Canadian cartoonist hopes her work will inspire people to love the Earth more

Canadian cartoonist hopes her work will inspire people to love the Earth more

[INTERVIEW with Danny Bloom in Taiwan]

http://northwardho.blogspot.com

Meet Mary Susan MacDonald, cartoonist extraordinaire, with a deep
interest in the future of the planet.

Born in Montreal, she now lives in Toronto. A regular reader of Dot
Earth, Mary says that her cartooning is a personal way of taking part
in caring for the planet.


When asked how she tries to invoke a sense of hope and empowerment in people
about issues having to do with climate change and the environment,
Mary said: "First off, Danny, thank you for taking an interest in my
work and for conducting this email interview...
I find that people generally respond best to my cartoons when they
feel a connection with their own lives and values. I focus on key
issues and try to create an image that people can not only relate to
but which they may find motivating."


"For example, in my recent cartoon, 'Jewel EARTH', the viewer may
see planet Earth with its stunning color, clarity and contrast, and this
may invoke a sense of personal responsibility."


When asked how she first become interested in social change and in looking
for sustainable ways of living, Mary said: "I have been interested in
sustainable living since childhood. My family recycled everything.
Latterly, my interest has taken on political overtones
through my friendship with the former Green Party of Canada leader,
Jim Harris, and his work with former US vice president and climate
activist Al Gore."

Mary said that her interest in cartooning came naturally to her, since
she always had an interest in art and had many artistic friends.
"Although I have had a successful career in management, my
friends encouraged me to take up cartooning several years ago
and I enjoy it too."

When asked about reactions from viewers, and which cartoon so far has
been most popular, Mary said: "The simplest cartoons, such as ‘Jewel
EARTH,’ seem to attract the most favorable interest. Comments have
come in by email from as far away as New Zealand and Taiwan."

Andrew Revkin's science blog Dot Earth at the New York
Times website, helps fuel her own thinking and insights. "Reading and
contributing to Dot Earth is motivated by my own interest," she said.
"If by doing so, I can spark an interest or invoke a sense of
responsibility in others, then so much the better."

When asked if she thinks global warming is real, she replied: "There
is no doubt that human life has an impact on the environment.
Everything is connected. Awareness is the first step in being
responsible. I believe that we should all be mindful of the impact
that we have on our environment and act appropriately."

When asked if she believes that cartoons can change public opinion,
she said: "Yes, depending on the agenda and ability of the cartoonist."

As for her own favorite cartoonist, Mary said: "Charles Schulz."

Mary's website is

http://www.marytoons.com

------------------------------------

To view her website please click here:

http://www.marytoons.com

Jewel EARTH cartoon, above, copyright (2009) Mary Susan MacDonald

E. O. Wilson

"A few hundred years down the line, they'll look back and say the dark ages began with the twenty-first century," says E. O. Wilson, an award-winning evolutionary biologist and professor at Harvard University.

Hiedi Cullen, Joseph Tainter

History Repeats Itself
In the history of Earth, there have been five mass extinctions in which at least half the species on the planet disappeared. Scientists believe the extinctions were brought on by natural disasters -- massive volcanic eruptions, rapid climate changes and meteors hitting Earth.

Today, scientists say we are in the middle of a "sixth extinction" -- and for the first time, it's being caused by one species -- us. It seems inconceivable that we could do so much damage to our planet that we actually cause society as we know it to collapse. But historical precedent shows that it is, in fact, a very real possibility.

"Every society that collapsed thought it couldn't happen to them," says Joseph Tainter, an expert in anthropology and societal collapse. "The Roman Empire thought it couldn't happen. The Maya civilization thought it couldn't happen. Everyone thought it couldn't happen to them. But it did."

These populations grew too much and exhausted their resources -- and their climate suddenly changed. People were forced to fight each other for what little was left or face starvation. Entire societies broke down.

"Civilizations in the past have lost the fight," says climatologist Heidi Cullen. "They have collapsed as a result of the inability to deal with several different events going on at once. I think the takeaway is that honestly, we are not that special."

Michael Klare , part 2

"I can't imagine the horrors that will take place on the border as millions of refugees try to get into the United States," says Klare.

John P. Holden

"If we continue on the business as usual trajectory, there will be a tipping point that we cannot avert," says John P. Holdren, science advisor to President Obama. "We will indeed drive the car over the cliff."

Michael Klare

"We have no new source of energy on the horizon that's currently capable of being developed on a large enough scale to replace the supply of oil in any near- term framework," says Michael Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College.

Thomas Homer-Dixon

"Until we have a crisis of some kind, I don't think we're going to be motivated to make the really deep changes in the way we use energy, the technologies we use, the density of our cities, our travel patterns," says Thomas Homer-Dixon, a political science professor and author of "The Upside of Down."

ABC TV 'Earth 2100': the Final Century of Civilization and the ADvent of Polar Cities for Breeding Paris in the Arctic?

'Earth 2100': the Final Century of Civilization?

Planet at Risk: Experts Warn Population Growth, Resource Depletion, Climate Change Could Bring Catastrophe in Next Century With Polar Cities Built for Survivors of Global Global's Breeding Pairs in the Arctic


May 29, 3009—


It's an idea that most of us would rather not face -- that within the next century, life as we know it could come to an end. Our civilization could crumble, leaving only traces of modern human existence behind.

It seems outlandish, extreme -- even impossible. But according to cutting edge scientific research, it is a very real possibility. And unless we make drastic changes now, it could very well happen.

Experts have a stark warning: that unless we change course, the "perfect storm" of population growth, dwindling resources and climate change has the potential to converge in the next century with catastrophic results.

Watch "Earth 2100," a two-hour television event, Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET.

In order to plan for the worst, we must anticipate it. In that spirit, guided by some of the world's experts, ABC News' "Earth 2100," hosted by Bob Woodruff, will journey through the next century and explore what might be our worst-case scenario.

But no one can predict the future, so how do we address the possibilities that lie ahead? Our solution is Lucy, a fictional character devised by the producers at ABC to guide us through the twists and turns of what the next 100 years could look like. It is through her eyes and experiences that we can truly imagine the experts' worst-case scenario -- and be inspired to make changes for the better.


The Future: It's Nearer Than We Think
By 2015, there are expected to be hopeful signs. Experts predict alternative energy solutions that are currently in their infancy will gain momentum. Windmills may sprout up everywhere. Off the coast of Scotland, a sprawling wave farm will harvest renewable energy from the ocean. Vatican City will meet all of its energy needs with solar power. And the U.S. will produce cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles in accordance with newly unveiled emissions guidelines.

But will it be enough? In 2015, global demand for fossil fuels could be massive and growing, but experts say oil will be harder to find and far more expensive to consume.

"We have no new source of energy on the horizon that's currently capable of being developed on a large enough scale to replace the supply of oil in any near- term framework," says Michael Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College.

If the cost of gasoline skyrockets, few may be able to afford to maintain the lifestyles to which we've grown accustomed. There may be a mass exodus from the suburbs, as driving gas-fueled cars becomes nearly impossible economically. But will that convince us to change our ways?

"Until we have a crisis of some kind, I don't think we're going to be motivated to make the really deep changes in the way we use energy, the technologies we use, the density of our cities, our travel patterns," says Thomas Homer-Dixon, a political science professor and author of "The Upside of Down."

The imagined crises in Lucy's futuristic world come in the forms of earthshaking hurricanes spawned by over-reliance on climate-damaging coal and other nonrenewable resources. What if climate change in our world is actually much closer than we think? Many experts say we have to start seriously reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2015, or we may pass a point of no return.

"If we continue on the business as usual trajectory, there will be a tipping point that we cannot avert," says John P. Holdren, science advisor to President Obama. "We will indeed drive the car over the cliff."

Scientists predict that by 2020, global catastrophes may well begin to accelerate. The human population is expected to explode and animal species may be dying off at a rapid rate. As the world becomes more chaotic, the costs of mending it would grow more and more daunting. By 2030, gradually rising temperatures may have shifted rainfall patterns around the globe, and many experts warn much of the world may face serious shortages of our most basic need -- water.

"By 2030, two-thirds of the world's population will be under water stress," says Janine Benyus, science writer and founder of the Biomimicry Institute.

Some cities will have the forethought to plan ahead. Starting in 2009, San Diego began building huge desalination plants to turn ocean water into an abundance of fresh water. But in the middle of the country, people may be running out -- and there may well not be funds to transport it from the coast. If and when a place like Tucson, Ariz., runs dry, people will panic.

"Something that will catch people's attention is the first rich city that just runs out of water," says Homer-Dixon.

Americans may well meet these challenges with resourcefulness and work hard to keep the threats at bay. But even as things stabilize on the home front, experts predict hundreds of thousands of environmental refugees may begin streaming through Europe, fleeing droughts and famines. Millions of Latin Americans could align on the U.S. border seeking entry, and some could encounter violent resistance.

"I can't imagine the horrors that will take place on the border as millions of refugees try to get into the United States," says Klare.


History Repeats Itself
In the history of Earth, there have been five mass extinctions in which at least half the species on the planet disappeared. Scientists believe the extinctions were brought on by natural disasters -- massive volcanic eruptions, rapid climate changes and meteors hitting Earth.

Today, scientists say we are in the middle of a "sixth extinction" -- and for the first time, it's being caused by one species -- us. It seems inconceivable that we could do so much damage to our planet that we actually cause society as we know it to collapse. But historical precedent shows that it is, in fact, a very real possibility.

"Every society that collapsed thought it couldn't happen to them," says Joseph Tainter, an expert in anthropology and societal collapse. "The Roman Empire thought it couldn't happen. The Maya civilization thought it couldn't happen. Everyone thought it couldn't happen to them. But it did."

These populations grew too much and exhausted their resources -- and their climate suddenly changed. People were forced to fight each other for what little was left or face starvation. Entire societies broke down.

"Civilizations in the past have lost the fight," says climatologist Heidi Cullen. "They have collapsed as a result of the inability to deal with several different events going on at once. I think the takeaway is that honestly, we are not that special."



