In an interview with Grist, Gore admitted that he isn't honest with people. Here's a chunk of the interview I pulled from this article.
There's a lot of debate right now over the best way to communicate about global warming and get people motivated. Do you scare people or give them hope? What's the right mix?
I think the answer to that depends on where your audience's head is. In the United States of America, unfortunately we still live in a bubble of unreality. And the Category 5 denial is an enormous obstacle to any discussion of solutions. Nobody is interested in solutions if they don't think there's a problem. Given that starting point, I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentations on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience to listen to what the solutions are, and how hopeful it is that we are going to solve this crisis.I believe that God intended that we be good stewards of the earth. I also believe that man is not as influential in global weather patterns as some think. I'm also not a scientist. Mainly, I become distrustful of someone who resorts to alarmist tactics.
I'd suggest that you read the article in the New York Times. I've got a link here.
James Taranto's article in the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal is also good to read.
I wish people would take a step back to look at all the facts on global weather patterns.
Did you know that in the last 15,000 years of weather history that there have been 10 swings in the weather pattern, including the Medieval Warm Period, that surpass the warming trends we are seeing now? Ask Dr. Easterbrook, an emeritus professor of geology at Western Washington University. I would ask, how can we presume to know that this shift in the global weather pattern is any different from the past. For now, I'll keep reading.
4 comments:
Please, before you throw out Mr. Gore with the proverbial bath water, consider what the essence of his message is. Simply this, we need to WAKE UP to the fact that we are not taking care of our planet and the U.S. should be modeling good stewardship of our resources. Since the rest of the earth looks upon our life of luxury with envy, we need to find more efficient, cleaner, and renewable resources that we can all (the entire world population) live with.
What will happen when the population of China begins driving gas-guzzling SUVs? Who are WE to correct them with a "Do as I say, not as I do" kind of response? We can, and should, ask for better coal-burning emission standards world-wide, but we don't have a leg to stand upon when you look at our blantant disregard of dependance upon fossil fuels. I loved your earlier blog about alternative fuels.
I think "An Inconvenient Truth" was brilliant in terms of exposing us to a very real problem. Maybe it's bad science. Maybe it's politically driven. But maybe it simply calls us to make some difficult choices and ask ourselves, "What can I do to help care for God's creation?" Ressurect the electric car? Now THAT'S another documentary worth discussion.
I found it interesting that you and your uncle blogged on similar topics at the same time... Sorry to rant. It's been on my heart that our generation isn't leaving this earth better than we found it.
I heartily agree that as followers of Christ, we ought also to be good stewards of Creation. I wish that the great weather debate, and associated eco-issues, could be removed from their political counterparts.
I find it hard to believe that we haven't found a better means to create locomotion than the internal combustion engine. It's such an anachronism that computer chips and other such accoutrement can't really improve on. I think that Henry Ford would likely wonder why we still use oil from the ground to power our automobiles. Heck, the diesel engine is over 100 years old. Where is our ingenuity?
I'd like to see us figure out how to create energy for use in 3rd world Africa.
I saw the neatest show on Discovery the other night, all about alternative fuel cars. They were pretty cool.
Well, that's all I have to say for now, I guess. I'll just keep reading and listening.
Let me know your thoughts after you've rented "Who Killed the Electric Car?" It will both restore your faith in the human ability to create a better mousetrap as well as infuriate you for the short-sightedness of the consumer-driven world economy. Then go hug your wife & daughter to soothe your soul....
Sounds good. I LOVE documentaries. I hope you all are well,up in the Great Northwest. I wish I could think of the doc I saw on Discovery that showcased a myriad of differently fueled vehicles. It also showed how previously unused plastics from wrecked cars were transformed into regular deisel. It was really cool.
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