Mar 25 2008
Al Gore and Visual Rhetoric
Throughout the film “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore uses powerful images to emphasize his position on global warming. These images come in many forms, from photos to charts and graphs. One of the most powerful images is the chart that depicts the CO2 concentration and temperature over the past 650,000 years. This graph supports Gore’s main claim that the average carbon dioxide concentrations and temperatures in current times are much higher than at any other time in history. It is one of the examples of a more technical image in the piece. Gore tends to focus on a less technical audience, understandable since the movie could reach a wide audience that has no knowledge of science. Other than the chart itself, Gore’s use of a scissor-lift to reach the top of the graph leaves the greatest impression, emphasizing the fact that the current results are “off the charts”. The sight of the graph trends through the years, and the current standings, say more than any words on the topic could.
Another visual device, which I have discussed in my other post, is the “Futurama” cartoon defining global warming. This cartoon is used to reiterate, in simple terms, the explanation of global warming that had previously given by Gore. As I previously stated, I was not a fan of the forced humor that came with the piece, but in context, the animation is used as an important rhetorical device. Having a working definition of global warming is integral in establishing the issue span of Gore’s argument. Since the film audience may not understand any technical terms used in a formal definition, a cartoon is a simple way of presenting the information.
Finally, an example of photos used in the film is the comparison pictures of glaciers in the past and present. This series of photos clearly show how glaciers around the world have melted significantly over time. These photos help to emphasize Gore’s problem span since they highlight the point that the environment is changing and the world is getting warmer. It is probably the least technical way to present the information; since photos are purely visual and involve little/no interpretation, it is difficult to dispute the fact that the photos change over time. Because there is no interpretation involved, these photos are probably some of the more powerful images used.