Our Current Course: Where We're Headed
If we remain on the current course, it's estimated that by 2050, the world's population may have increased by at least half and many parts of the world may be facing grave shortages of resources. The Southwest U.S. could face an extended drought, while pests threaten crops. As global sea levels rise, much of the world map could be redrawn. People will begin to migrate back to urban areas in search of better lives.

There would likely still be beacons of green living -- massive solar farms may produce enough power to light up entire regions of the country. Towns like Greenburg, Kan., decimated in 2007 by a tornado and rebuilt to be completely self-sustaining, may inspire communities around the globe do the same. But unless the rest of the world gets on board -- and fast -- some experts warn it may just not be enough.

"A few hundred years down the line, they'll look back and say the dark ages began with the twenty-first century," says E. O. Wilson, an award-winning evolutionary biologist and professor at Harvard University.

But just how bad could things get? In one scenario, scientists imagine that by the year 2100, immense storms irreparably damage major metropolises. Streets, subway tunnels, and buildings would flood and begin to rot. The stagnant water would breed filth and displace residents, forcing them into homelessness. Poverty levels and death rates could skyrocket. A new and virulent strain of disease might develop -- then mutate and spread around the globe, potentially claiming tens of thousands of lives.

In this scenario, as the crisis explodes, looting grows rampant, major world powers go to war over water, and millions of people die from famine. Civilization literally collapses under its own weight.

Permafrost melt poses long-term threat, says study by Ted Schurr (cf Katey Walter UAF)

Permafrost melt poses long-term threat to existence of human beings on Earth in distant future, says study

by Marlowe Hood, AFP reporter


PARIS (AFP) – Melting permafrost could eventually disgorge a billion tonnes a year of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, accelerating the threat from climate change, scientists said Wednesday.

Their probe sought to shed light on a fiercely-debated but poorly-understood concern: the future of organic matter that today is locked up in the frozen soil of Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Siberia.

The fear is that, as the land thaws, this material will be converted by microbes into carbon dioxide, which will seep into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.

This in turn will stoke warming and cause more permafrost to thaw, which in turn pushes up temperatures, and so on.

But how and when this vicious cycle could be unleashed is unclear.

Indeed, some voices have argued that it will not present a significant threat, as plants will start to grow on the soggy, warmer earth and suck in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, thus blunting the problem.

A team led by University of Florida ecology professor Ted Schuur investigated an area of tundra at Eight Mile Lake in central Alaska, where permafrost thaw has been monitored since 1990 but had begun to start many years before. SEE ALSO RESEARCH by UAF scientist Katey Walter.

Schuur's team used hand-built, automated chambers, which they deployed at three sites that represented minimal, moderate and extensive amounts of thaw.

From 2004 to 2006, the chambers measured how much carbon was escaping from the soil and how much was being absorbed by any vegetation.

In areas that had thawed for the previous 15 years, there was a net uptake of carbon, meaning that the newly-established plants sucked up more CO2 than was lost from the soil.

But in areas that had begun to thaw decades before, the reverse was true.

There was a net loss of CO2, the principal greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, as older stocks of carbon were gradually released to the atmosphere.

"At first, with the plants offsetting the carbon dioxide, it will appear that everything is fine, but this actually conceals the initial destabilisation of permafrost carbon," Schuur said in a press release.

"But it doesn't last, because there is so much carbon in the permafrost that eventually the plants can't keep up."

Most of the 13 million square kilometres (five million square miles) of permafrost remain frozen, but thawing is already under way around the region's southern fringes and is thought likely to expand this century.

In that scenario, the permafrost could release around a billion tonnes a year of carbon, roughly equivalent to the contribution to greenhouse emissions each year by deforestation in the tropics, the paper said.

Even as the Arctic greens, the rising loss of older carbon "could make permafrost a large biospheric carbon source in a warmer world," it said.

Burning fossil fuels adds about 8.5 gigatonnes of emissions each year, but it is a process that can theoretically be controlled.

Permafrost thaw, though, would be self-reinforcing and could be almost impossible to brake.

"It's not an option to be putting insulation on top of the tundra," Schuur said.

"If we address our own emissions either by reducing deforestation or controlling emissions from fossil fuels, that's the key to minimising the changes in the permafrost carbon pool."

Climate Chaos, Our Purpose on earth, were we ever here?

It appears human nature is fatally flawed, and it will be best for the Earth, when we 'move on!' after climate chaos ends in a massive die off of humans circa year 2500 AD or so....

But, my question... When the last homo sapiens succumb, we will have been here at all?

And if so, for what purpose?

— says a poster named Magic Dragon, China at DOT EARTH in NY TIMES

Making a Mockery of Being Green

Making a Mockery of Being Green
The creator of ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’ and ‘King of the Hill’ has a new target: Danny Bloom and other green environmentalists

Question: is this a Rip off of British TV Show "The Good Life" which ran on BBC from 1975 to 1978. Repeats are still shown everywhere.



By JAMIN BROPHY-WARREN

Director Mike Judge’s new animated television series “The Goode Family” is a send-up of a clan of environmentalists who live by the words “What would Al Gore do?” Gerald and Helen Goode want nothing more than to minimize their carbon footprint. They feed their dog, Che, only veggies (much to the pet’s dismay) and Mr. Goode dutifully separates sheets of toilet paper when his wife accidentally buys two-ply. And, of course, the family drives a hybrid.

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ABC

Community activist Helen Goode (the voice of Nancy Carell) chats with a neighbor in the coming ABC animated series ‘The Goode Family,’ which pokes fun at a household of environmentalists living in the Midwest.
On Wednesday at 9 p.m., “The Goode Family” will have its premiere on ABC and become the first animated series on the network’s prime-time lineup since 1995 when “The Critic” starring Jon Lovitz ended its second season.

For ABC, “Goode” will be a test of the network’s ability to find new scripted television hits. ABC had only two non-reality series in the top household shows this season, according to Nielsen. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” has been strong, but not as popular as it was two years ago.

Although Mr. Judge’s past television shows, “Hill” and MTV’s “Beavis and Butt-Head,” have been successful on television and on DVD, some other recent animated series have fizzled. Earlier this month, Fox pulled “Sit Down, Shut Up,” an animated series with alumni from the cult-favorite “Arrested Development,” after only four episodes. Fox says the series may return in the fall. (Mr. Judge didn’t work on the show.)

The animation process can be prohibitively expensive, costing more than $2 million per episode for a prospective prime-time project. Part of the problem is that each episode can take up to a year to create. (Shows that specialize in less-sophisticated animation, like “South Park,” can churn out shows more quickly.)

Television Clip: "The Goode Family"
1:04
View a scene from "The Goode Family," a new animated series from ABC. Video courtesy ABC.
Much as Mr. Judge’s series “King of the Hill” finds humor in the dramas of a working-class Texas family, “Goode” lampoons a liberal Midwestern household. In “Goode,” the characters are often mocked for being green just to fit in with their friends and neighbors. They are a perfect target for the 46-year-old Mr. Judge and his two longtime co-writers, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, who have made careers out of finding humor in the follies and pretensions of everyday people.

Mr. Judge says he’s always been more interested in the lives of regular folks than with celebrities—in part, because he understands them better. “I couldn’t imitate famous people,” he says of his earliest comedic efforts. “I was usually good at imitating teachers and people around me.” The work of comic-book writer Harvey Pekar (the subject of the film “American Splendor”) had an influence on Mr. Judge. “Everyday life has a huge effect on people,” he says, paraphrasing one of Mr. Pekar’s creative mantras.

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Associated Press

Creator of ‘The Goode Family,’ Mike Judge.
“The Goode Family” came from an idea that Mr. Altschuler had while on vacation. Mr. Altschuler’s wife observed how difficult it was to “be good”—i.e., environmentally responsible. That became the central premise for the Goode Family. Mr. Judge, who says he was inspired by the mellow tones of National Public Radio hosts, provides the voice of the bicycle-riding college administrator Mr. Goode.

Known for his quiet demeanor, Mr. Judge commutes to Los Angeles when he needs to, but usually records voice parts at his studio near his home in the Austin suburbs. “He likes to whisper at you,” says actor Stephen Root, who’s worked with Mr. Judge on several projects. Mr. Root can recall hearing him raise his voice to actors only once—on a particularly hot day in Austin on the set of “Office Space.” “He wanted to make sure they had water,” Mr. Root recalls.

The son of a librarian mother and an archaeologist dad, Mr. Judge was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, during a family trip. “I became more interested in [my father’s] work later on,” says Mr. Judge. “You naturally think whatever your parents did was boring.” In high school, he developed a knack for impressions, including one of a priest with a lisp.

A string of nondescript jobs followed, including stints unloading spools of chain-link fence and work at Southern fast-food chain Whataburger, where he earned “employee of the month.” A temp position alphabetizing purchase orders influenced the on-screen job of the bespectacled, stapler-obsessed character Milton from his 1999 film “Office Space.” “I could only do that job for two weeks,” says Mr. Judge. After graduating from the University of California-San Diego with a degree in physics, and moving on to a graduate program at the University of Texas-Dallas, his interest in animation was stoked by a traveling cartoon festival. He tracked down an animation camera and started to teach himself the craft.

A Brief History of Mike Judge
Mike Judge’s career took off with the 1993 debut of “Beavis and Butt-Head,” but it didn’t end there. A look at feature films and animated television shows


MTV/Photofest
Beavis and Butt-Head 1993
Based on an early cartoon of Mr. Judge’s called “Frog Baseball,” this series about a pair of metal-loving teens was his first success and became a franchise for MTV that established the network as an outlet for scripted programming.


20th Century Fox/Everett Collection
Office Space 1999
Aiming to capture the doldrums of office life, Mr. Judge’s first film became a cult hit after it fizzled in theaters. It was based on one of his jobs alphabetizing paperwork.


20th Century Fox/ Everett Collection
Idiocracy 2006
Joe Bauers (played by Luke Wilson, far left) wakes up in the future and finds a world dominated by rampant stupidity. Although praised by some critics, the film was a box office failure.

