This must be the sweetest moment for former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore, winning the world’s most sought after award with the Nobel Peace Prize that was just handed to him hours ago on TV, sharing it with the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It feels so much like the accumulation of all his efforts to bring towards general awareness the climate crisis that once everybody thought to be just mindless rhetoric and nothing more. Thanks to Al Gore, every thinking individual is more aware now of global warming than ever before, and every aggregation---from APEC to ASEAN to EU---sees this issue as very urgent and ultimately significant.
Right about the time he had made and released the highly-acclaimed documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”, he was just then merely seen as one among many who has something to rant about, a voice in the wilderness, and were it not for his stature as a man formerly holding a very high position in the most powerful country in the world, he would have not had a reasonable audience, for by the way, what’s global warming? What’s the meaning of greenhouse gasses? What’s the fuzz about carbon emissions? It was such a boring and tedious topic to discuss and be interested in at that time.
But now, things have changed. Everyone’s talking about climate change and in fact it’s one of the most talked about issue in the international socio-political scene nowadays. And Mr. Gore had been the one single force that drives this great progress in environmental awareness.
Once, he was like Noah hearing God’s voice to hurry up and build a very huge boat. Now everyone listens to him. And perhaps, if every soul takes the warnings with enough seriousness, then we may not need another Noah boat.
Rob says; October 13, 2007 @ 8:29 am
Well - I hate to piss on your parade, but here goes. Al Gore is nothing but a self-promotion artist. "An Inconvenient Truth" as been largely proven as false, he is no more responsible for the enlightenment of everybody's interest in Global Warming than the man on the moon - reference this book of FACT - and if the burning of fossil fuels was really that bad, why is he still running around in a jet - private or public?
Major Tom says; October 13, 2007 @ 9:02 am
To: No one could really pinpoint on what's the truth about global warming; it's basically a new phenomena and knowledge on it are generally nascent and if Al Gore is mostly false, then you could say I would be glad by that because that means the Earth is not really theatened or in peril. I'd like that to happen in fact. And he is just lying.
But as of now, I believe him just like those guys n Norway, giving this annual award---because there's just so many signs that our world is in slow peril--as CNN says.
Thanks for coming by the way.
Ferdz says; October 13, 2007 @ 9:34 am
Whether he's flase of not, the important thing is he sparked awareness on Global Warming. I see you can't please everybody but the Nobel Peace prize is a respectable entity.
Major Tom says; October 13, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
To Ferdz: That's what I'm thinking actually, what he had achieved is beyond what anyone could imagine and he deserves all the intention he is getting.
Richmond says; October 13, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
I think he's not faking it.
Major Tom says; October 13, 2007 @ 6:02 pm
To Richmond: I hope not. In either case, he does have this achievement, and of course this distinction.
snglguy says; October 13, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
I bet the one who wrote that book is a Republican, and is commissioned by the oil companies not just to discredit Al Gore, but to tell everyone that Global Warming is pure nonsense. And that we should keep using fossil fuel till we all choke to death...
annamanila says; October 13, 2007 @ 11:30 pm
I agree. We cannot say for certain what is in the hearts of men. We can only judge them by their actions and the consequences of their action. An Inconvenient Truth sparked awareness about the threatened planet in a universal way. And that's good enough. If the Nobel judges say so, then AMEN and AMEN. Now, here comes Leo de Caprio with and expanded version of Gore's warning.
Schumey says; October 14, 2007 @ 6:59 am
Al Gore or no Al Gore, the truth is that we should start thinking of how we treat the earth. Whether global warming is true or not, pray that there would be enough room in the Noah's ark for all of us.
Major Tom says; October 14, 2007 @ 9:19 am
To sngle: And most probably a turgid lobbyist for the oil-cartel. It's true that we can't really judge a book by t's cover, or title, and we havent read that book, as it is largely unheard of, but geez, why would you put down a guy like Al Gore, who's been receiving attention left and right, from Oscars to Grammies and now from the very credible Nobel foundation. It just son't make sense unless one is a political rival (as you said) or a lobbyist for money-hungry oil middlemen.
Major Tom says; October 14, 2007 @ 9:31 am
To annamanila: Now that's good news. I have grown to love Leonardo de Caprio's movies in recent times, and he had surely grown as an actor. With this new outting, he would help tackle once more a very current and significant issue. Just like in "Blood And Diamnd".
Major Tom says; October 14, 2007 @ 9:38 am
To schumey: To be honest with you, I had initial disinterest on what's Al Gore is pointing at like Global Warming is but a blown-out issue ranted about by fanatics within orgs like Greenpeace (with their rubber boats chasing oil tankers---a seemingly insane and inane idea). But over the years, I have observed that frequent deadly heatwaves, meltice ice in the polar regions, rising sea levels, increased air pollution, are signs of degradation of the environement and would surely have negative effects on the livability of Earth in the future. There's just no escaping the truth right now.
