Even the Bush administration is not going to dare say anything negative about Gore.
"Of course he's happy for Vice President Gore .... He's happy for the International Panel on Climate Change scientists who also shared the peace prize. Obviously it's an important recognition. And we're sure the vice president's thrilled." - White House spokesman Tony Fratto, referring to President Bush.
Gore's former boss handed praise (and takes a potshot at conservatives.)
"Al Gore has been warning and educating us about the dangers of climate change for decades<" Bill Clinton said. "He saw this coming before others in public life and never stopped pushing for action to save our planet, even in the face of public indifference and attacks from those determined to defend the indefensible."
Gore released a statement.
“We face a true planetary emergency,” Mr. Gore said in a statement from San Francisco, where he was on a visit Friday. “The climate crisis is not a political issue; it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity.”
Unfortunately many want to remain polarizing. Glenn Reynolds used the opportunity to disparish Gore.
A NOBEL PEACE PRIZE for Al Gore. I think he makes a fitting addition to the pantheon of Nobel Peace Prize holders.
What Reynolds is too cowardly to come out and say is he is comparing Gore to previous winners such as Yasser Arafat. The prize has also been awarded to Lech Walesa and Nelson Mandala. Both men were imprisoned trying to end tyranny in Poland and South Africa. I doubt Reynolds is comparing Gore with those men.
Kathryn Jean Lopez
On the same wave as Geraghty and Hanson today, Rush Limbaugh just called on Al Gore to hand over this prize to "genuine agents of peace: General Petraus, the U.S. military, and its commander-in-chief.
I defended Petraus againt the Moveon.org attacks. That said, the prize isn't meant for people engaged in warfare. Regardless, of the righteousness of the campaign. That is why it's called the Nobel Peace Prize. The stupidity of K-Lo's and Limbaugh's reasoning is amazing. It's as if someone made the characters from Dumb and Dumber conservative pundits.
Update: Litbrit is going girl crazy for her hero.
I don't understand what Gore's global warming awareness campaign has to do with world peace. Not everyone agrees with Gore or the science he uses; not everyone agrees what to do about global warming; the world hasn't united to do much of anything about global warming (or it still wouldn't be an issue); and even if climate change problems were resolved, that wouldn't have an impact on religious intolerance, greed, politicking, and the numerous other reasons people and countries go to war.
ReplyDeleteI'm not looking to start a flame war. But seriously, respectfully, putting aside political affiliations, I'm asking for someone to shed some light on how that correlation can be justified.
It's a valid point. I'm assuming the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave the award to Gore and the United Nations scientists because they wanted to raise awareness for Global Warming. How it could promote peace is all countries have to work together to combat GW.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting assumption. I had not thought about that angle.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input.
Tampafilmfan, there are people who do not agree with Gore or the science, but these people are not among the 2,000+ of the world's most renowned scientists who agree with the findings. Those who are trying to debunk and discredit Gore have a political and/or economic axe to grind. Simply put, they are members of the "Carbon Lobby."
ReplyDeleteAlso consider the "peace" implications of Global climate change. Perhaps 1/3 of the world's population in peril if/when ocean levels rise. Not to mention the economic dislocations and potential for violent conflict over scarce resources, and the ensuing struggle to survive.
Millions of species, i.e. our natural heritage, on the verge of extinction. Here in Florida, there is evidence GW: our marine turtles nest earlier each year, and loggerhead populations are on the decline.
Global climate change is by no means a trivial matter.