King of the Hill 1997-2009
Following the life of Hank Hill, “a propane and propane accessories” salesman, the show was Mr. Judge’s sardonic look at suburban life in the fictional town of Arlen, Texas

Find television listings at LocateTV .In January of 1992, Mr. Judge finished “Frog Baseball,” a three-minute short about a messy game of baseball involving two characters named Beavis and Butt-Head. He finished the short on a Thursday and mailed it to several networks. By the following week, MTV offered to buy the rights to his characters. Mr. Judge dropped out of his graduate program in Dallas and moved to New York City. He was 29 years old.

“Beavis and Butt-Head” made its official debut on MTV on March 8, 1993. A mix of music videos and Mr. Judge’s rough animation, it quickly won over fans. In 1994, just before the success of the full-length movie “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America,” Mr. Judge signed a two-year deal with Fox, launched the television show “King of the Hill” and turned one of his shorts, “Office Space,” into a feature film.

While “King of the Hill” was nominated for several Emmys, Mr. Judge’s big screen career wasn’t as smooth. “Office Space” opened poorly in 1999, due in part to a small marketing budget, but it did sell more than seven million copies on DVD. Mr. Judge agreed to do a more “commercial” follow-up, he says, called “Idiocracy,” about an average man transported into a future world devastated by rampant stupidity. Starring Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph, “Idiocracy” didn’t test well before its long-delayed release in 2006, and it played in about 100 theaters nationwide. The marketing budget was so small that no poster was made for the film.

Mr. Judge’s feature-length film “Extract,” the story of a lovelorn factory manager starring Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, and Mila Kunis, hits theaters in September.

Recently, “King of the Hill,” which ran for 13 seasons on Fox, was canceled. (Fox is owned by News Corp., which also owns Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal.) Ratings for the show had been steady and increased for the final season, putting it on par with two other animated series, “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons.”

Mr. Judge says that he “holds no grudge” against Fox for canceling “King of the Hill” and its handling of “Idiocracy,” but would never again allow a studio, or anyone else, to own his ideas. A spokesperson for Fox says, “Mike Judge and Fox continue to maintain an excellent relationship.”

Mr. Judge had already begun talks to make his exit from Fox as his deal was set to expire with the completion of “Idiocracy.” Fox owns the rights to “King of the Hill,” but “Goode” is owned by Mr. Judge’s production company, Ternion and Media Rights Capital, which helped finance the show. Started three years ago with Messrs. Krinsky and Altschuler, Ternion is the new business vehicle for all Mr. Judge’s projects. The members of the trio say they were tired of selling off their ideas to the studios and wanted a new way to reach consumers. With their former sound editor Glenn Lucas from “King of the Hill” raising private financing, Ternion had enough money to start production on both “Extract” and “Goode” before they had distribution in place.

“When I turned 40, I was thinking that I’m getting too old to complain about studios. You don’t hear Steven Spielberg complaining about the man keeping him down,” Mr. Judge says.

Why do they hate Al Gore with such venom? See comments below by climate denialists. It is frightening.....and sad.....!

Gore calls on world business leaders to push for climate deal

by Kate Gibson

NEW YORK -- Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore on Sunday urged a gathering of more than 500 business leaders to push for a global agreement on curbing global warming pollution, saying "Mother Nature does not do bailouts."

"The market signals on energy are badly misleading and wrong. We do not take into account the cost of pollution," Gore told the meeting of chief executives from global industry giants, including PepsiCo Inc.

"If there is no cost to be paid for the indiscriminate dumping of pollution into the earth's atmosphere, then it should be a surprise to no one that today we will dump another 70 million tons of global warming pollution into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet," Gore said.

"But there is good news, because the world's business community is beginning to respond," said Gore, whose address was shown via a live Web cast from the Copenhagen Climate Council's Web site. See site: www.copenhagenclimatecouncil.com


The three-day World Summit on Climate Change meeting, which began Sunday in Copenhagen, comes in advance of December talks to determine what will replace the Kyoto climate treaty that expires in 2012.

While the United States is far behind Denmark, where nearly one quarter of the energy produced comes from wind, in each of the last two years "the single largest source of new electricity generation in America has been wind," said Gore.

Gore told the gathering it made sense to have the business community gather six months ahead of political leaders, saying "it is critically important that we get the rules of the marketplace correct so we can make decisions both in the political realm and the business realm that will allow us to live our lives in a way in keeping with which we know to be right."

Saying there remained time to act to avoid the direst consequences of global warming, Gore called for rapid action to stem the problem.

"We have to do it this year, not next year. Mother Nature does not do bailouts," the former vice president said.

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ARTICLE ENDS AND THE ANGRY COMMENTS BEGIN. READ THEM TO SEE WHY EATH IS DOOMED? VERY VERY SAD.




1.
When is the media going to stop being the mouthpiece of Al Gore's propaganda? When will they stop taking him seriously?

Gore's award-winning movie was found to be full of inaccuracies and lies (for instance, CO2 increases AFTER a rise in temperature, not the other way around).

Gore and company took a fleet of limos a couple blocks to get an award for his environmental propaganda movie.

Gore demands to speak before the U.S. Senate, but refuses to take questions from Senators who might disagree wit him (this is called "intellectual cowardice", or if you're a liberal, it's called, "I'm right, damnit!").

Gore's home burns 12 times as much energy as an average home. It is a model of excess and waste (George Bush, on the other hand, had a home built that is a model of environmental stewardship).

In spite of his continued record as a hypocrite and a fraud, the media keep putting Gore on a pedestal. So what if he won a Nobel Peace Prize...so did Yasser Arafat.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by matador527 on 05/25/09 at 10:01AM
Give it up, Algore! Nobody cares about a phoney issue, and, as more and more evidence comes in that proves that you're lying for profit, you're becoming more and more of a joke...albiet not a very funny one.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by adm426 on 05/25/09 at 10:05AM
Can you believe this guy was almost President? He ought to be arrested and sued for trying to perpetuate the biggest fraud on mankind. There is NO global warming. The earth is cooling. CO2 emissions are readily absorbed by plants for oxygen. Earth IS a great natural recycler. That is the TRUTH! Al Gore will not debate scientists who disagree, or anyone, for that matter because he would be exposed for what he is for all to see. He is invested in companies that will produce the green products we will be forced to buy. (Like he needs MORE money.) He does not live a green lifestyle. He craves attention. His family continues to make money in big oil and other investments that he says he is against. He is desperate to see this legislation passed this year because next year is an election cycle and Cap & Trade would have even less of a chance of getting passed. Al Gore is the ultimate hypocrite! In fact, the Dems don't believe in climate change any more than I do. They just want the billions in revenue from the sale of permits and the ability to further control the population. Even Queen Nancy said we need Cap & Trade because "We need the revenue". That says it all for me.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by welovetheUSA on 05/25/09 at 10:06AM
Environmentalism and the global warming alarmism is challenging our freedom. Al Gore is a Major Problem in this movement."Environmentalism and the global warming alarmism is challenging our freedom".I'm afraid that the current crisis will be misused for radically constraining the functioning of the markets and market economy all around the world," Stop Al Gore and all his freaks who are out to destroy America. Tell your teachers to teach Math and not waste your tax dollars on brain washing your children on Global Warming.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by karl1h1 on 05/25/09 at 10:25AM
"the single largest source of new electricity generation in America has been wind," said Gore.

Maybe, and most of the wind has come from his mouth. I have a feeling he has to go on tours and stay away from home. If he doesn't then Tipper just might introduce him to another needed change "divorce".

Just another failed politician out to sell some snake oil, at least Bob Dole just tried to sell viagra, and Clinton has accepted the she is unelectable.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by thengdi on 05/25/09 at 10:36AM
Al Gore has come up with a pack of lies and is milking his publicity for all it is worth. The scientific community, especially the science journals are busy milking too as they are mum on the key aspects which debunk the global warming theory. Why did the temperature of the earth rise during 1940 and 1970 and started falling after that? Please explain.
Does warming have any effect on the 70 percent of earth's surface which is water? It will result in more clouds because of heat which will result in rain and cool the earth, but the reverse is true too. There will be fewer clouds because of intense heat! Which is happening or will happen if the temperature rises further? Nobody knows.
Press and Science Journals, please shut out Al Gore. When the global warming theroy has finally been proven wrong, he may not be around. But he has already milked the lies for all their worth. Stop this from happening!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by cjp314 on 05/25/09 at 10:56AM
It is beyond my comprehension why people continue to vote for the democratic party. Look at what people like Gore are doing. Look at what slime balls Bill and Hillary are. Look at this guy Murtha, and Blago, and Rham and Durbin, and Kennedy, and Mr. KKK Robert Byrd. Say what you will about Bush and Cheney but they are nothing by comparrison to the creeps that get elected by those that follow the democrat path. And now we have the new man in DC that is nationalizing, socializing and is a proponant of the whack jobs that believe in this global warming nonsense. And by the way, note that the people that are pushing for cap and trade are all from California. They couldn't care less about what goes on in Ohio or the rust belt. Kill the coal industry. No more nuclear power plants, no offshore drilling. What is wrong with people that they continue to give these creeps the power to destroy the basis of freedom in this country.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by bitofthought on 05/25/09 at 11:01AM
I think Al Gore is falling behind on his payments for that great energy wasting mansion of his and he needs some income.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by peanut1000 on 05/25/09 at 11:33AM
When Al Gore does more than do as I say and not as I do, I might pay attention. In otherwords, Al Gore needs to park his private jet and drive only a putt-putt car that gets 60 miles to the gallon. He also must turn the power off in his mega mansions and only use solar or wind power to take care of all his electric needs. To do anything less is hypocritical. Just another political elite stealing the tax money of the real working people for his own benefit and the benefit of this money hungry friends.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by lsnapoli123 on 05/25/09 at 11:35AM
Al Gore is a buffoon, a fraud and one of the most irresponsible ever to hold public office.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by greenman9 on 05/25/09 at 11:42AM
If Agore doesn't get his agenda in place very soon, people will realize that the earth is COOLING, not warming. Nobody will give this fool the time of day after that.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by proteus48084 on 05/25/09 at 11:46AM
Al (Living Large) Gore's global warming is simply a money grab to enrich himself and his buddies within the Democratic Party.

