My Pal Al
February 23, 2007
Had a very long day of work, so I don’t have the energy to remain upright long enough to write a long involved journal entry at the moment. So I thought instead I’d just throw a question out there. What’s your opinion of Al Gore and his “Inconvenient Truth” and his larger environmental/global warming crusade in general? Is it making an impact? Good or bad? Is it genuine, or is he trying to rally up some support for a forthcoming move in his political career? (I suppose these two things aren’t mutually exclusive, but sadly, more often than not in politics, they are.)On a larger scale, what do you think about the country’s current stance on the issue of global warming as a serious threat, and what degree of responsibility do we really have as a country and individuals to try to alleviate the problem? Some people of course are debating whether it’s a major problem at all. Others are adamant that countries like China and India fix it before we commit to doing our share.
Interesting, convoluted and highly controversial issue. Just curious to see what people are thinking about it. Comment away! 
Entry Filed under: Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, China, India, Universal Responsibility, conservation, energy, environment, global warming, politics. .
13 Comments Add your own
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed
1.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:48 pm
scubatan, 34M, Alpharetta, Georgia, United States; Yesterday, 11:10pm:
I saw the movie last week, I think regardless of his motives are, he raised the awareness of people to bring this topic on the table. (unlike the other dude some people call him president). You should see another movie “who killed the eletric car?” as outragous, and shed some like of why global warming is not some top of our government’s priority list. You have to give Gore this, he refused to campaign for 2nd chance in 2004, since he does not want the elect become a personal vengence. He is at least better than that. Although I take him over the gunslinger any day. Take care.
2.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:49 pm
buddee, 40M, Jacksonville, Florida, United States; Yesterday, 11:18pm:
Firstly, I think its becoming apparent that Al Gore is definitely serious about this. He has been way too consistent and heavily involved for a very long time for it to be some sort of political move. He did also say that he was not interested and “could not foresee any circumstances” in which he would become so. Secondly, although it is still a hotly debated issue among some scientists, my personal opinion is that we have no business 1)wasting time, waiting around to see who’s right 2) ignoring our wasteful and polluting habits…even if it isn’t causing something as massive as global warming. There is far too much information PROVING that in countless other ways, we are damaging the world we live in, other creatures and our own health by living so irresponsibly. To me, its a matter of “when”, not “if”. A matter of “how” and no longer, “why”.
3.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:49 pm
MattLipford, 28M, Bonaire, Georgia, United States; Yesterday, 11:22pm:
I actually just finished reading Gore’s book about a week ago, in preparation to write a short paper on global climate change for my Biology class. I found the book to be very well written, although not terribly thick content wise. Lots and lots of pictures, but I suppose considering the message he was trying to convey, and the fact that he was probably much better served to keep things on an informational level that the average Joe (or Jane) could digest, he did a great job. In short, I found it both sobering, and encouraging at the same time. I don’t really think that he’s using the issue as a political jump-off. It’s been his “pet issue” for quite a few years. I really think that he harbors true and deep concern for the well being of the planet’s ecosystem, as well as the human populace’s ever increasing affect on it. I personally think that it fall on the shoulder of everyone to do their own part to try and reduce their personal carbon footprint. I don’t think our country will do much to set a good example on this front through (in a macroscopic sense), at least as long as our current political state remains in effect. I hope that after the 2008 elections the situation might start to look a little greener though (pun only semi-intended). The point about China and India is a great one, but even if they don’t want to do their part, I think that it still falls on us to come together and do ours. Sorry, I didn’t mean to go off on a tangent in your journal. -Matt.
4.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:50 pm
spcterry, 21M, Valdosta, Georgia, United States; Today,12:04am:
OK, I’ll be brief. I’m an EVG/Geology major so the global warming issue has been at the forefront of curriculum for me. From a Geological standpoint its absolute shit. The temperatures we are experiencing today are comparable to a period approximately 400 years ago during which we experienced a mini ice age. Throughout history, including modern (last million and a half years or so) history significantly higher temperatures have been experienced including several times in the last 10,000 years, a period which some scientists speculate is still actually an ice age. So how can we be experiencing global warming if our surface temperatures are indicative of an ice age!?!?!? Just the Geological standpoint
5.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:51 pm
adkgirl, 23F, Georgia, United States; Today,12:13am:
Matt- that’s not a tangent at all, it’s perfectly relevant to my post. A bit lengthy yes, but not tangential in any way. And exactly the sort of comment I enjoy reading.
