Al Gore Blog for techPresident

Rejecting the "Global Cooling" Myth

Al Gore — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:06:13 -0800

Global cooling is a myth, designed by climate deniers to prevent us from having a real debate on this vital issue. Don’t take my word for it. Here is what the AP and four independent statisticians say: "It's not true, according to an analysis of the numbers done by several independent statisticians for The Associated Press." "The case that the Earth might be cooling partly stems from recent weather. Last year was cooler than previous years. It's been a while since the super-hot years of 1998 and 2005. So is this a longer climate trend or just weather's normal ups and downs?" "In a blind test, the AP gave temperature data to four independent statisticians and asked them to look for trends, without telling them what the numbers represented. The experts found no true temperature declines over time." ""If you look at the data and sort of cherry-pick a micro-trend within a bigger trend, that technique is particularly suspect," said John Grego, a professor of statistics at the University of South Carolina"". Facts should drive the debate, not myths from those intent on keeping the status quo in place.

Congratulations 350.org

Al Gore — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:39:07 -0800

I want to congratulate my friend Bill McKibbon on the incredibly successful 350.org event that occurred around the world on October 24. According to Bill: “We're sitting here in our temporary offices in lower Manhattan hunched over laptops drowning in images--15,000 photos and thousands of minutes of video have arrived from what turned out to be 5,200 rallies, protests, and demonstrations in 181 countries around the world.” “It was, according to any number of journalistic accounts, "the most widespread day of political action in the planet's history." But here's the thing that impresses us. There wasn't a rock star or a movie star or a charismatic politician in sight. It was ordinary citizens and scientists coming together around a scientific data point.” It was truly an amazing day and one that will have a tremendous impact.

My Formidable Opponent - Stephen Colbert

Al Gore — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:49:46 -0800

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Formidable Opponent - Global Warming With Al Gore

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

More National Security Risks Caused By the Climate Crisis

Al Gore — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:35:20 -0800

I've posted on this before, but it's a vital part of the climate debate. According to the AP: "An island in the Indian Ocean, vital to the U.S. military, disappears as the sea level rises. Rivers critical to India and Pakistan shrink, increasing military tensions in South Asia. Drought, famine and disease forces population shifts and political turmoil in the Middle East." "U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, viewing these and other potential impacts of global warming, have concluded if they materialize it would become ever more likely global alliances will shift, the need to respond to massive relief efforts will increase and American forces will become entangled in more regional military conflicts." "It is a bleak picture of national security that backers of a climate bill in Congress hope will draw in reluctant Republicans who have denounced the bill as an energy tax and jobs killer because it would shift the country away from fossil fuels by limiting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial facilities. " The Senate needs to act quickly and pass climate and green jobs legislation. The price for inaction is far too high.

Our Choice

Al Gore — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:51:54 -0800

An old African proverb says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” We have to go far. . . quickly. My new book, Our Choice, is about solutions to the climate crisis that can help us do just that. During the three and a half years since the publication of An Inconvenient Truth, I organized more than thirty “Solutions Summits,” where experts from around the world shared their knowledge and experience in subjects relevant to the construction of a plan to solve the climate crisis. In addition, I engaged in a large number of one-on-one sessions with other leading experts to map out a blue print for action. Our Choice is the result of this multi-year effort. The book is available today and can be purchased online at: Amazon Barnes and Noble Borders Indie Bound As with "An Inconvenient Truth" 100 percent of the proceeds to Tipper and me will be contributed to the Alliance for Climate Protection. For me, this has been an exciting and illuminating journey, because it is now abundantly clear that we have at our fingertips all of the tools we need to solve three or four climate crises – and we only need to solve one. The only missing ingredient is collective will. We can solve the climate crisis. It will be hard, to be sure, but if we choose to solve it, I have no doubt whatsoever that we can and will succeed. It will be hard, but we can solve it!

We Can Lead

Al Gore — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:50:44 -0800

The good news according to The New York Times: “A consortium of Chinese and American companies announced a joint venture today to construct a massive 600-megawatt wind farm in West Texas . . .” The bad news: “…utilizing wind turbines manufactured in China.” It is great that Texas will be the source of more clean, renewable wind power. However, I want the US to be leading in the field, by manufacturing clean energy equipment for export all over the world. Right now China exports 95% of its solar components. After building up our green energy infrastructure we can do the same, creating jobs for countless Americans.

