Posted on 10/05/2007 7:00:19 AM PDT by Roberts
Seven hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money to spend to try to get someone to talk to you and not get an answer.
That's how much the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based libertarian think tank, has forked over in six months for advertisements in national newspapers trying to persuade Al Gore to debate one of its experts on global warming issues. "We have tried, repeatedly, to contact Gore directly, with registered letters and calls to his office, and have never received a reply," says Joseph Bast, Heartland president.
A spokeswoman for Gore told me by e-mail that Heartland is an oil-company-funded group that denies that global warming is real and caused by human activities.
"The debate has shifted to how to solve the climate crisis, not if there is one," said Kalee Kreider. "It does not make sense for him to engage in a dialogue with them at this time."
The issue is a bit more complicated than that. What Bast wants is for Gore to debate one of three authorities who dispute the former vice president's assertion that global warming is a crisis that requires an immediate, hugely expensive response potentially damaging to the U.S. and world economies.
One of the Heartland experts is Dennis Avery, an economist, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and co-author, with Fred Singer, professor emeritus of environmental science at the University of Virginia, of the book Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years. As you might guess from that title, Avery sees global warming as a natural phenomenon in which "there may be a human factor but if so it's small." He describes the warming as "moderate" and says there's been no warming since 1998. "Where's the crisis?"
When you talk with Avery, he cites numbers on carbon dioxide and temperature change and dates of previous warming periods, such as during Roman and medieval times. A layman like me soon finds himself in deep water, and you know someone on the other side of the issue will cite other sources, such as a U.N. panel on climate change that says most of the warming since the mid-20th century is likely due to greenhouse gases.
But the point is that Gore and his movie "An Inconvenient Truth" aren't the last word. In March, the New York Times reported that while they praise Gore for raising awareness about warming, a number of scientists see exaggerations and errors in some of his assertions. "They are alarmed, some say, at what they call his alarmism," the Times wrote. For example, Gore forecasts sea levels rising up to 20 feet, flooding parts of New York and Florida. But the U.N. panel's actual estimate is that seas will rise 7 to 23 inches in this century.
As for the Gore camp's statement about Exxon funding, Bast says those contributions are too little to control Heartland policy and amount to "far less than what Heartland spends speaking out on climate change."
The Heartland case is not the first time Gore has ducked a forum. Earlier this year he canceled an interview with Denmark's largest newspaper when he learned it would include questions from Bjorn Lomborg, respected author of The Skeptical Environmentalist. "Gore's sermon is not one that will stand scrutiny," says Christopher C. Horner, another one of Heartland's debate candidates, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism.
Bast says the ad campaign will continue until March, costing a total of $1.2 million. But he won't get a debate from Gore. Still, Heartland's effort serves the worthy purpose to spotlighting the need for an informed discussion on the severity of global warming and how best to deal with it, by trying to halt it or adapt to it. Gore offers a worst-case scenario of unmitigated disaster. If he's wrong about rising sea levels, what else is he wrong about?
Shocking... Al Gore is an intellectual coward. That’s their standard answer...if the oil industry funds it, then the scientists (you know, the brilliant guys who went to school for 20 years) must be wrong.
He does have time...flying over in his private jet to get his Nobel Peace Prize and all.
By the way, have you noticed that liberals will flock around and promote the “truths” put forth in NON-SCIENTIFIC media like Hollywood? Then they spurn debates with actual scientists. And the idiotic masses gobble it up. Farenheit 911 was the same thing...oooo it’s on the big screen so it must be true.
Using that logic, I guess dinosaurs will escape from an island off the coast of Costa Rica and attack everyone.
Facts to liberals is like sunshine to a vampire. Mark my words, by November of 2008 the issue of global warming will fade into oblivion just like the ozone hole did.
Yes, Gore is at his best in front of college students who are used to taking in information uncritically and without reservation, and in front of actors who are best at having their thoughts and words written for them by others.
Says who? A leftist whose agenda obviously includes attempted destruction our economy to bring it down on a par with the third world?
I don't think anyone debates that the climate is warming. The debate is human vs natural causes. Gore and Co. have a vested interest in having it be human caused. That is why they twist the words.
This from a man who still claims to have WON the 2000 election.
Algore is Algore has always been - a blowhard coward!
Hopefully, California first.
Mark my words, by November of 2008 the issue of global warming will fade into oblivion just like the ozone hole did.
Man, I wish that were true, but I worry about that, because the environmental movement has been totally hijacked by socialists. The demonization of carbon-dioxide has occurred, is near complete, and capitalism CAN BE DEFEATED if this condition isn't somehow reversed. We know the socialists will never give up, the question is, will they give up on the attempt to halt capitalism through the banning of fossil fuels. I don't think so, too many have bought into the CO2 hoax. Heck, Fox News has just crossed over to the darkside on global warming.
I'll tackle this one, play devil's advocate.
The poles break up due to GW'g resulting in pack ice floating south cooling off the oceans. In-turn the cooled oceans bring below average temps. Kinda like tossing a few more ice cubes into a TNT.
I win, you lose, and that's that.
Subject closed.
Very scientific stuff, here.
...See? :o)
You cannot debate Pope Al Gore. This town’s only big enough for one Wizard of Oz. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...”
I didn't know Hillary spend 25 straight days in Seattle...
Al Gore will not debate because he is just barely smart enough to know that he is stupid.
Look at his poor performance in the presidential “debates”. In a real debate forum he would fail so miserably that even the farthest left moon bats would see it too.
So my attempt at explaining this BS didn't fool you, huh weeg.
Darnnit. :o)
Truth told Mr. Wizard of Oz had 100 x 106 more credibility compared to the Gore idiot.
...curtain or no curtain. ;^)
Lets face this fact...if Al wins the Nobel Peace Prize...he gains a huge push to run for president (as an independent). He can take at least several states where the environmental surge is currently going on. I have doubts that he could win the race....but a three-way race....makes the electoral college very interesting. Take a review of the 1860 election, and how the Democratic candidate (who should have won)....ended up in third place behind the Southern Democratic candidate tossed at the last minute into the race. He could seriously take advantage of Hillary’s weaknesses in public forums, and knock her down several points in less than a month on the campaign.
Shine the light of truth on cockroach Albert Arnold algore, Jr. and watch him run (or not show up at all).
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