Following through on what he has to say will merely cause the massive transfer of financial resources to useless ends (not to mention that he and his ilk will get in the way of some of this money).

I'll believe that global warming is real when I see Gore, Waxman, Markley and Pelosi (among others) behind the wheel of a Prius and flying on a commercial airline on a daily basis.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by frankinphx on 05/25/09 at 11:48AM
This despicable creep will eventually get his way and there's nothing anybody can do about it. The time to stop this moron was back in 1992 when the idiotic American public decided to elect a sleazeball as their leader and we're still, to this day, paying that price. This is just one more example. Now, they've gone and done it again, with all their brilliance and elected the most unqualified candidate they can find who is now saddling the nation with staggering debt and socialist programs that will most likely bankrupt the nation. Congratulations America! You deserve what you're getting for being so stupid.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by tommyrichard on 05/25/09 at 11:51AM
Gore is a blithering idiot who preys upon the ignorant and uneducated. His only path to success is through the force of government; clearly not the free market. Gore and his fellow Marxists including many voters, congressmen and lobbyists, could not make a dime peddling his phony `global warming?in the free market arena. It might work if only his unsubstantiated theories about `global warming?could be proven correct; but like most mental cases who promote `feel good?nonsense, they are doomed to failure in the free market unless government compels purchase.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Yukiko on 05/25/09 at 12:08PM
Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore.... Not a good way to open a story. The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to this man has changed this award from prestigious to insignificant. This man is doing nothing more than prospering on manufactured misery. All the while living a life style of environmental excesses. His motto might as well be: Do as I say, not as I do.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by GoredSilly on 05/25/09 at 12:25PM
OK - I'm 100% with everyone who thinks Gore is an idiot and who thinks that this whole man-made global warming thing is a piece of crap. So, WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Congress is getting ready to pass an energy bill that's going to tax people for carbon usage. Are you squawking to congress about it? Making comments on a website is great but without action, we'll all be paying a lot more in the coming years to solve a problem that doesn't exist. And we can all blame blowhard Gore for that but he won't care as he gets richer and richer from promoting global warming.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by anchorbeach on 05/25/09 at 12:40PM
Hey Al Gore shut up already.Your Man Made Global Warming is a hoax and is nothing more than a way for you leftist socialists to overthrow our free society. Cap and Trade? Let's cap the mouths of these politicians and trade them all in for new ones in 2010.
Stand up to these blowhards, they are purposely destroying our country from within. I know Gore is not in office, but there are plenty across the country we need to oust in 2010.
We need cheap energy and we have it domestically everywhere, but are denied for no good reason except to handcuff the American people from attaining our personal prosperity.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by GaryInSeabec on 05/25/09 at 12:57PM
Algore will go down in history as "The P.T. Barnham of the 21st Century"

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Coady on 05/25/09 at 1:22PM
In the late 70's and early 80's the "experts" were predicting we were on our way into another Ice-Age and there was even talk of dumping soot on the polar caps to melt some of the ice. Now, 30 years later, we have "global warming" brought to us by that world renowned inventer of the internet Al Gore.
If so-called "greenhouse gases" are causing "global warming" shouldn't there have been a steady increase in temperature since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution? Global Warming is as much a farce as Gore and his limo driving entourage!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by hdame on 05/25/09 at 1:37PM
Not only is AlGorelioni a fraud but the whole rest of the idiotic party he belongs to are unscientific morons. For example, Princess Pelosi scrambled off to China to save the world from Global Warming. Accompanying her was that fearless hero of viet Nam, John Kerrey. The real tragedy is that nearly all of the Media is as ignorant of scientific method as this "Nobel Prize" winner who also invented the Internet and was the model for the movie "Love Story." Wow, what a guy!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Tampatombo on 05/25/09 at 2:02PM
Perhaps we should waterboard Al Gore to find out how much corruption $'s and side friens/family stock deals he is getting from promoting his FRAUDULENT glomal warming nonsense. Follow the money, it also leads to the source. And for Mr Malgore, it probably leads straight to a fortune extrated from regular American folks who will now have to pay their mobster "shakedown" money recently enacted to the fraulent Energy Bill that Obama and his Democrat National Socialist party friends in Congress are forcing The CAP AND MEGA TAX scheme on hard working, tax paying Americans.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by OsamasPJs on 05/25/09 at 2:05PM

Get Gaseous Al Gore off the world stage. This clown is a global-warming swindler and profiteer. I'm not saying he should be horsewhipped ---- but there's no telling WHAT I might say if we actually had freedom of speech here in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Yi Ha ***
Minister of Information
Peoples' Capitalist Republic of Whizbangistan

*** Pronounced "YEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by maggieh001 on 05/25/09 at 2:38PM
Won't somebody pleeeeeeeze make Algore shut his mouth??? Even the "scientists" who agreed with his global warming scam are finding that the figures are way, way off. He's starting to sound like one of those guys who walk around wearing a sandwich board that says "The End Is Near".

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Gerby1 on 05/25/09 at 2:57PM
Please go to watts up with that.com and read the article"Renewable Energy-Our Downfall" for the straight proof Al Gore is plumb nuts!

Someone here mentioned the Gore family was or is into strip mining. That may be, but there is ample proof his father Al Sr. was a big initial investor,along with Armand Hammer (the Russian), in Occidental Petroleum Company. My guess is they still have substantial family holdings in this Oil Company.

I would hope everyone goes with me to the next Tea Party to protest this "global warming" bs and offer to take a pitchfork to any congressman voting for it!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by sbarra1 on 05/25/09 at 3:09PM
I don't accept his premise that there is man made global warming. I can call up more scientist to refute his claim then he can bring up to extole it. What we should have is Al Gore give his proof under oath, with the penalty of life imprisonment because the ramifications of this will cost governments into the trillions of dollars and more when you consider lost jobs etc. etc. Better yet lets give this bloated failed politician a trillion dollars and a couple of years to raise the temperature of earth anyway he can.He knows all the reasons why the earth is getting warmer.This should put an end to the question of mans involvement with the rising temps. If he can't do it lets publicly tar and feather him and be finished with the argument. I am sure he will accept either way because he is so sincere and has such genuine concern for the planet,...NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is just a huckster and this is all about him and money, like father like son.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by GlobeSailing on 05/25/09 at 3:55PM
Obama's cap-and-trade is pay back to the environmentalist elite for their votes in the November election. Political corruption pure and simple! Gore will enrich himself, along with his allies Waxman and Pelosi of California is Cap-And-Trade is passed. America will loose its competitiveness and millions of jobs will be lost if cap-and-trade is passed. Based on a MIT study, the cost of this cap in trade legislation will cost he average American houshold over $3300 annually. Instead of DRILLING NOW or tapping into America's extremely cheap natural energy resources like coal, using CLEAN COAL technology, expanding cheap nuclear energy, the elitists want to tax us to death! We get over 70% of our energy in America from coal. Coal technology is now extremely clean and is the cheapest energy source available and best of all, it is ours and it is EXTREMELY plentiful! Then there's the oils reserves that we have right here at home, yet, we are dependent on buying oil from an enemy simply because Al Gore and his elitist friends can continue to enrich themselves! Call your Representatives in this out of control Washington and make your voice be heard! Vote DOWN Cap-and-Trade or we will lose millions more American jobs.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by GlobeSailing on 05/25/09 at 4:05PM
Got to give it to this fraud. Al Gore knows how to make money! First the book - made millions. The movie - made millions, then the carbon footprinte exchange - making him millions as we speak. Now he gets the greatest payoff in his money making scheme through the payback Obama is giving him and his California's left coast wako liberals bedfellows, Waxman and Pelosi through the cap and trade. VOTE DOWN CAP AND TRADE! This bill will kill America's competiveness in the world and millions of American jobs, all the while Al Gore enriches himself and his elitist allies.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by ilikehotdogs on 05/25/09 at 4:13PM
Al Gore is a lying fool, lining his pocket with this foolish notion of global warming. Please stop writing stories about him.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by parker1227 on 05/25/09 at 4:29PM
Cap and Trade energy taxes are expected to cost the average family between $1,500 and $2000 a year in increased energy costs. That is not including the HUGE negative macro-economic impact Cap and Trade will have on American companies trying to compete with India and China who aren't going to tax the "electrons" out of their "evil" energy producers and consumers.

But just to make things worse, democrats in congress are now handing out cap/trade exemptions to all companies who agree to "play ball", (read: give big campaign donations to democrats in the future).

Stop the insanity now! No Cap and Trade taxes. Demand energy security using an all-of-the-above strategy. More drilling, more nuclear,clean coal, more refineries and investment in future tech - which has not proven to be economical or scale-ready yet.

Don't let the Democrats play with our lives and well being based on the rantings of a fool like Al Gore who doesn't even have the guts to debate his claims in an open forum.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by woodspin on 05/25/09 at 4:31PM
it is too bad algore's father didn't bailout while making algore then we wouldn't have to keep hearing about this robots lifeless disturbed mental gymnastics.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by nfisherman on 05/25/09 at 4:44PM
I used to think that Algore is a fool, but I was wrong. He is brilliant! It's his followers who are fools. Global warming is a hoax. It is being used as a tool to advance Socialism and to redistribute wealth from rich to poor nations and from rich to poor individuals in this country. Algore is brilliant because he's selling this crap to us and he stands to make billions from it.

