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October 12, 2007
The Nobel Peace Prize To Gore
Oh Jimminny H Christmas on a pogo stick, what has he actually done to deserve this?
(CNN) -- Former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their work to raise awareness about global warming."An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary featuring Al Gore, won two Academy Awards this year.
Gore said he was "deeply honored," adding that "the climate crisis is not a political issue it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity," according to a written statement.
The former vice president said he would donate his half of the $1.5 million prize to The Alliance for Climate Protection, a U.S. organization founded by Gore that aims to persuade people to cut emissions and reduce global warming.
During its announcement, the Nobel committee cited the winners "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."
As my Bride and I were discussing last night, the US Military and specifically the task force headed by the USS Abraham Lincoln have done a hell of a lot more to provide peace and humanitarian assistance in a real way to impoverished people than Globe-Tromping Gorezilla and his "Cannes-Do" lifestyle ever has.
This award has completed its slide into total irrelevance and political feel-goodery. It is a blatant attempt to influence the next US election cycle. Luckily, the good people of the United States are far more interested in the Britney Spears than they are Nobel laureates.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at October 12, 2007 06:50 AM
Comments
You beat me to it. Damn time zones.
Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at October 12, 2007 08:42 AM
Woohoo!
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at October 12, 2007 08:52 AM
Luckily, the good people of the United States are far more interested in the Britney Spears than they are Nobel laureates.
Talk about a mixed blessing.
Do you think she'll off herself if she doesn't get the kids back?
Posted by: Tainted Bill at October 12, 2007 09:10 AM
Probably as some MTV special, Bill.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at October 12, 2007 09:13 AM
Maybe The Goreacle™ will be called in to negotiate with Britney on her MTV special.
Of course, He might encourage her to off herself, as the start of His real carbon footprint reduction program.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at October 12, 2007 09:27 AM
Moral and spiritual challenge? Barf. Only if you don't want to deal with poor and sick people, I guess.
Posted by: Kate P at October 12, 2007 09:37 AM
Hey, look on the bright side. It's probably driving Bill Clinton insane with envy. Plus, we're witnessing history by seeing the first robot win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Say, you aren't some anti-robotite bastard, are you?
Posted by: Dave E. at October 12, 2007 11:01 AM
"The relationship between his activities and world peace is unclear and indistinct," the statement said. "It rather seems that Gore's doubting of basic cornerstones of the current civilization does not contribute to peace."No Christmas card for old Vaclav!
Posted by: tree hugging sister at October 12, 2007 11:26 AM
One of my co-workers was putting forth the argument that we have a better chance for peace with a better climate. I told him that would be a possible argument, except for Gore's lifestyle. And then I brought forth your nomination for the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln as a more worthy example of giving peace a chance through better conditions. The pro-Gore schtick ceased.
To be fair, he's a smart and hard working guy. But it's clear that the "feel good" approach to the Nobel "Peace" Prize is very seductive.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at October 12, 2007 11:46 AM
THS, I also enjoyed the other gem from that article: "In a newspaper interview earlier this year, Klaus said that only Al Gore, and not a sane person, would say that mankind is ruining the planet." I can feel the love!
Posted by: Kate P at October 12, 2007 12:10 PM
Hmmmmm.
"One of my co-workers was putting forth the argument that we have a better chance for peace with a better climate."
Precisely how is that to work?
If the globe gets warmer then ever increasing areas that are otherwise too cold to support agriculture will come into use. If the globe gets colder then many areas currently cultivated will no longer be viable.
Same for rainfall patterns. If the rainfall patterns change due to climate, then it also follows that rain will fall in once place when warmer, and another when colder. If you own the right piece of property so it rains when it gets warmer, then you're golden. However if efforts are successful in "combating" "global warming" then you're screwed.
*shrug* all weather is local and so are the political effects thereof.
Posted by: memomachine at October 12, 2007 12:49 PM
'Gem' indeed, Kate!
Posted by: tree hugging sister at October 12, 2007 12:54 PM
Precisely how is that to work?
An excellent question, memo. Basically, if we aren't worried about environmental threats, we can concentrate on human threats.
Logical, except that they ignore the teensy tiny fact that we've always had environmental "threats" (aka "business as usual").....and addressed them without hysterical screeching. Which, now that I think upon it, was another aspect of Gorezilla that I pointed out to my co-worker that detracts from his lofty place as The Savior Of Gaia™. Oh, and Gore's inability to speak to audiences without a wheel barrow full of cash being forked over.
Like I implied, his thinking on this was pretty shallow, on the "OOOOOO!! That feels so good!!" level.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at October 12, 2007 03:29 PM
The Nobel Peace Prize has been worthless for quite some time, especially when it was given to Yassir Arafat.
Just a lousy joke without a punchline.
Posted by: Gunslinger at October 12, 2007 06:02 PM
Gonslinger, you spelled his name wrong!
It's Yessir Iarearat!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: blackdog at October 12, 2007 08:19 PM
"Gonslinger, you spelled his name wrong!
:D Then I'm in good company.:D
Posted by: Gunslinger at October 12, 2007 09:50 PM