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July 17, 2008
Posted: 04:28 PM ET

Shortly after the Gore speech today, we suffered some kind of computer crash, losing both the blog item and an indeterminate number of reader comments. Our apologies.

Feel free to re-post; sorry for the inconvenience. We’ve gotten a lot of comments from all directions, many with very strong feelings about Al Gore’s proposals, or about Al Gore personally. If you’d like to re-send, we’ll post. As always, keep it clean, smart, and (relatively) civil.

Thanks!
Peter Dykstra Executive Producer CNN Science, Tech, & Weather

Filed under: Uncategorized


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Larian LeQuella   July 17th, 2008 4:46 pm ET

Oh, so I wasn’t redacted for calling our sucking on the oil teat an “addiction” and comparing our economy to a Crack Ho and the Middle East was our pimp? Good to know. :)

Okay, so maybe I’m not nearly as clever or funny as I think I am, but I’m sitting here with a smile on my face, and that should at least count for something.

spifflove   July 17th, 2008 5:54 pm ET

Reading alot of previous posts its clear that it is cocktail hour on the TItanic. The Republican obsfucation machine is amazingly effective.
We must accept Gores challenge of face EXTINCTION preceded by massive influxes of global climate change refuges and $10 per gallon oil.

Tom from Vienna   July 17th, 2008 6:33 pm ET

Some people believe they deserve to use $2,400 per month of our nations electric resources just because they can afford it. And some others think the view from their beachfront property shouldn’t be spoiled by a wind farm.

Everyone else should DO SOMETHING about this problem.

Maybe we should all stop squandering electricity and gas to reduce our power requirements. And if some elitists would stop their squandering, they could save a lot more than any average American.

Mike   July 17th, 2008 6:37 pm ET

Gore is misleading and oversimplifies.

Electricity generation only accounts for about 10% of energy use and most of the fuel used does not come from other countries so switching to renewables for electricity would not reduce our dependence on foreign sources.

To totally switch to renewables, or more practically non-fossil fuels, we’re really talking about increasing electricity generation by 10 fold. To get through the permitting processes, public hearings, law suits, NIMBY attitudes, and just plain obstructionism, plus get the 100’s of billions of dollars worth of projects built in 10 years is impossible. Going to moon was trivial in comparison and the analogy insults our intelligence.

Al Gore needs to tell the whole truth, not just part of it.

Blake in VA   July 17th, 2008 9:08 pm ET

Gore is a delusional nutjob. He wants to flush the world economy down the toilet and build on pipe dream technologies and pie in the sky fantasies. Maybe we can run cars on pixie dust and power the electric plants with moonbeams? If these technologies existed in any form that were close to cost effective, every company in the world would be using them.

Jim Johnson   July 17th, 2008 9:18 pm ET

Too bad Al Gore didn’t challenge the Clinton administration during the eight years he was in office.

If he had that motivation then we would all be enjoying our web surfing from wind power generated electricity.

I guess, political expediancy won out over an impending national crisis that in the mind of Al Gore is going to destroy the country.

Too bad he doesn’t accept any responsibility for failing to take action on his watch, it might gain him some credibility with the public. Instead he sounds like a disgruntled former presidential contender bashing his nemesis.

Hypocrit.

Steve   July 18th, 2008 2:37 am ET

Too bad the usual global warming wack jobs missed out reading about big fat Al and his gloom and doom road show. I wonder if it occurs to any of these nut balls that big Al is making a fortune selling this nonsense.

Quentin Llop   July 18th, 2008 8:04 am ET

There comes a time when quick fixes don’t work anymore. People made fun of Carter when he tried to chart a long tern plan to get us off foreign oil. Gore’s proposal is win win for America. Plow our money back into domestic green infrastructure, rather than middle East high rises. Stop taxing work and employment, that America needs, instead tax the Carbon sources that are bankkrupting both our economy and the world’s ecology.

Patrick   July 18th, 2008 8:08 am ET

“If these technologies existed in any form that were close to cost effective, every company in the world would be using them.”

No they wouldn’t … they have little to no incentive to change from current practice to any alternative energy no matter how efficient. It will cost them money to change and that is why.