Our current administration consists of some of the biggest fools out there. How big you ask; we're exporting nuclear technology to the UAE (for peaceful purposes, of course) but we say no to nukes at home. Instead, Obama & co. try to tell us that we can solve our energy problems with windmills and solar panels. Those are the real idiots; not Gore.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by ralpherus on 05/25/09 at 5:56PM
Algore needs to be arrested. The freak is a narcissistic sociopath trying to steal more money than has ever been stolen- more than the bills passed since the coronation of the zero!!! Hypocritical vermin traitor slime he is, it should be boiled for the oil it contains.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by tresc26 on 05/25/09 at 6:07PM
I don't think many people realize it but Al Gore has probably Never worked in a Real job, he was raised in a Hotel apparently and has benefits so he really doesn't have to work, the Money he gets is probably donated to his former or next campaign or his income from Oil Leases on his Family Property, owned by Armand Hammer, the Occidental Oil Company, I Believe and he may be Related by Marriage to that man's family,
He also, btw has really said only what Other people have said about Oil and Pollution which is not consistent with Science as far as Reality,
Yes, much Pollution goes into the atmosphere, however it is not as bad as he says, nor is it as Sure that he and his SUpporters are Correct.
The Truth is that a Major Cause of Global Warming seems to be the cause, and it has not been verified nor discussed,
The Factor I refer to is called Precession of the Earth's Orbital axis which rotates in a Complete Circle around its precessional axis as does the Rotational Axis of a Gyroscope.
IT will cause the atmosphere to exhibit Global Warming I believe every 13000 Years, and seemingly the Axis is now Tangent or close to Tangent to the Elliptical Orbit of Earth when the Earth is Closest to the Focus of that ellipse where the Sun Is Located,
Normally, although the Earth Receives equal radiation from the SUn at each location on the Elliptical ORbit, at this particular Segment of the Elliptical Orbit, the Warming of the Sun hits the Earth with Equal Warming at the Polar Regions as it Rotates throughout each day, and this gives more long lasting melting of the Polar Regions so that the Polar Regions Melt more Completely during that time the Earth is at that Segment of the Elliptical ORbit and also on the Other side of the Ellipstical Orbit, giving the Greatest Decline of Negative Latent HEat stored at the POles
This results in Probably Milder Prevaiing Winds, Warmer Northern Climes Resulting in Better Farming Results in the More Northern Parts, more work days in the Northern US, Better Fishing in the Eastern Fishing Grounds as the Fish from More Southern Waters have begun to move Northward in the Last several Years, this Information is from Newspaper Reports and from Television Reports.
THis is really good for the US and for the World,
So all is not lost, its a benefit and the SO Called Need for Environmental Technology is a Power and Economic Money Grab for the Media Corporate Holder Corporations and Al Gore is just Helping out the Manufacturers so they can Force Feed you Global Warming Technology and Steal Dollars from you and the Rest of the world,

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by redbrickbarn on 05/25/09 at 6:46PM
Al Gore is a tool of Prince Charles and the Rothschilds banking conglomerate and the Rockefellers. Here is a good documentary to watch.
www.documentarywire.com/great-global-warming-swindle

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Schratboy on 05/25/09 at 7:15PM
Fatty Gore says Mother Nature doesnt do bailouts. Mother Nature also doesn't pay 100,000 dollar speaking fees to charlatans!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by RHO1953 on 05/25/09 at 8:37PM
Here's a man who created a crisis, found a way to commercialize it and is deified by the ignorant masses. Wow, only in America could a man this shallow and phony get away with it.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by UncleBuckeye on 05/25/09 at 8:40PM
Doesn't this idiot ever shut up?

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by rlepir on 05/25/09 at 8:46PM
How about we put a cap on Gore and trade him to China. They own us now and they have a lot more people there that he needs to convince they all have stop exhaling that CO2. I can't breathe now with how disgusted I am with this idiot who has no idea how middle America lives. Someone please tell him to STFU. Contact your representatives and make some noise.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by wojo007 on 05/25/09 at 8:49PM
No, they have Zinc mines on their property in Carthage. They were rich from it. He makes his money as a snake oil salesman.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by dave5000 on 05/25/09 at 9:02PM
Who is Al Gore, again?

And why is the Plain Dealer covering anything he says?

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by FoggsKnacker on 05/25/09 at 9:17PM
From the comments posted herewith, I believe cap and trade may do for Chairman Obama what the assault weapons ban did for Bill Clinton and his backers. If that is the case, then $2,000 per family is a real bargain, don't you agree?

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by hedge685 on 05/25/09 at 9:32PM
I have one thing to say....ManBearPig!!!!!!!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by ralpherus on 05/25/09 at 11:28PM
foggsknacker- I hope you are right- but considering that 99% of obama's appointments are clintonistas, this time around we better round up the scoundrel thieving fascist traitor murder pigs and lock them fully sealed behind brick walls. Two tiny windows for air and food to pass through is too much. Just air- wait- they pollute it. OK- toss them in a trench and cement it over. That is how to save the planet for evil.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Bruiser on 05/25/09 at 11:38PM
If real justice was exercised in the world, this clown-hypocrite would be on trial for being instrumental in deliberately perpetrating a massive and destructive fraud on society.

Instead, he is propped up by the godless liberals of the world; the self-styled "intellectuals" who would not let facts or common sense or the evidence in front of their very eyes get in the way of their "higher purpose" (read: warped wacko agenda). They happily prop up this crap-peddler because he helped devise and promulgate what amounts to a massive behavior-control, power-transfer, money-transfer, government-expanding scam. In the eyes of the ungodly sanctimonious benighted know-what's-best-for-the-peons totalitarian power-hungry anti-libertarian leftists, that's a GOOD thing. Sick, huh? Pathological.

And, of course, there will always be a contingent of bleating, babbling sheep who will latch onto the latest sky-is-falling "cause" for lack of a better hobby or any real sense of purpose in their miserable lives.

Manbearpig indeed.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by jjauregui on 05/26/09 at 12:06AM
Democrats are getting desparate to get Global Warming carbon tax legislation passed in light of observational data showing the earth and the other planets are cooling as the sun's activity wanes with the late onset of solar cycle 24 possibly signaling a Maunder-type Minimum.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by riteaidbob on 05/26/09 at 12:43AM
Someone needs to file a lawsuit and get this gas bag in jail for pushing the greatest SCAM ever.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by lNDEP1 on 05/26/09 at 1:02AM
Ah, the Goracle reappears.

I am impressed by so many excellent Comments above.It is heartening to know that others outside of the MSM aren't buying "act" either.

While it's not a contest, I particularly found this Comment informative and accurate:

"Posted by peanut1000 on 05/25/09 at 11:33AM

When Al Gore does more than do as I say and not as I do, I might pay attention. In other words, Al Gore needs to park his private jet and drive only a putt-putt car that gets 60 miles to the gallon. He also must turn the power off in his mega mansions and only use solar or wind power to take care of all his electric needs. To do anything less is hypocritical. Just another political elite stealing the tax money of the real working people for his own benefit and the benefit of this money hungry friends."

So true, so true.

All I'll add is that the same is true for many promoters of climate change, both in Washington and Hollywood. Most (there are a few exceptions) of these Lear jet liberals live by the motto "do as I say, not as I do!"

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by madrums on 05/26/09 at 1:23AM
Anyone who believes Algore shouldn't be living in this country.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by batjak456 on 05/26/09 at 2:18AM
A 100% disabled Air Force Vet here.

By the content of his character...

When Al Gore was sent to Vietnam he said he went 'so that some other "Son of Tennessee" wouldn't have to go.'
After he realized some people actually believed that line of crap, he knew he was onto something.
That's when myself and a whooooole lot of other folks knew just what kind of 'man' he really is.

I'm tellin' you, when you deal with this fellow, you better keep your head on a swivel.

By the content of his character...

By the content of his character...

By the content of his character...

Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds like an ad hominem...
But, HE SAID IT!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by mg29 on 05/26/09 at 5:01AM
Being born into priviledge does not make one a good public official or leader.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by thinkerray on 05/26/09 at 6:42AM
Al Gore doesn't know Mother Nature: She has bailed herself out a myriad of times despite idiots like Al Gore. When a fire ravages the woods, mother nature starts over and new growth appears quickly and life resumes. When Mount Saint Helen's erupts and everything is wiped out, Mother Nature simply reseeds and does it all again. When volcanoes erupt, the lava eventually cools down and new land is created. When a tornado rips apart an area, Mother Nature bails herself out and rebuilds what comes naturally to the area. The only thing Mother Nature doesn't bail out is Al Gore and his arrogance and consistent insistence on global warming. When he says hot - she blows cold air. When he says melting ice caps, the polar region expands and gets larger. Gore is a liar and idiot. Mother Nature just keeps working like normal.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Awkins on 05/26/09 at 7:50AM
Here's and idea. Someone with sculpting skills should carve a out a life-size statue of Al Gore from a huge piece of coal and then burn it in public the next time there is an unusually cold day. I would nominate that person for the next Nobel Peace prize.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by zamborc on 05/26/09 at 8:07AM
MORE Al GORE FUN FACTS:

POLAR BEARS CAN'T SWIM

THE OCEANS ARE RISING AND THREATENING OUR COASTLINES.......HMMMMM......seems to me that Miami Beach and Malibu are in THE EXCAT SAME PLACE THEY WERE 100 years ago!

WHY DO THE IDIOTS BELIEVE?

OH, HEY AL.....HOW DID ALL THAT OIL GET IN ALASKA?

A.....IT WAS ONCE A LUSH TROPICAL RAIN FOREST YOU DUMB A$$

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by acadgrad81 on 05/26/09 at 8:25AM
One can easily see the true colors of the dominant liberal media, giving line space and air time to this huckster. Yet, when a conference of credible and reputable scientists is held to discuss the opposing view, we will see or hear nothing about it. The next major event is coming soon.
The Third International Conference on Climate Change will be held in Washington, DC on June 2, 2009 at the Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue NW. It will call attention to widespread dissent to the asserted onsensus?on various aspects of climate change and global warming. Read more at http://www.heartland.org.
The science is NOT settled, folks. Even though Algore wants to plug his ears and say, "I don't want to hear any more- that's the end of it," we all need to let him have it with both barrels.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by TaurusPT145 on 05/26/09 at 8:33AM
Over 50 comments so far and not one person is expressing a belief that global warming is man-made. It is a small sample of our population to be sure, but it sure seems like we all agree Al Gore is an idiot and global warming as a "cause" is a joke. Yet, why does he continue to have relevence and why do others like him keep getting elected? Obama supports all of these nut jobs, how does he get elected? Companies are buying into this BS and yet we don't contact our congressmen/women and senators enough to make a difference. Best comment so far is by Zamborc:

"OH, HEY AL.....HOW DID ALL THAT OIL GET IN ALASKA?