Sidney says; October 14, 2007 @ 9:51 am
Well deserved !!!!
Al Gore did one bad thing in his life.... loose against George Bush.
The world would have been a better place with him as the President of the US. Imagine how many lives could have been saved .
barrycade says; October 14, 2007 @ 11:40 am
if only for sparking interest of and initiating global public discourse on global warming, Al Gore deserves his Nobel Peace Prize. the sad thing is that, like what Schumey implied, we have to wait for an Al Gore to rouse us up on this bitter truth.
ipanema says; October 14, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Oh, I have another version major tom. it's for monday post, ready in my draft. saturday and sunday are personal rant and photo hunt.
anyway, there is always 2 sides to everything. perhaps more.
i just can't accept that he got it. the UN part is alright. but him? I don't think so. there is no PEACE in his campaign. he has a political agenda. there are 9 inaccuracies as allege. and he hasn't proven anything from his campaign yet. what's the outcome? and why the Nobel Peace Prize Committee are so in a rush to grant him that? by installing the foundation? it's just a foundation. all the rest of Nobel Prize winners haven years of studies and proven fact about their work. What's Al Gore's? His controversial film? I just don't buy it.
Anyway, Happy Sunday!
Major Tom says; October 14, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
To Sidney: I think now that losing that bitter election (at least for him and his supporters) was meant for a good thing. Now he becomes a historical with this very prestigious award.
Major Tom says; October 14, 2007 @ 5:45 pm
To barrycade: It was always like that I believe, some even have to sacrifice their lives just to enlighten us or the powers that be.
Major Tom says; October 14, 2007 @ 5:50 pm
To ipanema: That's was in my thought, the lack of "peace" element. But maybe, the peace award had evolved from just referring to the usual war/conflict situation; maybe it had become generally humanitarian, recognizing those who impacts positively on humanity and the whole world.
About the nine errors---never heard of them before. I've got to research this soonest time possible.
Abaniko says; October 14, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
Al Gore is indeed a controversial political figure but whether what he does is some sort of marketing for himself or not, so what? At least he sparks the world's awareness and interest in environmental issues. Congrats to him!
eric says; October 15, 2007 @ 12:43 pm
I'm glad that someone spreading awareness on the perils of climate warming received such a prestigious award.
To Sidney: I think it was his distancing from President Clinton during the election that did him in; otherwise, he'd be the one in the White House right now; expending the necessary power and influence of the office in addressing the climate change issue.
Nonetheless, whether his efforts were motivated by ulterior motives or not, Al Gore had at least made more people aware of this major dilemma.
momoftwo says; October 15, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
Good for him. Only thing I can think of is the awareness he brought in about global warming. He's all over town talking about it and you're right. A lot of people are talking about it now. Sayang, he did not win that controversial elections.
Major Tom says; October 15, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
To Abaniko: It's the bottomline that counts with him. I believe that motives for self-aggrandizement would always be present, even in the most selfless matyr and it would not be so surprising if Mr. Al Gore has some form of it in him.
Major Tom says; October 15, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
To eric: As in my view, losing that election would have led him to reach career heights that he would not have achieved if he was in White House. Lobbyists and party pressure would have had him similarly going aganst th Kyoto Protocol, as President Bush did, having n choice but to protect the American economy, so indstrialized and highly dependent on burning fossil fuel to make it go and run as it is.
Major Tom says; October 15, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
To momoftwo: It's a credit to him that he exerts so much effort in this climate crisis undertaking and we don't exactly know if he is being financially rewarded doing such. Maybe now he would have proceeds from the popular viewership of "An Inconvenient Truth", which is actually a surprise hit at the movie tills, and would not have been expected to rake in profits.
It's a labor of love he got there.
pining says; October 15, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
thanks to him for raising the profile of global warming; self-promoting maybe but still effective...I'm just glad it's not BONO
ipanema says; October 15, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
I was thinking about that. Perhaps in another category if there is, like environment or science.
Many people have been raising awareness about global warming. The thing is if they're not as high profile as a former VP, nobody will make it a big deal.
Now if Al Gore can convince the U.S. and other wealthy countries to sign the Kyoto Protocol, I'll salute him. If the U.S. and China can reduce greenhouse emission and say proudly BECAUSE OF AL GORE, then that is something to be proud of. For now, all he's got is that "Inconvinient Truth" film.
Al Gore's 9 errors on Global Warming
**Major Tom, I am not interested in blogging about it anymore. But my draft is still intact, I can take a screen shot of my dashboard. I am excited in the Nobel Prize on Economic Sciences.
Major Tom says; October 16, 2007 @ 8:19 am
To pining: Oh, Bono could have been qualified despite that he is at times overly outspoken. He is a pop idol of mine though.
Major Tom says; October 16, 2007 @ 8:28 am
To ipanema: Oh what a shame; I would have love to read that and see exactly your views on this.
Anyway, thanks for the link; I really must read this.