? If so, why? What has helped shape their opinions? Religious belief? Politics? Job pressure? Mistrust of science? Do they believe the threat has been “trumped up” by “liberals” and “radical” ecologists? Do they believe Al Gore is politically motivated or that he can’t be trusted? Would they believe the evidence more if someone else, like the President, delivered it? Finally, discuss whether Christians have an obligation to protect the environment.
- Environmental Scavenger Hunt: For this activity, have your group break up into small teams. Give each team a writing pad and pen and ask them to spend 15 minutes finding ways to conserve energy in your meeting space or to reduce carbon dioxide in the air. Each team should be able to find at least three ways, but should be encouraged to find more. Ideas might include:
- Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescents.
- Turning the thermostat down or up.
- Lowering the temperature of the water heater.
- Planting trees outside.
- Properly inflating the tires on everyone’s cars.
- For a complete list of ideas, go to www.climatecrisis.net or www.stopglobalwarming.org. When the teams are finished, compare notes and decide, as a group, to make at least one of these changes.
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