A.....IT WAS ONCE A LUSH TROPICAL RAIN FOREST YOU DUMB A$$"

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Chopper41 on 05/26/09 at 9:00AM
Got to love how the writer opens the article with "Nobel Peace Price winner...", as if that means we should automatically believe Al Gore.

They wonder why no one is buying newspapers anymore? Who would pay for junk reporting like this?
Global warming is the biggest farce ever committed and not one newspaper is investigating it. Not a single one. Out of the thousands of newspapers in this country...in every city, in every state... every newspaper is the same - they all toe the party line. Yet read these comments - no one believes them. The media is a joke. Especially newspapers.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Chopper41 on 05/26/09 at 9:01AM
Got to love how the writer opens the article with "Nobel Peace Price winner...", as if that means we should automatically believe Al Gore.

They wonder why no one is buying newspapers anymore? Who would pay for junk reporting like this?
Global warming is the biggest farce ever committed and not one newspaper is investigating it. Not a single one. Out of the thousands of newspapers in this country...in every city, in every state... every newspaper is the same - they all toe the party line. Yet read these comments - no one believes them. The media is a joke. Especially newspapers.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Sansan on 05/26/09 at 9:03AM
Al Gore (or Algoreethym as my husband calls him) is a moron and people who listen to him are absolutely politically bought in and continue to push the poor excuse for a Nobel Prize winner that I have ever seen. It makes Nobel Prize winners look like idiots. All this man cares about is self agrandizing and enriching himself. Anyone that listens to Gore is seriously stupid and does not accept facts.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by tnboy on 05/26/09 at 9:16AM
Al Gore's family made their money in tobacco and politics for the record

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by skullsplitte on 05/26/09 at 9:26AM
I am glad to see that the people of Ohio are still some of the most level headed people in this country. I live in the desert here in Arizona and I can tell you that when it is 30 degrees at night and 70 degrees at noon it is all about the sun. A fluctuation of that amount in a 24 hour period has nothing to do with carbon. Gore is a fraud and a self-worshiping liberal soon to be lost to the pages of history.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by tnboy on 05/26/09 at 9:26AM
Fat Al is what we like to call him. He uses more electricity in 1 month than I can use in a year.
Way to go Al baby get the facts out . He is a fake just tring to scam money from the un-informed

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by rojoro1x3 on 05/26/09 at 9:31AM
It has recently occurred to me what a true genius is Al Gore. This world on which we live is getting smaller by the minute and there has to be a vehicle by which the elites of this world, Algore included, can manipulate, control and tax the masses. Gore has designed a system whereby that will happen via carbon credits. The true genius of Gore's plan is he figured out the masses would not accept this readily hence the fear instilled via the impending death of mankind due to manmade global warming. Never mind it isn't happening, Gore is betting on the ignorance of the masses, something politicians have been counting on for quite some time. It is a safe bet.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by ulyssesmsu on 05/26/09 at 9:42AM
Al Gore--hypocrite, liar, ignorant opportunist. The sooner we all ignore this evil person, the better.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by FireNWater on 05/26/09 at 9:43AM
The comments here show exactly why so many high tech companies and young people are flocking to this area. I mean where else in America can you get so many really smart people to comment? I mean some of the most brilliant minds in the world have posted their comments here. If the rest of the world would only listen, all of the world's problems could be solved. Yes we want and need more and more nuclear plants. It's the liberals who keep us from building more nuclear plants. Why I know all of the connedservatives in Brunswick would welcome having a nuclear plant right next door to them. I'm sure that people in Eastlake and Mentor would die for a nuclear disposal area to be in their neighborhood. You know it's a known fact that if you call yourself a "conservative" it automatically makes you smarter than any other people in the world. So now that all of the high intellectuals of this area have the global warming thing solved, let them work on enlightening the rest of the world. I am waiting for these intellectuals to expose the fraud of the world being round and the sun revolving around the sun. We all know those are other lies that the liberals like Al Gore have been telling too long. We must stamp out all of this "book larning" and only listen to the high intellects here.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by skullsplitte on 05/26/09 at 9:45AM
Did Gore ever have a real job in his life? I mean this guy is a life long politcian who laughed at Ollie North's testimony about the dangers of Osama Bin Laden!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by fatfishblu on 05/26/09 at 9:46AM
I am sorry to say that we will eventually lose to this idiot. It seems the more we oppose his B.S., the closer our government gets to signing worthless legislature that will only increase our debt and worsen the economy. The world is not immune to this idiot's ramblings. Look in the U.K. they are planning a ban on Lamb, tomatoes and other "High CO2 emitting" organisms from restaurant menus! When will this end?

If you want to beat the system, research what companies Al Gore has a vested interest in. Throw a few bucks in these company stocks and make a little profit! Here are 2 that he shares the board with: GE and Apple.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by azgirl on 05/26/09 at 10:16AM
Al Bore. He's bitter and shrill. I liked the how he goes around the world with his big butt getting in and out of SUV's, chauffer driven big cars, private airplanes..etc. promoting his silly causes. I refuse to partake in this nonsense. One time some reporter caught his entire family getting into the huge SUV's after one of his speaches. Whatever he is doing....whatever he is promoting...is for his own self-interest. He has a huge compound he lives on, the lights are on all the time, he and his family are not doing one thing to abide by the b.s. he's throwing out there sermonizing what we should be doing. In his honor today, I'm gonna get all kinds of plastic bags, throw my recycle items in the regular trash, leave the lights on and run my water. I don't believe one iota of his "global warming" b.s.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by azgirl on 05/26/09 at 10:23AM
Also....Al Gore has never worked a day in his life. He was born of privilege with a silver spoon in his mouth. I thought that the CCR song "Fortunate Son" was about him..."it ain't me....it ain't me.. ..I ain't no senator's son no.....I ain't no fortunate one"
Gore did go to Viet Nam but it was in some prissy assignment so he wouldn't get his butt blown up.
Phoney. Like him. "some folks are born silver spoon in hand...Lord, don't they help themselves"
"some folks inherit star spangled eyes...ooh, they send you down to war, lord"

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by DaveInCalif on 05/26/09 at 10:29AM
Intersting how Mr. Gore ignores all of the negitive impact to the birds that die from the wind mills, or the other animals affected by the load noise they produce. Not to mention the fact that China is not going to buy into the 'Climate Change" aggenda, and according to Gore science behind this, the US doing this alone will not fix a thing. And of course the FACT that we haven't had any warming at over the last 15 years, but that has only caused the Gore faction to change the name of their movment. Of course, breathing causes "global climate" gasses and I do know that Al Gore blows a lot more hot air then most people.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by fantumx on 05/26/09 at 10:55AM
"Al Gore has probably Never worked in a Real job"

Are you kidding, He was a mule skinner and he invented the Internet.

Al Gore Refuses Energy Pledge

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by GregOhio on 05/26/09 at 11:05AM
Posted by tresc26 on 05/25/09 at 6:07PM

"I don't think many people realize it but Al Gore has probably Never worked in a Real job,"

Serving in the US Army in Vietnam isn't a real job?

Wingnuts!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by toray99 on 05/26/09 at 11:53AM
This is a big scam for more money. Everybody knows gore has a company that sells carbon credits, and most congress have invested in it too. What a great way to get rich have a investing interest and be able to write the laws. Boy are we the american people the schumks. I say term limits on Congress and drug testing for ALL Government including president and all his minion.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by chbeyer on 05/26/09 at 11:54AM
Why is it that ALGORE REFUSES TO DEBATE HIGHLY RESPECTED CLIMATOLOGISTS WHO HAVE MOUNTAINS OF EVIDENCE TO REFUTE SO CALLED 'MAN MADE' GLOBAL WARMING? Why is it that everytime Gore speaks the mainstream media gives him front and center publicity? I will explain why.

This is all a socialist money grab to promote carbon credits and massive tax increases on all Americans. The science of the argument dosen't matter. Liberals led by the Obamamessiah just want us all to drink the cool aid and open up our already overtaxed pocketbooks. Lets take America back!

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by toray99 on 05/26/09 at 11:56AM
This is a big scam for more money. Everybody knows gore has a company that sells carbon credits, and most congress have invested in it too. What a great way to get rich have a investing interest and be able to write the laws. Boy are we the american people the schumks. I say term limits on Congress and drug testing for ALL Government including president and all his minion.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by greenman9 on 05/26/09 at 12:29PM
Gore is as stupid as a fence post.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by zamborc on 05/26/09 at 1:24PM
FireNWater.....Pleae give us your or AL'S answer to my "stupid analysis" below..Please enlighten us


"OH, HEY AL.....HOW DID ALL THAT OIL GET IN ALASKA?

A.....IT WAS ONCE A LUSH TROPICAL RAIN FOREST YOU DUMB A$$"


Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by warmmonger on 05/26/09 at 1:27PM
god bless cleveland! just when i was afraid americans were turning into sheep, you (with the exception of "FireNWater") have renewed my faith. although i prefer to stick to the scientific argument when discussing "climate change" i do appreciate any and all al gore bashing. just today two more PEER REVIEWED papers were brought to light, one showing NO ANTHROPROGENIC WARMING and the other correlating various sunspot sequences with past and current climate changes. how's that for "book larning"! oh, if only the warmers had science on their side, maybe they would not have to resort to insults and name calling.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by triper57 on 05/26/09 at 1:43PM
Al Gore: The next Bernie Madoff for his Cap and Trade Ponzi scheme.



Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by lmikeyf on 05/26/09 at 1:52PM
fire and h20

the sun revolves around the sun ?

please explain that one to me

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by ynot4tony2 on 05/26/09 at 3:21PM
GregOhio said: "Serving in the US Army in Vietnam isn't a real job?"

