UPDATE: I missed this in the interview, since it wasn’t in the publicist release, it would be a shame not to highlight it.
Would there be hurricanes and floods and droughts without man-made global warming? Of course. But they’re stronger now. The extreme events are more extreme. The hurricane scale used to be 1-5 and now they’re adding a 6.
People send me stuff. Apparently, WaPo is so proud of this interview, they had their publicist send it out. I don’t think Al realizes that the “raging” he perceives is actually raucous laughter. – Anthony
From The Washington Post publicist:
Washington Post’s Ezra Klein spoke with Al Gore about why he’s so optimistic about stopping global warming. Excerpts are pasted below and the full transcript can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/21/al-gore-explains-why-hes-optimistic-about-stopping-global-warming/
EK: Do the policy failures of the last decade put more pressure on technological advances to be the source of the solution?
AG: No, I seem them as intertwined. To some extent, the failure of policy at Copenhagen and before that in Washington has put more emphasis on the hopeful developments in technology, but as the conversation is won on global warming — and it’s not won yet but it’s very nearly won — the possibilities for policy changes once again open up.
EK: What do you think of the Obama administration’s intentions to push regulatory approaches to limiting carbon emissions?
AG: I’m very encouraged. I thought the president’s speech on climate was terrific and it followed the inspiring comments in his inaugural address and his post-election State of the Union. And remember the impact of policy direction on business calculations is forward-looking. When business begins to understand the direction of policy, they have to start adjusting to where the policy is going. When you look at the EPA process, it’s undeniably clear that there will be a price on carbon one way or the other. Then when you look at the movement in other countries and the states and local measures being enacted, the direction is now quite clear and businesses are making plans to adjust to it.
EK: Give me the optimistic scenario on what happens next. If all goes well, what do the next few years look like on this issue?
AG: Well, I think the most important part of it is winning the conversation. I remember as a boy when the conversation on civil rights was won in the South. I remember a time when one of my friends made a racist joke and another said, hey man, we don’t go for that anymore. The same thing happened on apartheid. The same thing happened on the nuclear arms race with the freeze movement. The same thing happened in an earlier era with abolition. A few months ago, I saw an article about two gay men standing in line for pizza and some homophobe made an ugly comment about them holding hands and everyone else in line told them to shut up. We’re winning that conversation.
The conversation on global warming has been stalled because a shrinking group of denialists fly into a rage when it’s mentioned. It’s like a family with an alcoholic father who flies into a rage every time a subject is mentioned and so everybody avoids the elephant in the room to keep the peace. But the political climate is changing. Something like Chris Hayes’s excellent documentary on climate change wouldn’t have made it on TV a few years ago. And as I said, many Republicans who’re still timid on the issue are now openly embarrassed about the extreme deniers. The deniers are being hit politically. They’re being subjected to ridicule, which stings. The polling is going back up in favor of doing something on this issue. The ability of the raging deniers to stop progress is waning every single day.
When that conversation is won, you’ll see more measures at the local and state level and less resistance to what the EPA is doing. And slowly it will become popular to propose steps that go further and politicians that take the bit in their teeth get rewarded. I remember when the tide turned on smoking in public places. People thought the late Frank Lautenburg was crazy for proposing a ban on smoking in airplanes, but he was rewarded politically and then politicians began falling all over themselves to do the same. That’s the optimistic scenario. And it’s not just a scenario! It’s happening now!
Don’t get me wrong. We’ve got a long way to go. We’re still increasing emissions. But we’re approaching this tipping point. Businesses are driving it. Grass roots are driving it. Policies and changes in law in places like india and China and Mexico and California and Ireland will proliferate and increase, and soon we’ll get to the point where national laws will evolve into global cooperation.
—
Molly Gannon
Senior Publicist
The Washington Post
Now apparently Al’s buddies are blaming volcanoes for the Pause in Global Warming.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/separating-science-from-spin-on-the-global-warming-pause-20130821
The problem with Gore’s prattle is that if you look at the average run of warmists they’re right in the antivaxer Jenny McCarthy scared-of-everything camp.
I guess the sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera does not qualify for ridicule that stings… poor Al.
Theo Goodwin says:
August 21, 2013 at 2:58 pm
When you consider what a huge bullet the US dodged when Al did not become president…well, it might incline one to believe in divine providence.
_________________________
So where’s the divine intervention, now?
I can’t imagine (nor do I want to ) a worse scenario for our nation than what has come to be the routine and frequent usurpation of power, by this current administration.
This is what they do when they can’t win on the evidence. Al Gore is not stupid. He knows full well that extreme weather caused by co2 is not on his side. The predictions have failed so they resort to smear and name calling. Al Gore does not realise that not all sceptics are white, conservative, American, fossil fuel stock holding people. Lies and propaganda must be defeated.