Meet me at the Wall

Al Gore — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:33:32 -0700

When a clean energy economy finally becomes a reality in America, people will look back to the day that together, you and I launched The Repower America Wall. The Wall is a place where literally thousands and thousands of people committed to a revolutionary new energy future for our nation and the world are coming together -- to express our hopes, share our resolve, and step up to a leadership role in building a grassroots movement for change like nothing America has ever seen. It's an opportunity for you to be part of the climate movement in a new way, in a way that takes us beyond ourselves. By asking people from all over the country to share their thoughts and images on the Wall, we are fueling a campaign that brings together the power of national media with the strength and connection of on-the-ground organizing in a way that no one has ever done before. Your voice, and the voices of your friends, neighbors and colleagues, will become the language of our campaign on TV, in print, on billboards, online, and in brand new ways that you will help us invent as we create the Wall. We know that the political will to transition America to a clean energy economy already exists. You are part of it. But now we must make sure our leaders know it too. The Wall will become our collective voice and thus transform the debate into action. It's an ambitious strategy -- and it has to be. Nothing short of every one of us joined together is needed to overcome the resistance of the powerful special interests blocking our path to a clean energy future, settling for the dangerous status quo. But the time for politics is over. We have the power to force change in America. Together, you and I will use the Wall as the foundation for all of our activism in the days and weeks ahead. But first, I need you to meet me at the Wall. Share your voice on The Repower America Wall right now. The Wall is a revolutionary approach to standing up for what we believe in -- for what our country needs. It combines the power of your voice with the force of a multi-media campaign, to build a collective call for change so loud it's undeniable. The messages you and many thousands of others leave at the Wall are the tidal wave that will break on Washington, and put us on the path to victory. Our grassroots organizers in the states will use the Wall -- your Wall -- as proof that all of our friends and neighbors are as committed to clean energy as we are -- that we are joined together in this commitment. Content shared on the Wall will be used to create ads and other forms of communication that will go directly to your elected officials so that everywhere they look they will see the very people they represent, their constituents, calling for action now on clean energy -- in the local newspaper, on television, on billboards, on the radio, and on important local and national websites. There will be no place to hide. The Wall will be everywhere. When our opponents throw roadblocks in our way, we'll gather at the Wall to fight back. And when key decisions are at hand, we'll light up the Wall to let politicians who side with powerful interests against clean energy do so at their own peril. The time to demand a clean energy future for America is now. But we must stand together. Unless we do everything in our power to make our voices heard, the change we seek will not happen. Stand up and be a part of the generation that makes future generations proud -- join the movement and share your voice on The Repower America Wall today. This is just the beginning. Next week we will take this campaign to the airwaves with new Repower America national television ads featuring real messages from the Wall. By acting now to share your own personal message on the Repower America Wall, you can insure that you were there at the start. What you and I do today will determine everything about our country's future and the world our children will inherit. The time for action is right now and the cause deserves your best efforts. If you want to win and insure our clean energy future, I'll see you at the Wall. Together we can make this happen.

Dishonest Lobbying

Al Gore — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:09:47 -0700

According to AP: "A coal group and two of its contractors were aware of forged lobbying letters that had been sent to three Democratic House members before a vote on major climate legislation, but the lawmakers weren't told about the forgeries until well after the vote, according to documents obtained by a congressional committee." This subversion of our democracy is disgusting. The fact that members of the House of Representatives went to the floor to vote on the climate bill with false information is unacceptable. As the Senate begins work on this issue, members should view communications from lobbying groups opposing climate and green jobs legislation with increased skepticism.

Chamber of Commerce on the defensive

Al Gore — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:11:38 -0700

The Chamber of Commerce is on the defensive. For the first time their anti-environmental ideology is catching up with them and prominent members are leaving the organization. According to the New York Times: “Companies should ignore calls from "environmental extremists" and other adversaries to resign from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a senior official with the business association implored today.” “In a letter to chamber members, the Washington, D.C.-based association's chief operating officer, David Chavern, said that some companies may have received e-mails, letters and other communications from third parties as the chamber lobbies Congress and the White House on climate change policy, health care, union voting rights and other contentious issues.” "Please note that these calls against the chamber are part of a broad-based, multi-source campaign against us being carried out by our normal adversaries -- trial lawyers, activist unions, environmental extremists, etc.," Chavern wrote. "It is a 'corporate campaign' in the classic sense, where groups are looking for public leverage to force us to do things against the best interests of the business community." “Chavern promised to send members additional information about what he dubbed the "scope and objectives" of the adversaries' campaign. Chamber spokesman J.P. Fielder declined to elaborate as to what Chavern meant.” The Chamber is worried because they know that companies can no longer attempt to look green, while outsourcing their anti-environmental activities to other organizations. Far from “environmental extremists” most Americans support our government taking action to solve the climate crisis. The Chamber on the other hand, would like nothing more than the status quo, something that is clearly no longer acceptable to many of their members

Virginia

Al Gore — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:12:51 -0700

Saturday night I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for Virginia Gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds. He is locked in a tough race against Republican Bob McDonnell. If you live in Virginia, I encourage you to get out and support Creigh Deeds. Even if you don’t, you can contribute to his campaign by clicking here.

