2017

Environment

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

An Inconvenient Sequel (2017)

Truth to Power

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An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former

presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global

warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the

environment.

Vocabulary « raise the public awareness » What else can you « raise » ? Tool 1 : {raise/V} BNCWeb Tool 2 :

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greenhouse effects factory global warming traffic jam

hurricanes flood recycling pollution ice cap

smoke drought storm

écologiste environmentalist catastrophe

écologique ecological disaster

les verts the green party un scénario catastrophe

a nightmare scenario

énergie éolienne wind energy cultures génétiquement modifiées

genetically modified crops

énergie solaire solar energy combustibles fossiles

fossil fuels

énergie nucléaire nuclear power pétrole oil énergie propre clean energy le protocole de Kyoto protocol1

1 Kyoto Protocol, in full Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, international treaty, named for the Japanese city in which it was adopted in December 1997, that aimed to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming. In force since 2005, the protocol called for reducing the emission of six greenhouse gases in 41 countries plus the European Union to 5.2 percent

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Kyoto consommation d’énergie

energy consumption la journée de la Terre

Earth Day

pénurie shortage un baril a barrel réchauffement global

global warming chauffage central central heating

les changements climatiques

climate change heures creuses off-peak hours

effet de serre greenhouse effect heures de pointe peak hours vague de chaleur heat wave la nappe phréatique ground water couche d’ozone ozone layer l’eau potable drinking water gaz carbonique carbon dioxide la fonte de la calotte

glaciaire the melting of the icecap

oxyde de carbone carbon monoxide une centrale nucléaire

a nuclear power plant

écosystème ecosystem une centrale électrique

a power station

climat climate ressources naturelles

natural resources

tempéré temperate l’atmosphère the atmosphere tremblement de terre

earthquake la biodiversité biodiversity

ouragan hurricane le défrichage clearing prévisions météo weather forecast la désertification desertification tempête de neige blizzard les emballages packaging coulée de boue mudslide l’équilibre naturel the natural balance sécheresse drought un biocarburant a biofuel raz-de-marée tidal wave peu coûteux cheap / low-cost forêts équatoriales rainforest dépendant de dependent on animaux sauvages wildlife abondant plentiful espèces disparues extinct species (non-) polluant (non-) polluting espèces en voie de disparition

endangered species bio(logique) organic

pluies acides acid rain biodégradable biodegradable décharge dump toxique toxic / poisonous déchets litter mince >< épais thin >< thick gaz d’échappement exhaust gas polluer to pollute sommet summit descendre

(température) to go down

glacier glacier monter to rise (rose, risen) bois wood changer to change océan ocean protéger la faune et

la flore to protect wildlife

les fonds marins the ocean bed pratiquer le co-voiturage

to car pool

below 1990 levels during the “commitment period” 2008–12. It was widely hailed as the most significant environmental treaty ever negotiated, though some critics questioned its effectiveness.

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terre earth recycler to recycle continent continent gaspiller to waste pôle pole détruire to destroy l’ Arctique the Arctic économiser

l’énergie to save energy

l’Antarctique the Antarctic éteindre to turn off érosion du sol soil erosion allumer to turn on typhon typhoon rejeter to dump problèmes liés à l’environnement

environmental issues

anéantir to wipe out

un pollueur a polluter retraiter to reprocess un produit polluant a pollutant survivre to survive pollution de l’air / de l’eau

air / water pollution dégeler to thaw

pesticide pesticide aérosol aerosol pulvérisation de pesticides sur les cultures

crop-spraying

déforestation deforestation permafrost permafrost

= permanently frozen

ground

calotte glacière ice cap = small ice mass in

high area

The following vocabulary can be heard in the film An Inconvenient Truth. Match the words and phrases with the definitions

Word/Phrase Definition

1. an iconic image a. An early warning of a serious problem at hand

2. breach the levees b. A very thin layer of polish used to protect wood.