Sometimes a stronger push is necessary… and where have you been? There are all sorts of alternatives.

Patrick   July 18th, 2008 8:10 am ET

“Too bad he doesn’t accept any responsibility for failing to take action on his watch, ”

The same also holds true for this presidency… in case you didn’t notice. It always seems to be Clintons fault for everything…

Tom from Texas   July 18th, 2008 8:44 am ET

If the United States Government would get out of the way, private industry would be putting much of what Gore wants into place and making it permanent. However, since it has to fiddle with everything whenever some citizen has a complaint, it has tied industry up in knots and kept it from reacting to problems like the present one. And Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid want to continue this role on even a bigger stage if they are let loose to do so. I am not a Libertarian but I lean in that direction on a lot of issues and this is one of them.

Craig   July 18th, 2008 8:50 am ET

Al Gore is an idiot. There is no way we can do what he has proposed. I don’t know why they’re still giving him air time. He has nothing intelligent to say. All the money and jobs that he is proposing to do away with, where are these people going? Where do we have enough land to put that many wind mills? It is not even worth talking about.

Shelly   July 18th, 2008 9:06 am ET

Gore will go down as the biggest bamboozler of all time. I cannot believe this guy even gets a national audiance. Read Freiman’s blog to get to know the real Al Gore.
http://www.myspace.com/gafreiman

Wick   July 18th, 2008 9:22 am ET

Ok, why don’t all you folks at CNN who love Algore and his ideas conserve energy by only broadcasting hours a day? No, we the proletariate must sacrifice and conserve while the elites continue to lead us and help us understand what is “best” for us. Thank you fascist overlords!

Jason   July 18th, 2008 9:37 am ET

Notice how we never get the other side from the thousands of scientists that disagree with Al? More and more every day are speaking out but we still only hear one side…

http://www.dailytech.com/Myth+of+Consensus+Explodes+APS+Opens+Global+Warming+Debate/article12403.htm

pete   July 18th, 2008 9:49 am ET

Good for Al, we should listen to the man that created the internet !

Brian   July 18th, 2008 10:05 am ET

Al Gore is a moron in search of a cause. You mucked up the the climate discussion with your global warming-Nobel-Oscar-Hoax. Now you’re trying to muck up energy. You’ve had your 2 1/2 minutes of fame, crawl back under your rock!

Kevin K   July 18th, 2008 4:42 pm ET

Al Gore is stuck on stupid.

Franko   July 19th, 2008 1:59 am ET

Every circus and rodeo needs clowns.
Those who appear genuine, make the best laughs

Good talking head, needs to do post doctorate in sex education,
to catch up with Kennedy, in the numbers of women seduced

Lance   July 19th, 2008 2:56 pm ET

This one is for all the marbles kiddies. Our environment is collapsing and even if we start acting today we have no idea how far we have to go before we reach the point of no return. Mark my words, the biggest failure of this Republican political machine in charge of the White House will not go down in history as Iraq. It will be its failure to deal with global warming. Bush has been president in that magical golden period when something could still be done to save the environment and thus prevent the eventual extinction of humanity.

Instead of bravely leading the way, he’s chosen to stick his head in the sand along with his cronies making billions off polluting our earth.

This coming election cycle is the most important not only of our lives, but in human history. If the next president fails to act decisively and completely to combat global warming, we will see our grandchildren starve to death and go off to fight wars over water instead of oil. We will never see our great grandchildren at all, because they simply won’t exist.

All that will remain of us is ruins for some other civilization to happen upon and hopefully learn from.

Unless we act. If we act now, then at least we can look oblivion in the face and say that we did all we could do and more. We can say that the mistakes made were not ours, and we may actually be able to look our great grandchildren in the eyes and do so honestly.

We’re threatened with extinction here. Realize it. Don’t buy the republican propaganda. Ten years ago I was in death valley, where the temp. got up to 119 degrees in June. This was considered the hottest place in America.

Last year, for two weeks straight, tempuratures in Bakersfield where I grew up reached 115 degrees or more for TWO WEEKS straight. That has never happened.

