Commentary On Touching The Void By Joe Simpson
Specification A
Chapter 1: Section A Anthology Texts
Background
Touching the Void is a book by Joe Simpson. It is a true story of how he and
Simon Yates set out to become the first people to climb Siula Grande in Peru.
Following a disastrous accident in which Joe breaks his leg, Simon is forced to cut the rope supporting Joe. Simon returns down the mountain, believing Joe is dead. Although his leg is broken, Joe crawls his way back down the mountain and is eventually rescued.
The book is an autobiography, but unusually presents both Joe’s and Simon’s points of view in the first person. In 2003 the book was turned into an awardwinning documentary film of the same name.
Joe and Simon are mountain climbing in the Andes, when Joe has …show more content…
Is it just carbon dioxide we need to worry about?
No. Carbon dioxide is just one of a number of greenhouse gases, which include water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Livestock farming (farting cows) and rice paddy farming (rotting vegetation) have contributed to higher levels of methane in the atmosphere.
What is more, methane has a nasty sting in its tail. Although it only hangs around in the atmosphere for about
10 years, it is far more potent as a greenhouse gas, trapping about 20 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.
How hot will it get?
Estimates from some of the world’s best climate scientists – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) – suggest that the average global temperature will have risen between 2.5°C and 10.4°C by
2100.
130
Whether it will be the lower or upper end of this estimate is unclear.
Currently, oceans and trees are helping to mop up some of the heat by absorbing carbon dioxide, but eventually they will reach capacity and be unable to absorb more. At this point the atmosphere will take the full load,
Chapter 1: Section A Anthology Texts
gases are causing our planet to warm
– global warming.
What are tipping points?
A steady rise in greenhouse
Chapter 1: Section A Anthology Texts
Background
Touching the Void is a book by Joe Simpson. It is a true story of how he and
Simon Yates set out to become the first people to climb Siula Grande in Peru.
Following a disastrous accident in which Joe breaks his leg, Simon is forced to cut the rope supporting Joe. Simon returns down the mountain, believing Joe is dead. Although his leg is broken, Joe crawls his way back down the mountain and is eventually rescued.
The book is an autobiography, but unusually presents both Joe’s and Simon’s points of view in the first person. In 2003 the book was turned into an awardwinning documentary film of the same name.
Joe and Simon are mountain climbing in the Andes, when Joe has …show more content…
Is it just carbon dioxide we need to worry about?
No. Carbon dioxide is just one of a number of greenhouse gases, which include water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Livestock farming (farting cows) and rice paddy farming (rotting vegetation) have contributed to higher levels of methane in the atmosphere.
What is more, methane has a nasty sting in its tail. Although it only hangs around in the atmosphere for about
10 years, it is far more potent as a greenhouse gas, trapping about 20 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.
How hot will it get?
Estimates from some of the world’s best climate scientists – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) – suggest that the average global temperature will have risen between 2.5°C and 10.4°C by
2100.
130
Whether it will be the lower or upper end of this estimate is unclear.
Currently, oceans and trees are helping to mop up some of the heat by absorbing carbon dioxide, but eventually they will reach capacity and be unable to absorb more. At this point the atmosphere will take the full load,
Chapter 1: Section A Anthology Texts
gases are causing our planet to warm
– global warming.
What are tipping points?
A steady rise in greenhouse