It depends. If you're given a cushy photo-journalist position and are kept far, far away from combat because your father is a Senator...then no, Greg. No, Al Gore's "service" in Vietnam was not a real job at all.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by azgirl on 05/26/09 at 3:59PM
Al Bore is just so angry all the time. What's he angry at or about? He's got tons of money. If he's mad at anyone it should be Bill and Hillary. They did him in good. Instead, he takes this preposterous road show around the world and I swear he's trying to get back at the U.S. for not electing him. He felt he was the one in line to be president. What an idiot. He's an embarrassment to the State of Tennessee and the U.S. I just cringe when I see him. Like Joe Biden.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by FireNWater on 05/26/09 at 4:47PM
Z : The grade zamborc received the one day he attended school. That's okay zamborc, you didn't need all of that book larning to pick up trash from the side of the road did you?????


lmikeyf: That was clearly a typo. But I will break it down to a level that you understand. Your parents have obviously taught you such facts as reading is for idiots and book larning don't teach you nothing you need. I'm sure they also taught you the fact that the earth is flat. Everyone knows that. If the earth was round like those pointy headed liberals want you to think, how could you walk to the cooler and get a beer? How could the have NASCAR? How would we not fall off. You better pay attention to your folks. So yes the sun goes around the earth.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by zamborc on 05/26/09 at 7:53PM
FireNWater.....I have 3 college degrees including a Maser of Science.

I was also accepted into numerous PhD programs but chose to keep MAKIN THE MONEY.

Now care to have a debate on your science?


Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by PoorRichrd2 on 05/26/09 at 8:41PM
Al who ??

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by choppastyle on 05/26/09 at 10:37PM
When will this man be sued for fraud? I cannot believe I supported him for President in 2000.

The Nobel prize will never be what it once was. The Nobel committee should ask for the prize back.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by beegmachine on 05/27/09 at 12:59AM
I heard he lost all that weight with this new fad freshly slaughtered seal heart diet.

Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by Bruiser on 05/27/09 at 1:49AM
Holy cow, FireNWater sure went on a nonsensical rant.

I was wondering where all the bleating, babbling liberal sheep were hiding, why they stopped showing up to defend the likes of Algore and nutjob Pelosi in the news lately.

Looks like a real prime specimen made his way here -- taking time out from the "community Obama gush" over at Daily Kos or Huffington Post, no doubt -- he made his way here to parrot the "why you dastardly uneducated redneck NASCAR-lovin' pickup-truck-drivin' gun-totin' right-wing jerk-faces!" argument that passes as "debate" and "irrefutable logic" among brainwashed, mind-numbed liberals.

How dark it must be in that "enlightened, progressive" world libs live in. Tsk.

PS, FireNWater, if you're going to talk about "book larnin' and what-not" -- or a lack thereof -- with regards to us Bible-thumpin' moonshine-distillin' conservatives, then you might want to look into a copy of Strunk & White's yourself; and try reading what you type before hitting the post button, Professor.

Total climate = Climate chaos, the result of global warming, results in massive die off of 8 billion people, leaving just 200,000 hardy souls

Total climate = Climate chaos, the result of global warming, results in massive die off of 8 billion people, leaving just 200,000 hardy souls surviving in polar cities in extreme north and south regions of Earth for 1000 year period or more.

Total Traffic: The future of Jakarta 2011?

The countdown may have begun, ....... By 2011, Jakarta officials predict that the city will experience “total traffic,” or complete paralysis. Already, traffic jams cost the city $1.2 billion a year in lost time and fuel, as well as health problems.

Total traffic = traffic gridlock

Total population = human population reaches 9 billion in 2050

Total climate = Climate chaos, the result of global warming, results in massive die off of 8 billion people, leaving just 200,000 hardy souls surviving in polar cities in extreme north and south regions of Earth for 1000 year period or more.

Video conferencing speech to Tallberg Forum Summer 2009

Video conferencing speech to Tallberg Forum Summer 2009

Hello conference attendees, ......thank you for your kind invitation to speak
today at this conference on global warming and the future. I cannot be
there with you in person -- physically that is -- since I do not fly
on airplanes anymore. So this video speech
is coming to you from my home far away, overseas, where I live and work.

That said, let me get right to the theme of my short speech today: the
need for polar cities in the future to house survivors of global
warming in the year 2500 or so -- maybe sooner -- probably sooner --
if worst comes to worst as things progress here on Planet Earth.

These polar cities, will
NOT be at the poles per se, but rather in northern regions of the
world -- Alaska, Canada, Russia, Iceland, Greenland, Norway. Southern
extremes too -- New Zealand, Tasmania, Patagonia, Antarctica.

Why will we need polar cities in the year 2500? Because climate
migrants, mass migrations of people from Mexico, the Lower 48 states of the USA, AFrica, India, Asia, Europe....will lead to millions of people, perahps billions, moving north in search of food and .... fuel, housing, and livable climates. James Lovelock has spoken of this at length...."sustainable retreat" he called it.

So these polar cities will be our lifeboats of the future, our fire exits, our lifelines. What will they look like, and where will they be situated? Use your
imagination. And this: prepare your mind mentally and spiritally for what is coming down the road in the future. It won't be a pretty picture, but I believe the human species will survive, will endure, will come out frm thost climate retreats, these polar cities, after a long period of residence, perhaps 1000 years or more, from 2500 AD to maybe 3500 AD, and when we come out from those polar cities scatteted around the Earth we will be ready to move back to the central regions of the world when the time is right, and the Earth has cooled a bit.

For now I have only three words to say: Prepare, Plan, Pray.

We shall endure. Polar cities, climate retreats, will save us. The time to think about this future world is now. Thank you for hearing me out. I do hope someone is listening to my impassioned speech. Make your voices heard, too. Persevere!

Video:

全球暖化和環保意識的台灣的大學2099年畢業講稿

全球暖化和環保意識的台灣的大學2099年畢業講稿

Translation by Deanna Laforet of Britain and a team of volunteer translators at National Taiwan University in Taipei.

To see the speech in English on video click on the following link:
YOUTUBE.COM



大家早安. 2099年畢業生,我不能親自來跟你們講話,因為我早就死了.不過,1971年美國波士頓大學畢業生之一的我,想把這個關於全球暖化和氣候變化對台灣和全球的影響的短演說,從過去的日子說給未來的你們聽.

你們2099年畢業生即將進入22世紀.你們不僅會把大學的經驗帶進22世紀去,也會將就業目標,以及處於地球危機時代的公民的憂慮都帶入未來的新世紀了.我預測這四年來你們肯定經常聽到“氣候危機”這個詞彙.不過,我要告訴你們,我在大學的時候沒談論過.那個時代我們從來沒聽過“氣候危機”!

現在我已經不在了,不過,希望你們能在網絡上看到或可以在大學圖書館的數位錄音找到我的留言. 祝你們萬事如意!台灣萬歲!

2099年要畢業的學生,你們處在人類歷史的轉折點.世界正站在需要做出重要決定的開端,要針對兩個大問題: 一,使用石化燃料的問題,二,在台灣已經習慣的 “消費! 丟掉! 燃燒!”的生活方式的問題.

我思索著:在你們的世紀尚認識詹姆斯拉夫洛克 (James Lovelock) 和高爾(Al Gore)的名字還是有新的名字取代他們了呢?2006年“不願面對的真相”(An Inconvenient Truth) 紀錄片的DVD還在大學流傳? 李奥納多狄卡皮歐(Leonardo DiCaprio) 的紀錄片“第十一個小時”(The 11th Hour)呢? 你們聽過DVD這個東西還是在你們的時代已經被忘記了?

2099年學生,我要把這十一個字說給你們聽: “我們需要拉緊煤炭的套索”

在1989年 - 一百年前 - 美國洛克菲勒大學的傑斯阿蘇貝爾博士 (Dr. Jesse Ausubel) 寫了這段預言的句子.你們的世界把煤炭和石化燃料的套索拉緊了沒有?你們已經開始解決人口過剩, 氣候變化和造成永續經濟的難題沒有?全球暖化是否會讓你們的未來走樣呢?

不論你自己對全球暖化的看法如何,你應該知道,剩下的時間不多了.我希望你們的時代找到禁止燃燒石化燃料的方法,也能找到減少氣候變化對未來地球的影響的方法.我剛說“剩下的時間不多了”, 或許該說“時間快用完了”,恐怕需要說“已經沒有時間了”.

2099年畢業生,出去創造你們的世界. 加油!

Interview with Dan Bloom on his "Graduation Speech to the Class of 2099" (interview in May 17, 2009 issue of the Tufts Observer

Interview with Dan Bloom on his "Graduation Speech to the Class of 2099" (interview in May 17, 2009 issue of the Tufts Observer

In the year 2099:
Tufts alum Dan Bloom speaks about a future after climate change

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY TUFTS STUDENTS JULIA IVANOVA AND CAITLIN SCHWARTZ

The Tufts Observer -- a monthly student newspaper at Tufts University published since 1895-- spoke to Tufts alum, author, and
climate activist Dan Bloom, class of 1971. A native
of Springfield, Massachusetts, Mr Bloom has lived in Japan and Taiwan
since 1991. He has spent his professional life
as a newspaper editor and journalist for newspapers
in Alaska, Tokyo and Taipei. Mr Bloom has recently written,
published and videotaped "a virtual graduation speech for the class of
2099" that can be accessed on YouTube at
http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-wnrm2jE-E

Tufts Observer: Why did you decide to write a
virtual graduation speech for the class of 2099?

Dan Bloom: I have been deeply involved
in climate change research for the past two
years, ever since I became aware that humankind
has come to a crossroads in terms
of how we approach the future. If we continue
using fossil fuels like coal and oil like
there’s no tomorrow, there might not be a
tomorrow. Several top scientists and climate
activists have inspired me to spend the rest
of my life trying to issue what I call “wakeup
calls” about global warming’s possible
future impacts, and at age 60, that is what
I am doing now. So I wrote an imaginary
graduation speech to the Tufts class of 2099
and put it on my blog. I recently published
the speech as an Op-Ed piece in the China
Post newspaper in Taiwan where I now live
and work.