This guy, Al Gore… he really doesn’t see anything outside his own imagination, does he. Is he faking this, or does he actually believe what he says?
He’s in for a rude shock if he truly believes his own mouth.
All right, Bloody Mess –
You call me an “anti-abolitionist”? I am certainly FOR abolition of slavery in all its forms – including excessive taxation with the funds to be spent on oppressing people and further enriching crony capitalists like YOU.
You call me a “racist”? And then you advocate carbon taxes that further impoverish poor people, and KILL poor people – mainly PEOPLE OF COLOR – while your fat white ass just gets richer? My black family can’t stomach you.
You call me a “homophobe”? I support gay rights, and I suspect that what you REALLY meant to call skeptics is a gay slur.
And as for the “denier” – two points: first, YOU deny the real science that proves overwhelmingly that your spiel is bullshit, and second, YOU deny the Holocaust that the policies you push will being about, which may well make the Nazis pale by comparison.
My apologies for the strong language, but even it isn’t strong enough to characterize an entity (I won’t say a “person”) like Al Gore.
Margaret Hardman,
“Al Gore compares climate skeptics to anti abolitionists, racists, homophobes, and alcoholic families”
Okay, lets walk through this together Margaret, one itsy bitsy step at a time. I’ll hold your hand.
First, let’s simplify the sentence, if we can agree that this sentence is logically equivalent to this group of
sentences:
1) Al Gore compares climate skeptics to anti abolitionists.
2) Al Gore compares climate skeptics to racists.
3) Al Gore compares climate skeptics to homophobes.
4) Al Gore compares climate skeptics to alcoholic families.
Then we can easily proceed.
1) Does Al Gore compare climate skeptics to anti abolitionists?
2) Does Al Gore compare climate skeptics to racists?
Al is making an analogy between climate skeptics and anti abolitionists or racists.
3) Does Al Gore compare climate skeptics to homophobes?
Al is making an analogy between climate skeptics and homophobes.
4) Does Al Gore compare climate skeptics to alcoholic families?
Al is making an analogy between alcoholic fathers and climate skeptics.
Is an analogy a comparison?
According to http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/analogy
Yes, an analogy can be a comparison.
Glad to be of help dear, let me know if you need any further assistance in understanding the meaning of plain English.
Joe,
Maybe this will help.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=waw
Odd. Gore was always a bit loopy. But he now seems to have completely gone off the rails on this one. Is he now holding “conversations” with himself?
He’s just a stinking dirt bag, a scam artist. Nothing more, nothing less. Zero respect for criminals like that.
Al Gore is a genius. Even when he wins he loses. He has made lots of money from oil, tobacco and fairy tales. Is this something to be proud of?
Al Gore is a hypocrite and a failed activist ‘leader’.
Margaret Hardman has been smoking some of Al Gore’s funny leaves OR she has suffered from some recent serious head injury. Get well soon.
The only place they have left to go is to label us Nazi’s.
According to Gore’s thinking you’ve won when you can tell people to shut up
Hi, I explained I can’t post the URL since there isn’t one on the carbon credit story. Sorry. Understand why it was cut short.
There are more than 400 comments now at the Post and perhaps three of them are not unkind to Big Al.
Is it just me or was the word conversation substituted for the word science in this Q&A?
The other word that stood out was cooperation. What exactly was he referring to on said global scale?
Think about it,,, it is happening right in front of you, right now.
Just saying,,,,,,, check some of those UN Agenda 21 docs……….
How many of you folks have heard the term “Smart Growth” in your community government meetings?
@dalyplanet
Your post was the 64th one. But I agree. Most have been unkind to Mr. Gore.
Gore is not well liked by those who have watched An Inconvenient Truth, and who know how to check and analyze data, and who know that a half truth is a whole lie.
If we are a “shrinking group of denialists” then how can we stall the conversation on global warming? It has had over 20 years head start. Could it be that the conversion on global warming has stalled because the global mean temps have stalled? Surely not! Has Al (Oil Check Recipient) Bore been puffing on some funny leaves again? Two mansions and your dog. What a lonely life.
Al Gore and the truth are total strangers. He is a con man, pure and simple.
Mark Bofill says:
August 21, 2013 at 4:26 pm
well said very simply laid out needed to be done as simple as possible because as Joe said probably not a native English speaker. 🙂
His wife left him – why can’t we? Life is unfai!. The UN needs to write a no-contact order again this idiot to keep him away from humanity. Especially those still in the education system.
I don’t think Al realizes that the “raging” he perceives is actually raucous laughter. – Anthony
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No Anthony it is Al Gore laughing all the way to the bank because he still has people like Margaret Hardman willing to hang on every word parasites like him say.
“”There’s a sucker born every minute” “ is Al Gore’s motto and lord knows he has certainly proved it.