Inaccuracies in Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth

[HAL 9000 96]

But Gary - the Peace Prize has ALWAYS been controversial. You can pick apart the cases of many of the winners dating back to 1900 if you were really so inclined.

None to my knowledge have gone this far off the farm. The others have at least had some connection to reducing wars or promoting peace. This has no connection at all.

Sure - which is why Mahatma Gandhi and the last pope were notably omitted.

Dude, all I can say is read the list of Nobel winners. Many have connections to peace. Many have connections to 'international cooperation' or benefit, like the one given to the founder of the Red Cross. Read the directives of Nobel's will. You're saying 'it wasn't his intent', but Nobel's will did not say 'only give this to people who negotiate political peace settlements.' The terms were VERY vague.

Last time I checked, the the folks in the Nobel Committee are the ones that give out the Prize, not those that are sour about having things told to them like they are while they defend the indefensible...

[Fandango 1,440]

I get that you don't like them for their political views, but it really shows a lack of character, IMO, that instead of arguing on the merits of what they have said, you attack the person themselves. There are plenty of people on the Right who I dislike (as well as some on that list above), but imagine for once, like the example I brought up of Thomas Jefferson and the Constitution, the ability to separate the message from the messenger. It would do this country a whole lot of good if we all tried that instead of turning it in to a sh!t throwing contest.

So you don't like Al Gore, fine. You don't think he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, fine. You don't think his documentary is accurate, fine. Now try to articulate that without it being about who Al Gore is. Just try it for once. You might start to feel better.

Don't you dare attempt to condescend to me, Stevo. Lack of character? First you question my 'authenticity' because I agreed with someone, now you're questioning my character? How dare you.

I am not making this into one big 'Conservative/Liberal' hoo ha like you seem to be making it out to be. I am talking my views on Al Gore...he's a hypocrite. Now he can cure cancer and be an ecological hypocrite, and if he got a Nobel Prize for curing cancer...well I'll be the first one dancing in the streets. But he got a Nobel Prize for all his 'work' with the environment....which he doesn't practice in his regular life. He chunters on and on about how man can make a difference, yet he is one of the biggest footprints around.

Which is WHY he shouldn't have rec'd a NP for essentially nothing but hot air. Talk is cheap. Action means something. We can argue all we want on what we THINK, but it is what we DO that really matters.

I have tried very much to explain my POV to you...but no matter how many times I do, you keep coming back with the same questions. Now regardless of your comprehension problems...I will not sit idly by why you cast aspersions as to my character....so not only do I see you owing me an apology, you need to be more mindful of what you're saying to me.

You kicked up a fuss when someone made assumptions about your character...didn't you? Even wanted a 'moratorium' on political threads because of it. Yet you freely bash others' characters with ease.

Interesting. And pathetic at the same time.

Lisa, I apologize if you think I was dissing your character. I was saying in general, this Swiftboating of public figures shows a lack of character and it's getting so predictable to the point of nauseau by the Ring Wing extremists of the Republican Party who've had a stranglehold on the rest of the Party for awhile now. They're losing their grip and we're now seeing divisions within the Party - that it's not so unified when it comes to many of the issues. That to me is a relief. Diversity of thought, IMO, is one of the traits that makes this country strong, not weak.

Let's be honest, anytime you hear about Al Gore, you roll your eyes back and dismiss whatever he says or might say as worthless based on your judgement of his character. That to me, is a disservice to this country. As I stated before, even fools are capable of saying something wise.

What a weak azzed fake apology.....You were dissing my character...read the red above. Don't make it like I lept to some strange azzed inference...you outright said so. Now you want to apol 'if I thought you were dissing my character'..that's a load of bollocks.

You keep mentioning 'swiftboat' and all other irrelevant things...that has nothing to do with my point here. You keep wanting to make this a partisan issue, when I've bent over backwards to explain to you my logic. You just don't want to listen.

When it comes to Al Gore and 'OMG! NEWYORK'S GONNA DROWN!!1111!!!eleventyone!!!111'....I most certainly dismiss it because of his actions. Talk is cheap...specially when there's nowt to back it up. His actions contradict his 'sky is falling!' schpiel.

