I'm watching Al Gore on Oprah right now

[rockymountaindem]

because I wanted to see what kind of message he wants to deliver to suburbanites like me about global warming. Now, I haven't seen An Inconvienent Truth, so seeing him talk about this is new to me. I'm 20 years old.

Now, tell me the truth: it sounds like I'm totally doomed. Am I? This is really, really scary and I'm trying to decide if I should just start stuffing myself with cheesecake before we all bake to death.

[Common Sense Party]

1. Isn't Tipper jealous?

Maybe he should just sit NEXT to Oprah.

[Solon]

3. You know, I was going to say that that would be an awkward position...

but then the picture suddenly entered my mind and now I hate you. ;)

[Common Sense Party]

9. And then, for the OP to just sit there, WATCHING it...

Maybe we should just tell them to "get a room."

[rockymountaindem]

10. Oh, I get it. Hehe

I guess that's kinda awkward, eh? Well, at least they're still wearing clothes :)

[Common Sense Party]

14. Just grindin', eh? nt

[rodeodance]

2. She told her viewers to go buy the DVD!--Al will reach a HUGE audiance today!

[rodeodance]

4. Al said we need to fight terrorism but we have to be concerned with other threats!

[rodeodance]

5. as al just said-------We have to be concerned with others, not just ourself.

[rockymountaindem]

6. It seems like nobody is concerned at all

plus now they've removed CAFE standards from the energy bill, just today.

[Lint Head]

7. Being 20 years old you will probably be witness

to a catastrophe. I have witnessed several in my lifetime. People like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Bill O'Rielly, G. Gordon Liddy, Dick Cheney, George Bush and all Republicans that support him have said global warming is not a problem. Well it's not for them. Because they're much older than you and won't be living on this earth much longer. It's up to you and your age group to stop the madness that has caused this to happen. :dem:

[Warpy]

8. Doomed? It all depends on the Siberian permafrost, I'm afraid

There is a tremendous amount of methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas, locked up in frozen Siberian tundra. If that goes, we all go, even the cockroaches.

My guess is that if we start going greener now, that will only happen partially. We will survive as a species, but on a very different planet. We've done it before.

The key is starting now, any way we can.

[peacetalksforall]

11. Ask someone who is a step ahead of you for one simple thing to

change in your habits to get started - just one and do it (keep it simple) - then promise yourself to learn about one more. Let it simmer and see if you can add it.

Recommendation - learn about the business of bottled water - learn about buying non-pva bottles to re-use and fill (maybe not if you live in a 3 to 5 walk-up apt), but if you're carrying water up there now - consider which kind and from where in what bottles and start noticing all the plastic bottles waiting for trash pick-up.

Simple start.

[rockymountaindem]

12. I'm going to

First of all, I'm going to get my parents to buy one of those hot-water heater blankets, because there's no reason not to. Secondly, when I move into my first apartment I'm going to get those florescent bulbs that look like a curly fry. Personally I don't drive when I'm at school because it's not practical, but that's just a function of being on campus. I already don't drink bottled water. The tap water in Colorado Springs is really good, probably some of the best in the world. When I went to school in Toronto for four years I also drank only tap water. Personally, I don't understand why so many people think they need to get their water in a bottle. I'm talking about water that came straight out of lake Ontario and got treated through some ordinary process. Sure it left my bathroom cup and shower shoes caked in residue, but I'm still okay :)

Otherwise, I fear there's nothing we as individuals can do, nor do I think enough individuals will get the picture and do it to make a difference. I don't see how we're going to save ourselves without a concentrated global effort from the top down. Of course, with the influence of short-sighted corporations who make money from polluting, that's probably not going to happen either. Maybe isn't not as bad as Gore says, but he sure makes a convincing argument.

[peacetalksforall]

15. Did he say how the Dick C. Admin paid people to say we're OK and

ouldn't let govt depts speak the truth? Lots to learn here on DU about the sad political side of it.

I remember being scared 40+ years ago and then I'd read something about how it's all ok - the sea water and natural underground water systems make everything right again. We never talked about the air - some people thought any bad smell was good because it was industry.

What really hurts is to see how this Admin and Congress gives lobbyists tons of exceptions for corporations - a person can get the impression that the bigger the corporation, the nastier their pollution, and the bigger the exemption.

I guess in China and some other countries - it's all the government direct - perhaps they don't have a lobbyist industry.

It's up to us.

I envy you the water in c springs - I can smell the chlorine where I am. Ever since I was a kid I didn't want to drink bleach.

[Duppers]

13. we need the word out

we need to approach our neighbors, our parents, our friends, our rethug relatives.

I've purchased "An Inconvenient Truth" and CFL light bulbs as gifts.