6.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Ashcans, 23M, Atlanta, Georgia, United States; Today,12:57am:
I agree with MattLipford that this is not some brand new thing for Gore. He’s had this as an issue for a while, and if he was picking and choosing for political reasons there are better horses to saddle your cart to. So I believe he’s sincere. As for his movie, I think it plays a valuable role in bringing global environmental issues into the public concscience. I admit that my training is not in this field, but it seems to me that *some* sort of climate change is inevitable – even if the human impact is overstated, like spcterry said there have been variations in the past and there will be in the future. Thinking about these issues and trying to build a framework to understand and compensate for them can’t be a bad thing.
7.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:52 pm
floating_world, 29M, Jacksonville, Florida, United States; Today, 1:08am:
In relation to spcterry commentI thought the main thrust was that CO2 levels had an extremely close linkage to global temperatures and the fact that we are now at over four times the known CO2 levels in verifiable history (40,000 years if I recall correctly) means there is a good chance temperature will raise relative to the amounts of those gases. Is there a different viewpoint I haven’t heard? I’m curious.
8.
adkgirl06 | February 23, 2007 at 9:53 pm
robmac2, 30M, Orlando, Florida, United States; Today, 1:36am:
I just wrote about this in my journal
…well for sake of conversation and my own personal feeling aside……if gore is truely serious than great but like you said when it comes the whole game of politics no one can be trusted as for our stance on the treat we as americans are persenting it has been majorly toned down since the 1900-1930s but it is still well above what we are capable decreasing it to. as for counties such as china india ect. it is horrible the amout of pollution coming from them but we as americans tend to have an attitude of “we got ours but you cant have yours” whether its the right attitude to have or not is another debate in itself.with all that being said the best answer would be for us all as humans to work together toward the great goal(finding aliens and stealing thier tech.:) j/k) finding a way to get away from the dino on our backs.
9.
elpolaco | February 24, 2007 at 3:57 am
I like a couple of things that I found on your blog: that it’s ideas and not so much people that are interesting (I like yours); that one should not find ‘themselves’ but rather something absorbing (again, I like yours). A couple of things I like less: you seem to be commenting on your own entries … just write another entry I’d say; and too many words per idea … I had to scan to find yours … unless you’re writing for yourself.
So your goals are the right ones, but I would prefer to read more content per page. You might hate me for this but I am currently a big fan of P. J. O’Rourke. Not that I accept his politics or anything, but we can all learn a thing or two from this guy, in particular: pacey writing; clear and consistent message.
I’d say your’re moving in that direction, but I’d suggest this: pruning before publishing, something I need to work on myself. This was what I learned at uni. And maybe manage your stuff for accessibility. You might just have something other people are actually interested in.
Cheers,
Tom
10.
elpolaco | February 24, 2007 at 4:03 am
Hm, I might be wrong about commenting on your own blog … it’s just that you’ve got the same picture on all comments. I am pro-environmentalism and pro-Gore. I saw his movie. I was just reading Galbraith’s book The Affluent Society written in 1950. I recommend this to you for some indepth economic understanding behind … well, the affluent society and its consequences for the environment.
11.
mumbaiKar | February 24, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I find Al Gore quite sincere. I think the movie and recent Cliemate Change group’s findings prove that Human Activity is causing the climate change.
Republican’s have given up arguing with that and they have dropped the pet argument that perhaps it is a cyclical phenomenon. Now their tactic is to question if it good or bad. George Will in his Newsweek column posed the very same question. Unbelievable self interested and myopic conservatives…
12.
elpolaco | February 25, 2007 at 2:22 am
I suppose the doubts I have about this argument, e.g., the way it’s being framed by Gore and Americans in general is more economic than political or about awareness. Western countries have become affluent because of ‘competitiveness’, and they can ’spread democracy’ around the globe to the ignorant masses on other continents not by preaching ‘good governance’ but by preaching development and competitive market practices. They can sell this by selling the affluent lifestyles that support the education of college graduates who are environementalists. That involves the consumption of goods, services, cars, air travel, etc. Now, where do I see a problem in this?
13.
Chris | April 6, 2007 at 10:54 am
Hi All,
I have just read the book and I am just shocked…I was searching for a site where I could share opinion with others about this global issue-which, as I have just read on both Cnn and Bbc,are getting serious.
Hungary,my country is far away from both the Ocean or the Poles,but we are experiencing the bad effects of global warming…The climate change is happening now, but so far we were told that “strange” weather is something that happens every 50 years or so,so this is a natural phenomena and we should not be worried by this…Well, I see that this is really a bull***t.
I am just angry at those who knows the truth and facts but do not share it with average people like us,due to financial causes or due to any other selfish reason…
Chris