Edited October 14, 2007 by LisaD

[no name 1]

Geez...

AG's carbon footprint may have to be bigger in order to achieve the goal of getting the planet's total carbon footprint to go down.

He's got a lot of people like you to convince

Actually, you will probably believe whatever you want to believe. No matter the facts...

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

What's odd to me is how that fringe element in the US thinks that they have it all figured out while the rest of the world has got it wrong. As I said earlier, there were the same type debates between the reasonable and the deniers when the scientific community came to a consensus that CFC's are tearing a hole into the ozone layer and that a change of course will be required to avoid a disaster. There will always be a fringe element that cannot accept some inconvenient truths. And while they're typically loud and all I take comfort in knowing that in the end they tend to matter little.

[Widge 0]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/gorehome.asp

It would seem that maybe Mr Gore's footprint isn't quite what the nay sayers have been putting out not only is he paying a premium to buy from renewable sources but working from home kinda doesn't make it the typical household (I also wonder if they added in the negative pollution factor of not driving to work) personally I don't care I re-iterate what I said earlier he was awarded the prize for "raising awareness" which he has managed to do and which I hope no one would dispute. I am certain I am not the only foreigner moving here who was appalled at the lack of environmental awareness/recycling/etc. they beheld compared to their home country.

I also think that anyone who thinks global warming - oil production and the pursuit thereof to fuel (pardon the pun) our lust for all the pollution products that follows 0 has no connection to peace only really has to ask what is the bottom line on why we invaded Iraq. I don't personally believe there is a long line of dots to join. I for the life of me cannot understand why I now live in a country with unlimited sun and wind and yet there are power outages in areas of the country ..... kinda weird. But most of all despite everything for someone nominated (by Norwegians I believe I read) and then voted on by the panel and winning I find it very sad that he isn't applauded in his own country for that achievement alone.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/gorehome.asp

It would seem that maybe Mr Gore's footprint isn't quite what the nay sayers have been putting out not only is he paying a premium to buy from renewable sources but working from home kinda doesn't make it the typical household (I also wonder if they added in the negative pollution factor of not driving to work) personally I don't care I re-iterate what I said earlier he was awarded the prize for "raising awareness" which he has managed to do and which I hope no one would dispute. I am certain I am not the only foreigner moving here who was appalled at the lack of environmental awareness/recycling/etc. they beheld compared to their home country.

I also think that anyone who thinks global warming - oil production and the pursuit thereof to fuel (pardon the pun) our lust for all the pollution products that follows 0 has no connection to peace only really has to ask what is the bottom line on why we invaded Iraq. I don't personally believe there is a long line of dots to join. I for the life of me cannot understand why I now live in a country with unlimited sun and wind and yet there are power outages in areas of the country ..... kinda weird. But most of all despite everything for someone nominated (by Norwegians I believe I read) and then voted on by the panel and winning I find it very sad that he isn't applauded in his own country for that achievement alone.

I hear ya'. The lack of environmental awareness in the supposedly most developed nation on earth is quite amazing. Anyone who seeks to raise awareness ought to be swift boated at once. How dare anyone think about the generations to follow? Quarterly results over long term vision. That's really - and sadly - what it all boils down to.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Mr. Big Dog

[Captain Ewok 1,901]

Come on guys...

[Jenn! 918]

Drive-by reported thread warning alert!

[Fandango 1,440]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/gorehome.asp

It would seem that maybe Mr Gore's footprint isn't quite what the nay sayers have been putting out not only is he paying a premium to buy from renewable sources but working from home kinda doesn't make it the typical household (I also wonder if they added in the negative pollution factor of not driving to work) personally I don't care I re-iterate what I said earlier he was awarded the prize for "raising awareness" which he has managed to do and which I hope no one would dispute. I am certain I am not the only foreigner moving here who was appalled at the lack of environmental awareness/recycling/etc. they beheld compared to their home country.

