Al Gore and Global Warming

[ThomWV]

Sometime back, about two years ago, I first saw Al Gore's presentation on Global Warming. At that time he was saying he believed the world had 10 years to act or it might very well be too late for our actions to have sufficient consequence.

The only way this country will act on Global Warming within 10 years is if Al Gore is elected President a year and a half from now. Others may mouth the Party line on Global Warming, but there is only one person who will focus on it. I believe Mr. Gore is honest in his expression of concern on this subject, but strong as support for his position is there won't be action until he makes it so and there is not better station from which to do so than the White House.

In simplest terms, if he becomes President the United States will address this problem and lead the world toward a solution. If he doesn't become President we can expect less.

[existentialist]

1. I could support Al Gore

There is certainly something in your post.

Needless to say, it would also help to elect an environmentally enlightened Congress.

I just read (on TPMCafe.com) about a group that is running ads in states where GOP Senators are thought vulnerable to pressure said GOP Senators to oppose Bush and support Congressional initiatives on the Iraq war.

Something similar could be done on environmental issues.

And then, there are certain Senators and Congressmen whom it is probably pointless to pressure, but whom it is certainly within realistic possibility to try to defeat. I believe that Senator Inhofe fits in this latter category. (Just an example--there are certainly others comparably worthy of our efforts to take them out of the political picture)

[iamjoy]

2. What If...

One of our candidates wins and appoints Gore to head the EPA or Dept of Energy?

Even if he decides not to run, Gore could really play his hand in this. He's gotten rock star status amongst the progressives in this country. After the primary, he could sign on with the nominee's campaign and go around helping that person get elected. Provivded, of course, that our nominee promises to do something about the global climate change crisis.

[greenman3610]

4. Gore is more than a rock star

He has graduated to the moral authority of
a Martin Luther King. The Nobel will
cement that reputation.

[ms liberty]

3. I agree. 100%...K&R n/t

[dysfunctional press]

5. i'm hoping for a dramatic summer, weather-wise...

that will give people a little but very real taste of what we are going to be up against in the very near future.

[kwolf68]

7. Wont work

Short term weather patterns can't be used to refute/support geological events. take the current situation, it's frigid everywhere. I have snow here in Virginia and it's April.

Does that mean I think warming is not a fact? Heck no, I could care less if it was 40 below right now, the earth is warming, THAT is a fact, but the nimrods out there will see the cold temps and that is proof positive that Gore is full of it.

This issue, just like the issue of lead paint, smoking, DDT, industrial conditions won't be solved by one event that happens. It will be solved when the majority thinkers on this issue can actually effect change or when we start burying people.

[dysfunctional press]

8. i disagree completely.

we live in a country of knee-jerk reactionaries. the ONLY way that they will wake up to what's going on is if it slaps them in the face. a couple of monster cat-5's slamming into densely populated areas, a few more huge & out-of-control forest fires, a month of 100+ temps, and it would become THE topic on people's minds, and hopefully stir them to take things more seriously, and start to WANT to act on them.

[kwolf68]

9. But here is the problem with your view

What if the weather GOES the other way?

I understand what you are saying, but I worry that if things termporarily cool off the mocking of Gore will just get worse until the issue isn't even part of public discourse anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I am 100% behind Mr. Gore. He's my choice for Prez (If I could have one) and I admire/respect the man more than one can know, but on EVERY SCIENCE issue in the past we NEVER REACTED until it was too late. The only difference is in the past only a limited numbers (figuratively speaking) were affected (such as smoking) and not the whole damned planet.

[dysfunctional press]

10. then nothing will change.

that's the way this country works.

that's why, as i said in my post- i'd like to see us get bitch-slapped by ma nature this summer. not to mention that it will make for good tv viewing.

[kwolf68]

11. And in my cynical view

Nothing will. Sure, meagher modifications will happen. CAFE will go up 1/10 of 1 percent or some worthless bullshit like that, but in the end the voters only want bread and circusus (Cadilac Escalades) and surely don't want to think about complex issues like atmospheric climate change.

That doesn't mean I won't continue to fight hard for this issue (as I do on all environmental issues), but until it is no longer an argument that is so heavily politicized (where if you 'support' warming measures you are a raging tree-hugging Liberal) we will just be caught in this minutia of rhetoric.

[dysfunctional press]

12. it's probably too late anyway.

but we aren't going to make anything but band-aid solutions regardless- and once most of the REALLY bad shit starts happening regularly it'll be way past too late to do anything about it.

[Kazak]

6. Too right!

Though I don't think the other candidates would/will completely fail to address the onset of global warming, I don't believe that any other candidate would/will tackle it as effectively or as focused.

[Harper_is_Bush]

13. So Hillary, Obama, Edwards...they're all just "mouthing a party line"?

And won't focus on global warming?

That is some interesting fear-mongering there.