Al Gore Warns of Crises Facing World's Oceans
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 10. 9.07
Image courtesy of Melissa Rosenberg
Speaking at Oceana's 2007 Partners Award gala in Los Angeles last Friday, former Vice President Al Gore warned of the global implications of increased ocean acidification and of the impending melting of the Arctic ice caps. Gore - citing the study recently released by the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado (NSDIC) - said that if the scientists' worst-case projections hold, we could be looking at a complete melting of the Arctic's sea ice within the next decade. Drawing a parallel between revelations several decades ago about the ozone layer's depletion that initially went unheeded and the current situation, Gore lamented the general lack of attention this study had received among mainstream news outlets - jokingly laying the blame on the media's fixation with fluff stories like Britney and Paris' latest travails - since its release in September.
Citing the success of the Montreal Protocol, a bipartisan, international effort brokered by former President Reagan and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Gore made the case for another international collaboration to tackle this pressing issue. He warned that inaction on this and carbon dioxide-induced acidification would lead to drastic changes in the oceans' biogeochemistry and food webs, including the global collapse of most large fish stocks. Though he displayed his characteristic vigor and passion for the subject, Gore at times sounded very downbeat about the planet's future - explaining how worried he was by some of the NSIDC senior scientists' gloomy projections - and concluded his speech with an emotional appeal for new ideas and solutions.
Along with Al Gore, who was recognized for his work on raising awareness about global warming with a Partners Award, Daniel Pauly, the Director of the University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre and a world renowned fisheries expert, was honored at the event - receiving the organization's Ted Danson Ocean Hero Award. One of the creators of FishBase, a database with information on over 26,000 species of fish, and the author of several highly regarded scientific papers, Pauly kept his acceptance speech to a curt few sentences - simply emphasizing the need for small, instrumental steps to achieve larger results.
See also: ::More Animal Databases than You Can Shake a Stick at, ::Al Gore Tells Australians To Stand Against Outlaw Politics
Does it bother no one that Al Gore is NOT a scientist? That he probably has someone balance his checkbook (because he can't)? That he is getting rich off of "global warming?" That he is a career politician? This guy is as qualified to comment on climatology as the pompous know-nothing actors from Hollywood.
no. under your logic only scientists can understand the impacts of global warming, getting rich off of something implies that in all cases there is some deceit.
so long as he or anybody sticks to peer-reviewed science, and consensus in the scientific community, i'm good with it.
your argument is reductionist to the absurd. its logical conclusion is that only scientists not making any money related to their work could discuss and solve any ecological issue.
Does it bother no one that Bob is reciting the same talking points that his brother and sister trolls have been reciting throughout the cybersphere? That is: Al Gore is greedy, Al Gore doesn't know anything, Al Gore is fat, Al Gore flies in jet planes and has a big house, blah blah. If you can't refute the ideas with data of your own, the red herring and the ad hominem attack are always handy. Does it bother no one that the hard right is reduced to such grade school tactics?
why does it take americans so long to wake up to environmental matters.In relation to energy 300 million account for 25 %of co2 emissions;if we in uk are responsible for only 2 per cent- then america should only produce 10-12 % but in fact they are double that amount.
Moreover, they are still destroying many states by their open cast mining of coal. The last asteroid to hit america was 12900 years ago- maybe they need another to wake up.
"Does it bother no one that Al Gore is NOT a scientist? That he probably has someone balance his checkbook (because he can't)? That he is getting rich off of "global warming?" That he is a career politician? This guy is as qualified to comment on climatology as the pompous know-nothing actors from Hollywood."
What bothers me the most is your hypocrisy. With the same force of arrogance that you claim Gore persists you apply no citation of evidence, no claims other than personal judgment. Fox news is that you? I knew it! Welcome to treehugger!
adrian said:
why does it take americans so long to wake up to environmental matters...
This bothers me and I don't understand it. We can all give an opinion but does anyone know of any thing scientific, scholarly, or at least thoughtful on the subject of why we in US are so slow on this?
One thing is for sure: that most people are more interested in looking TV (every sort of trash), driving their big cars et.al. Consequences of the human made climate change - which happens and please let the details aside - is a threat for normal life. This is hard to accept. Thats why there is so much anger in the air. This general issue apllies to my country as well (Germany). Though I would vote for Al if I could. At least, I signed a petition in favour of his candidacy. Its available on the German website www.algore2008.de/petition_en.php
Beacuse you have the most to lose?