O: Is there a particular reason you chose 2099?
DB: I chose the year 2099, rather than the
year 2009, in order to let people think about
the future. Will there even by a Tufts graduation
ceremony in 2099? What shape will Boston
be in by then? The numerals are similar
to 2009. I want to people to look twice at
those numerals, maybe do a double-take and
think: “Is that really 2099 and is that a typo?”
It is not a typo. It is meant to be a wake-up
call for today’s graduates. We are living at a
very important time in human history.
I am deeply concerned that by the year 2500,
there won’t be a human world anymore.
Earth will survive, but humans will be history.
This is not science fi ction. We have
about 100 years to change our ways. I think
we can do it. But time is running out. Most
people want to continue enjoying the good
life, buying more technological gadgets year
after year, driving their cars and SUVs all
over the place, living with the conveniences
of air-conditioning and central heating and
elevators and superhighways and airplanes.
We humans are on track to disaster if we
don’t wake up soon to the harm we are doing
to the Earth by the continued use of coal
and other fossil fuels.


O: What was the general theme of your graduation speech in 1971? Do you feel that it is still relevant today?

DB: Back in 1971, life was wonderful and full of promise, and the Tufts graduation speech in 1971
was about going out into the adult world
and fi nding your niche, finding your place,
doing your best, using our Tufts educations
to make a better world. I feel those ideas are
still relevant today, yes. I am an optimistic, an
eternal optimist. Tufts taught me to see that
the future can go on forever, if only we use
our hearts and our minds to forge a better
world. The world was full of promise for me
in 1971, and it still is. I am 60, going on 19.
I’m like a kid who never grew up.

O: Climate change has caused many people to rethink
their priorities and look towards the future.
How long do you think it will take for people to
understand that our actions not only effect the climate
but also the well-being of future generations?

DB: It will take a long time for most people
to wake up to the threats of climate change
and global warming. Even with all the books
and movies and documentaries out there
now, people are still sleepwalking toward
the future. It will take a natural tsunami of
untold proportions to really wake people up,
and by then it will be too late. But as an optimistic,
who refuses to give in to pessimism, I
want to believe we humans can wake up on
time and take action to stop global warming
in its tracks. That is why I created this speech
for the class of 2099.

O: Since you’re currently living
in Taiwan, what do you
think is the general perception of environmental
issues there?

DB: People in Taiwan are aware of global
warming and climate change as general
themes in the local newspaper coverage
and TV shows. Al Gore’s documentary “An
Inconvenient Truth” has been shown here,
with Chinese subtitles, and the Taiwanese
people understand the situation the world
is in. But being an island nation, far away
from the centers of power in the West, most
Taiwanese don’t care very much about the far
distantfuture. When I asked a local reporter
to write about my speech to the class of 2099
for a news story, she laughed and said “Who
cares about 2099?”

O: Do you have a favorite memory from your time
at Tufts? [1967 - 1971]

DB: One of my favorite memories of my
time at Tufts was sitting on the grass on the
hillside outside the library with a small circle
of friends in the early evening, just after
sunset, and talking about our daily lives and
our future plans and dreams. Steve Tisch -- whose family the library would later be named for! --
went on to become a Hollywood producer.
John Blumenthal went on to become a Playboy magazine columnist and a Hollywood
screenwriter. Frank Siteman went
on to become an award-winning photographer in the Boston area and nationwide as well.
Jim Nollman went on to become
a world-renowned
whale researcher and
interspecies communications
book
author, based on the West Coast. Phil Primack
went to become a
journalist. We’re
all still in touch by
email.

My favorite
class was Dr. Sol
Gittleman’s “Introduction
to Yiddish
Literature”, and I
still keep in touch
with Dr Gittleman
now by email. He
has seen my video speech,
too.

O: What advice do you have for
graduating seniors, whether job
related or just about life in general?

DB: Tufts taught me this during my four
years there, from 1967 to 1971; those were
the years I decided to make my life meaningful.
Not to become rich or famous, those
were never my goals. But my goal has always
been to try to fi nd meaning in life, and work
with others to ensure that there is a future
for our descendants. Don’t think about
being famous or being rich; think instead
about making a meaningful contribution to
this world you are about to enter as a fullfl
edged adult, whatever that contribution
shall be, big or small. The main thing is to
use what you learned at Tufts to go out and
make something of yourself. The future you
have inherited is going to need your brains,
and your heart. So give it your best shot.
Work to live, don’t live to work.




(c) May 17, 2009 THE TUFTS OBSERVER

350 self-immolation climate protests in protective Hollywood stunt suits on October 24

We are looking for people around the world to participate in 350 self-immolation climate protests in protective Hollywood stunt suits on October 24, 2009 to help raise public awareness of the number 350, which has to do with the parts per million ppm of CO2 in the air, which is now around 394 and rising daily. See this photo to get an idea of needs to be planned. We are hoping to have self-immolation protests in front of the UN buildings in NYC and in Geneva and elsewhere. Everywhere, from Germany to Australia, from Rome to Tokyo. No one will get hurt. These are stunts, set up to gather media photo opportunities. That is why the protective Hollywood stunt suits are important. To sign up, and for more info, leave comments below with contact info, or contact me here at gmail com.


Climate activists in 350 self-immolation PR action stunts to raise awareness
about global warming on October 24, 2009: Do not try this at home!



PHOTO CAPTIONS ENVISIONED: A climate activist, wearing protective clothing in a protest stunt
coordinated by a professional Hollywood stuntman in Los Angeles, appears to have
set himself on fire as a protest against climate change and global
warming during a protest on October 24, 2009. However, he/she was not
hurt at all, as the entire event was staged
as a PR action stunt to raise public awareness about the dangers the
world faces if
we don't take action soon against climate change and work hard to get the PPM stats down to 350.

For background info, see www.350.org

Can 350.org save the world?

Groups gear up to issue an emergency alert that carbon dioxide in the global atmosphere has already passed a tipping point.

By Bill McKibben
May 15, 2009
)


Writing From Sydney -- All around the world, national governments are trying to hammer out their global warming policies, preparing for the United Nations' climate-change conclave in Copenhagen at the end of the year. And in too many places, the effort seems to be going nowhere.

Here in Australia, for instance, the government last week decided to postpone any real action for another year, citing the recession. It weakened major elements of its so-called emissions trading scheme, bowing to pressure from the coal industry, which is the country's biggest exporter, and other major polluters.



In Washington, meanwhile, the Obama administration is valiantly helping to push a bill through Congress that would finally set a cap on U.S. carbon emissions. Introduced by Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), it has the support of most environmental groups and represents the culmination of years of hard lobbying work. And if the leaks coming out of the committee are correct, it's watered down with lots of loopholes and compromises. These concessions are clearly necessary to win passage, but they may also limit the speed and breadth of the legislation's impact.



The trouble is, physics and chemistry aren't adjusting their schedule to fit our political and economic convenience. Each week brings new accounts of crashing ice sheets and spreading droughts. The scientific journal Nature said in its April 29 cover story that "a growing number of scientists agree that the CO2 challenge is even greater than had been previously thought."

As politics gets slower, global warming speeds up. The problem isn't feckless officials. Obama has a dream team of climate specialists: Clinton administration EPA veteran Carol Browner as energy czar, Harvard physicist John Holdren as top science advisor, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu as Energy secretary and Oakland activist Van Jones as White House green jobs coordinator.


And the problem isn't that environmental groups aren't working hard enough. I've never seen them work more tirelessly, with lobbying efforts in capitals around the world.

In fact, the problem is pretty simple: The environmental movement isn't big enough. It's one of the most selfless of advocacy efforts. But the movement has been sized to save whales and build national parks and force carmakers to stick catalytic converters on exhaust systems. It's nowhere near big enough to take on the fossil fuel industry, the biggest player in our global economy. It's like sending the Food and Drug Administration to fight the war in Afghanistan.

Exxon Mobil Corp. made more money last year than any U.S. company in the history of money. That gives it more clout than all the green groups combined. Which is why, if the Copenhagen conference is going to be anything but a disaster, we need to build a stronger movement. All around the world. Very fast.

That sounds quixotic, but maybe not. I'm here in Australia, organizing people for a new campaign called 350.org. We take our name from the most important number in the world, a number that scientists only identified about 18 months ago. It's the amount of carbon dioxide, measured in parts per million in the atmosphere, that scientists now say is the safe maximum for the planet -- a maximum we're well past. Currently, our atmosphere holds 387 parts per million, which is precisely why the Arctic is melting, precisely why Australia is catching on fire.

Our plan is simple. We asked people around the world, through our website, to hold organized actions on Oct. 24 -- from high in the Himalayas to underwater on the Great Barrier Reef, from Easter Island to inner-city America -- in an effort to take that number and drive it into the human imagination. If we can, it will help the world understand that this is not some future problem to be set aside until conditions improve, but a capital-E emergency now overtaking the Earth that demands a powerful and urgent global response. We can reboot the conversation, make it about the peril we face but also about the promise of green jobs and clean economies.

So far it's working. Though 350 parts per million carbon dioxide is an arcane number, those three digits mean the same thing in Delhi and China and Melbourne and D.C. Already, more than 700 actions have been planned in a third of the countries of the world. There will be 350 bicyclists leaving on 350-kilometer trips, and 350 surfers on the waves in one beach town after another; 350 divers at the Great Barrier Reef.

Environmental groups from across the spectrum have pledged to help, as have human rights organizations such as Oxfam, and big networks of young people in the developing world, and leaders from every faith community -- hundreds of churches have pledged to ring their bells 350 times on Oct. 24.

The news coming out of world capitals makes it clear that we need more than lobbying by environmentalists to get the changes the science demands. We need a movement, a groundswell, to give those lobbyists the clout they need. But we can make it happen only if we join together fast.

Bill McKibben is scholar in residence at Middlebury College and founder of 350.org.