The temp. oscillates from very cold to very hot, like high desert weather, even in normally stable southern california. Its getting worse every year. One day feels like early spring, the next like death valley.

We need to act. The evidence is all around us. We must pull our heads out of the sand and vote, vote for Obama because he’s the only one that will actually take the painful measures needed because he’s not controlled by corporate lobby money the way McCain is.

Franko   July 20th, 2008 2:10 am ET

The politicians need to be asked about the Panatomic Canal
Improved ocean circulation, to even out temperatures.
Cooler trophics, warmer North.

Steve   July 21st, 2008 3:10 pm ET

Gore refuses to embrace the only renewable green technology that has ever been proven: nuclear fission. Fifty years of impeccable safety, far safer than every other energy production and generation means, is not enough for Gore’s transparent political agenda.

Sure, Gore allows current nuclear facilities to continue to operate in his manifesto. He knows that as America’s energy needs increase, and the nuclear facilities age without allowing replacement, green renewable nuclear energy will fade from existence.

America generates just 21% of its total electrical output by nuclear fission. In lowly France, it is a progressive 78%. And France reprocesses and recycles its nuclear “waste”, so there is virtually no need for any long-term storage. Outrageously, the Carter administration outlawed nuclear reprocessing/recycling in 1979. It is still illegal today.

Don’t be fooled by Gore’s politics. Call your congressman. Demand off-shore drilling now. Demand nuclear power now. Demand nuclear fuel reprocessing and recycling now. Demand energy independence. Now!

Nabin   July 22nd, 2008 12:42 am ET

Yes its time to go green, i fully support him… and his saying…. its time to think about our future and act it from now.

Franko   July 22nd, 2008 6:10 am ET

Coal is cheapest. You got it, use it. Meke plant food, liquify, electrify !

Nuclear is needed for future space travel in the Solar System. Don’t waste it.

Wind and Solar Panels, attractive in special places.

Al Gore can build the biggest Wind Propeller, highest world structure
Scare Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

dbData   July 23rd, 2008 3:51 pm ET

Reading through these entries, it’s obvious why the U.S. is in the condition it is. So far, readers here have debated political parties, the intelligence level of individuals and have reiteratted the problem.

I see no constructive comments and no suggestions to resolve the actual problem. Humans, you, me us, are killing the planet. Without the planet we’re gone too.

Al Gore may not be liked by some. Perhaps he’s looking out for his own best interest. Keeping the planet healthy seems to be my best interest too. At least he’s put forth some ideas. The words have been uttered.

In the bitter end, most of these posters will be pointing fingers and assigning blame.

Gore has more of a plan than anyone else I’ve heard. At least he’s trying to do something. If you have some suggestions on how to improve the situation, put ‘em up. Otherwise, shut up and support some sort of action rather than playing arm-chair-know-it-all!

Franko   July 23rd, 2008 8:38 pm ET

“Humans, you, me us, are killing the planet. Without the planet we’re gone too.”
Planet greatly improved, more people now, and to come, is the proof !

US has a constitution, protections, the right to be stupid.
ManBearPig and his Greenie Zombies, also included, to buid their Paradise.

Rest of US have the right to think, be smart, efficient, and do it our way.
Not to be sacrificed for the Greenie Dogma of Death.

William Mattson   July 24th, 2008 4:10 pm ET

The search for alternate fuels and renewable energy will most likely dominate the next decade. The truth in the matter is that the United States among a few developed nations are energy consuming behemoths. It may not be economically feasable to scale large windfarms and produce enough alternative fuels to meet our energy needs. The priority for research and devolpement should be finding ways to make our daily lives alot more efficent, only then will renewable energies and alternative fuels will succeed. To put it in more simpler terms, scale down consumption first then develope a more reasable source of renewable energy. Not sure if I would like the scenic drive west obscured by endless windmill farms and higher food prices due to competition with bio-fuels…Whers the savings?

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As we reach out to learn more about the universe, we're all coming to terms with our relationship to our home planet: Pollution, solutions, and challenges in the way we live - and what we may leave behind. New Gadgets, and new discoveries, from the lab to the edges of the Galaxy; and the crossroad where science, religion, money and politics collide.

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