A week inside Al Gore's climate reality

GreenBiz ^ | March 21, 2017 | by Kathrin Wankler

[Oldeconomybuyer]

It could have been angry and defiant. It could have been despondent and fatalistic. Or worse, it could have been rosy and effervescent.

"It" was the 34th training session of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps, and the first since the November election. And it managed to thread the needle — not sugar-coating the scale of the climate challenge, or denying the onslaught of setbacks, yet still inspiring appreciation for the many gains being made, belief in our power to do more and hope that we will do it fast enough.

That hope is surely needed now more than ever. Many of the 972 participants shared with one another our motivation for attending. I heard repeatedly, "I woke up on Nov. 9 and knew I had to do something," as well as "I’m sunk in despair and want to rekindle my sense of hope."

The event itself is a bit of a cross between a conference and training. The centerpiece was Gore’s delivery of the full two-hour presentation, followed on Day 2 by a one-hour version.

The slides, available for use by trained Climate Reality Leaders, come with annotations and source references.

But Gore doesn’t need them. He is a fount of information, rattling off pithy right-brained anecdotes and wonky left-brained facts and figures.

I learned that Al Gore is a really smart person. I was reminded that I am, too, and that I can stand up to help do something about this.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Al $ore.

[Red Badger]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$..........................

[beethovenfan]

Al Goebbels.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

I wonder how much Gore got paid for droning on for three hours at this lunatic asylum.

[equaviator]

Poem for Al Gore

Global warming is red
Planet earth is blue
Please pardon the carbon footprint
Of my New Michigan igloo

[blueunicorn6]

That poem is so beautiful that it made me cry a little bit.

[equaviator]

Thank you too much! Didya get any onya?

[blueunicorn6]

I don’t think I got any poem on me.

Oh.....you meant tears.

No.

They watered the ground and a rutabaga grew there.

[ken in texas]

He might have done it for free if someone offered to play with his 2nd chakra. /s

[Freee-dame]

How much extra does it cost to use "green" construction for a government building? I recently learned of a proposed building that got zero bids at or.below the appropriated amount. New bids are being requested. If none come in, some specs will have to change. Apparently the construction cost can be lowered quite a bit by no longer requiring that it be built green.

I also wonder how much of the money to build green is really crony boondoggle payoffs. I am not tired of winning yet!!

[equaviator]

Awww, how nice!
Does it have a name?

[rktman]

🐂💩. 🤑🦄🌈⛈🌨🌬🌊⚡️☀️

[peeps36]

It sounds like it was a meeting for losers who want to think they can do something bigger then themselves. It doesn't matter to them if it's a lie. They don't care about anything but their cause. Charles Manson would have loved this group.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Well played sir!

[rktman]

Obviously too much free time. 👹

[The Great RJ]

30,000 slides...isn’t that a violation of the Geneva Conventional prohibition on torture?

[Red Badger]

I don’t think even LOU BROCK HAD THAT MANY SLIDES..........................