3. canaries in the coal mine c. A US Government official for health

4. luke warm d. An important picture

5. coat of varnish e. Birds that fly to new places in autumn and spring

6. connect the dots f. Can be hurt easily

7. day of reckoning g. Made an educated guess

8. hard-nosed h. Go through or break the “walls” built to protect a

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city from floods

9. he intuited... i. He promised to control

10. he pledged to regulate j. A time/day when someone has to pay for crimes or

mistakes made in the past

11. intellectual ferment k. Majority of scientists agree

12. irrigation l. A lot of new ideas being developed/talked about

13. meticulous m. something taken for granted; not questioned

14. migratory birds n. Put information together so it makes sense

15. assumption o. Speed with direction

16. scientific consensus p. Very surprising/shocking

17. startling q. far exceeds normal standards

18. Surgeon General r. Not hot, not cold – somewhere in the middle

19. velocity s. Very thorough and careful

20. vulnerable t. Diverting water to plants on a farm

21. off the chart u. Tough, demanding

Answers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Same exercise

1. Rustling

a) a coating that provides a hard, shiny, transparent finish to a surface

2. Skeptic(s) b) the act of postponing, or delaying, especially out of habitual carelessness

or laziness

3. Horrendous c) the quantity of water falling to earth at a specific place within a specified

period of time (rain, snow, etc)

4. Evaporation

d) fight: the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

5. Hoax

e) The process of a liquid converting to the gaseous state

6. Sustenance

f) making great mental demands; hard to understand or solve or believe

7. Varnish

g) the operation of causing water to flow over lands, for nourishing plants

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8. Combat h) a piece of land that is surrounded by water but connected to the

mainland

9. Naked eye i) a deliberate attempt to deceive or trick an audience into believing or

accepting that something is real

10. Assumption

j) awful: causing fear or dread or terror

11. Irrigation k) human visual perception that is unaided by enhancing equipment, such

as a telescope or microscope

12. Unprecedented

l) causing to feel better; comforting: giving moral or emotional strength to

13. Procrastination m) premise: a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a

conclusion can be drawn

14. Soothing

n) a position particularly well suited to the person/animal who occupies it

15. Baffling o) Something that provides support or nourishment (usually food and

water)

16. Niche

p) never before seen or done

17. Precipitation

q) a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind

18. Peninsula

r) someone who regularly doubts accepted beliefs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

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A. Before watching A.1. What do you know about global warming?

Oor https://anglaisccm.wordpress.com/cours-3/sous-section-3-2/ …………………… ……………………

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A.2. Kahoot! https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/716c71b2-5470-46b0-afc0-f9bab1159239

Global warming

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B. While watching Answer the following questions in English. 1. What does Gore say is “the most vulnerable part of the Earth’s ecosystem? Why?

2. Gore’s university professor, Roger Revelle, was the first person to propose doing

what? What did this work prove?

3. Explain the basic science of global warming.

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4. What has the overall trend in the Earth’s temperatures been since the American Civil

War?

5. According to the film, what types of ecological disasters have been taking place

recently with increased frequency due to increased ocean temperatures? Why does

this happen?

6. What paradoxical effects does global warming have on the environment with respect

to precipitation? Why does this happen?

7. What accounts for the fact that the Arctic Ice Cap is melting faster than was

anticipated?

8. What are three other effects of global warming Gore talks about besides glacial melt

and increased storms?

9. What are the three factors Gore says are causing a collision between our civilization

and the Earth? Explain each one.

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10. What three misconceptions does Gore say “bedevil our thinking” with respect to

global warming?

11. Name some ways we can help reduce carbon emissions to zero, as per the film

(ending).

Complete the following chart with some keywords. Evidence of global warming Effects of global warming What people can do to

prevent it

(see question 11.)

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C. After watching Cite / explain three facts you were not aware of and that you will remember from the film. https://anglaisccm.wordpress.com/cours-3/sous-section-3-2/

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… Writing Exercises 1. Only Governments can reduce carbon dioxide emissions. What are your views? 2. Produce a leaflet to encourage people to reduce their carbon emissions. 3. Write a letter to your local MP to encourage him to take action against global warming. You should write at least 250 words.

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An Inconvenient Sequel (2017)

A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular

culture comes the follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy

revolution.