I also think that anyone who thinks global warming - oil production and the pursuit thereof to fuel (pardon the pun) our lust for all the pollution products that follows 0 has no connection to peace only really has to ask what is the bottom line on why we invaded Iraq. I don't personally believe there is a long line of dots to join. I for the life of me cannot understand why I now live in a country with unlimited sun and wind and yet there are power outages in areas of the country ..... kinda weird. But most of all despite everything for someone nominated (by Norwegians I believe I read) and then voted on by the panel and winning I find it very sad that he isn't applauded in his own country for that achievement alone.

I work from home my carbon footprint isn't crazy cos of it.

Buying carbon credits my backside....look at Bush's texas house and then tell me about how 'buying credits' and changing a few lightbulbs is enough. don't get me wrong...my house isn't green aside from a few things....but I'm not the one building a 'legacy' on the message. And I'm not trying to bring Bush really into this either...but there's a guy who hasn't built his career on an environmental message, but he's walking the walk.

Hell, if AG were more like Ed Begley Jr, I'd have nothing whatsoever to criticize. But he's not.

Hell, EB Jr shoulda won the NP.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Come on guys...

What happened?

[Widge 0]

What's odd to me is how that fringe element in the US thinks that they have it all figured out while the rest of the world has got it wrong. As I said earlier, there were the same type debates between the reasonable and the deniers when the scientific community came to a consensus that CFC's are tearing a hole into the ozone layer and that a change of course will be required to avoid a disaster. There will always be a fringe element that cannot accept some inconvenient truths. And while they're typically loud and all I take comfort in knowing that in the end they tend to matter little.

This kind of illustrates what you mean rather well I think

Participation in the Kyoto Protocol: dark green indicates countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, yellow indicates those that have signed and hope to ratify it, and red indicates those that have signed but not ratified it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

And I'm not trying to bring Bush really into this either...but there's a guy who hasn't built his career on an environmental message, but he's walking the walk.

I think his little wet-dream adventure in Iraq has messed his footprint up beyond repair.

[Fandango 1,440]

And I'm not trying to bring Bush really into this either...but there's a guy who hasn't built his career on an environmental message, but he's walking the walk.

I think his little wet-dream adventure in Iraq has messed his footprint up beyond repair.

That wasn't my point, and you know it

Just illustrating how 'green' is done for people of vast amts of wealth.

[mendeleev 68]

The first scientific meeting I ever attended on climate change was at Texas A&M University back in 1988. TAMU is not exactly a hotbed of liberalism. If posters criticizing Gore try to dispute that -- well -- let me just say I worked there for a couple years. It is not liberal.

A lot of the presenters, in hallway conversations, revealed themselves to be pretty conservative, as in "I'm not sure I can vote for George Bush because I'm not sure he's a real Reagan Republican".

One of those presenters gave a talk on the disappearing snowcap on Mt. Kilimangaro and how it appeared to be an indicated for climate change.

Another presented model reports discussing the stability of the Greenland ice cap, and how increased temperatures would no be expected to cause melting there. The evidence has since then changed that guys mind. More recently, he has been an author on scientific papers documenting how some of the ice caps in Greenland are melting much more quickly than can be accounted for by modern climate models. In hallway conversations, this scientist has now been wonderful if a "climate runaway" -- like Venus -- might not be implausible. He hasn't said this yet, though, in peer reviewed literature.

I could go on.

There is a very substantial scientific consensus that global warming is real and caused by human activity. Let's keep in mind that IPCC is also awarded the Prize.

I find it fascinating that, in the popular media, climate change is discussed as though it were an idea full of scientific uncertainty. That is *not* what I see, as a practicing scientist (and a chemist, in a field rather far away from atmospheric science) reading Nature, Science, Geophysical Research Letters, and the like over the past decade or so. I guess the popular media needs to find controversy even where there really isn't any.

[Widge 0]

And I'm not trying to bring Bush really into this either...but there's a guy who hasn't built his career on an environmental message, but he's walking the walk.

I think his little wet-dream adventure in Iraq has messed his footprint up beyond repair.

along with the national debt and countless thousands of lives