Leading by example

Al Gore — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:29:23 -0700

With little notice, President Obama has unveiled a new executive order that will reduce the carbon footprint of the federal government. According to the White House: “The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.” "As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the Federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally-responsible products and technologies," said President Obama. "This Executive Order builds on the momentum of the Recovery Act to help create a clean energy economy and demonstrates the Federal government's commitment, over and above what is already being done, to reducing emissions and saving money."

Underwater Cabinet Meeting

Al Gore — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:41:16 -0700

The Maldives lie just seven feet above sea level in the Indian Ocean. Climate change and rising sea levels could cause this tiny country to disappear. This week the country's President Mohammed Nasheed plans to hold a cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the challenge his nation is facing. “At the meeting, the Cabinet plans to sign a document calling on all countries to cut down their carbon emissions ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, where the countries will negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.” President Nasheed has been a unique voice on the issue of climate change. He has promised to make his nation the first carbon neutral country within the next ten years and has even launched a fund to buy a new homeland if the seas rise and the Islands are submerged.

A Prediction

Al Gore — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:27:03 -0700

The Senate will pass a green jobs and climate bill before Copenhagen. This might go against what the pundits are saying, but I believe we are on the cusp of this remarkable achievement – however we all need to work our hardest to turn this prognostication into a reality. Now is the time to contact you member of the Senate and demand they support this legislation.

Three Bombs

Al Gore — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:57:44 -0700

Last week Tom Friedman wrote a great article entitled Our Three Bombs: “I am a 56-year-old baby boomer, and looking around today it's very clear that my generation had it easy: We grew up in the shadow of just one bomb -- the nuclear bomb. That is, in our day, it seemed as if there was just one big threat that could trigger a nonlinear, 180-degree change in the trajectory of our lives: the Soviets hitting us with a nuke. My girls are not so lucky." "Today's youth are growing up in the shadow of three bombs -- any one of which could go off at any time and set in motion a truly nonlinear, radical change in the trajectory of their lives." "The first, of course, is still the nuclear threat, which, for my generation, basically came from just one seemingly rational enemy, the Soviet Union, with which we shared a doctrine of mutual assured destruction. Today, the nuclear threat can be delivered by all kinds of states or terrorists, including suicidal jihadists for whom mutual assured destruction is a delight, not a deterrent." "But there are now two other bombs our children have hanging over them: the debt bomb and the climate bomb." "As we continue to build up carbon in the atmosphere to unprecedented levels, we never know when the next emitted carbon molecule will tip over some ecosystem and trigger a nonlinear climate event -- like melting the Siberian tundra and releasing all of its methane, or drying up the Amazon or melting all the sea ice in the North Pole in summer. And when one ecosystem collapses, it can trigger unpredictable changes in others that could alter our whole world."

Bipartisanship

Al Gore — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:02:38 -0700

It's become conventional wisdom in some circles that bipartisanship is dead when it comes to climate legislation. I want to thank Lindsey Graham and John Kerry for proving those doubters wrong. Their bold article in The New York Times this past weekend surely will add momentum to our cause. In the piece they write: “Many Democrats insist on tough new standards for curtailing the carbon emissions that cause global warming. Many Republicans remain concerned about the cost to Americans relative to the environmental benefit and are adamant about breaking our addiction to foreign sources of oil.” “However, we refuse to accept the argument that the United States cannot lead the world in addressing global climate change. We are also convinced that we have found both a framework for climate legislation to pass Congress and the blueprint for a clean-energy future that will revitalize our economy, protect current jobs and create new ones, safeguard our national security and reduce pollution.” “Our partnership represents a fresh attempt to find consensus that adheres to our core principles and leads to both a climate change solution and energy independence.” I want to thank both of these leaders for working to find a common ground on this vital issue. Working together we will solve the climate crisis. Their article closes by stating, “We are confident that a legitimate bipartisan effort can put America back in the lead again and can empower our negotiators to sit down at the table in Copenhagen in December and insist that the rest of the world join us in producing a new international agreement on global warming. That way, we will pass on to future generations a strong economy, a clean environment and an energy-independent nation.” I could not agree more.