Al Gore's Purpose

This man is on a mission like no other. He fights passionately to save the climate of our planet, while many still laugh at the reality staring them in the face. Thankfully many more of us around the world know that we need to fight global warming, as did the Nobel Peace Prize committee recognize it, and the fight that is in Al Gore.

Reunited And It Feels So Good

For the first time, Al Gore was invited to the Bush White House as one of the winners of the Nobel Prize. As you can tell, Al looks comfortable and talkative while George is standing there with that fake smile of his, probably wishing this was all over soon.



Don't worry George, you only have 420 days left to go!

Standing Up For Al Gore

Sam Donaldson does a great job of it as well as speaking up for the reality of climate change against conservative George Will on ABC yesterday morning:

Vito Attacks Nobel Laureate Gore

It seems that Vito Fossella doesn't have much to do these days being part of the minority in Congress. Now he spends all of his time attacking needy children, the priorities of New Yorkers and now Al Gore. Like the good conservative lackey that he is, Vito followed in the steps of Hannity and Kristol to diminish the Nobel Peace Prize and the reason why Al Gore won it.

From Newshounds:

Republican Congressman Vito Fossella at least had the good manners to congratulate Gore. But in a more delicate way, he also criticized Gore and the prize. “What calls to me is this notion of, I think, diluting what the Nobel Peace Prize is.” Fossella reiterated Hannity’s complaint that Gorbachev and Arafat had won and then named what he thought were obviously better candidates. “I would think people like the United States Air Force or the Marine Corps that brings about peace in this world or Ronald Reagan who was denied it. I think it dilutes what it all means and it calls into question what it’s all about. Are there legitimate issues that the vice president has raised over time? Yes, but I do think the American people deserve more truth.

I agree with Vito on that last point, Americans do deserve more truth. That truth certainly won't come from Fossella or any of his cohorts. They consistently twist facts to fit their delusional take on the world, whether it is about the economy or climate change. Peace does not come from the weapons of war, to even explain the ridiculousness of that statement is pointless. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see through their hare-brained ideas.

There's Nothing To See Here But A Nobel Peace Prize

Now it is official, Mr. Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize along with the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their efforts to fight global warming. Congratulations to the man and the organization that have done the most to spread the message and take action for what is most definitely the problem in the world we must so urgently address. The prize is truly an honor to whomever wins it and Al Gore is no exception.

Now, everybody back to work.

What? You were expecting a declaration for him to run for President? When we have all these great candidates in the race already? Hillary, Obama, Edwards and Nobody all look goo..... Okay, I'm sorry. I really wanted him to run too, but with this last vestige of hope now officially over and the Nobel in the right hands, this is the end for a 2008 Gore Presidency. Face it, the guy is now on "International" status, why would he want to be kicked around again by a Republican nominee and the scores of pundits (even though they do it already anyway)?

The man that was born to run has found a higher calling and frankly, selfishly, that makes me sad. Sure, I want the Earth cleaned up, I really do not want to live in filth and my future generations screwed by our current state of affairs. But I want a leader in the White House damnit! Hillary, meh....Obama the outsider is full of insiders and my other hope for some semblance of leadership had to take a hit in the gut and accept federal matching dollars, a move that will severely impact the campaign even if he does fight back against the two frontrunners.

So basically, today was a great day for Al Gore and the environment, but the campaign drums keep playing the same incessant beat.

A "Nobel" Week For Al Gore

In the academia community this is a very big week. Nobel awards are handed out to the very best and brightest in a number of fields. The fields of literature, science, chemistry, physics and medicine are all honored, but the most prized award is the one for peace. When it comes to peace and Nobel, that always means politics is involved. So many prominent figures have won it before, Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, The Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King Jr. to name a few. And now the political figure of the year looking to become the newest Laureate is Al Gore.

From The Times UK:

Gore, a former American vice-president and failed presidential candidate, has reinvented himself as the “Goracle” with a rock star following after presenting last year’s Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, about the dangers of climate change.

He was nominated for the Nobel prize jointly with Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a Canadian Inuit activist who has campaigned about the effect of climate change on Arctic peoples.

“A prerequisite for winning the Nobel peace prize is making a difference and Al Gore has made a difference,” said Boerge Brende, a former Norwegian environment minister who nominated Gore and Watt-Cloutier.

“I think they are likely winners this year,” said Stein Toennesson, director of Oslo’s International Peace Research Institute. The winner will receive $1.5m (£750,000) in prize money.

The money aspect of it is irrelevant, it is a great chunk of change that can go for good works but the important part is that it highlights the importance of our environment and what it means for peace on this planet. Many military experts predict that a changing climate can lead to devastating destruction, whether that comes from the conditions themselves (rising sea levels, monstrous storms, etc) or actual war fought over the increasing scarcity of water.

Combating climate change now is essential for peace and Al Gore has made a tremendous difference by using political power to highlight the coming problems that we have brought on ourselves with the Industrial Age. Critics say that this a new thing for Gore after his "failed" Presidential attempt, but followers know that he has been a vocal advocate for the environment for decades.

Although I would love to congratulate him on his Nobel Prize, I think I can wait until they announce the winner on Friday.