Posted on 05/12/2008 9:18:13 AM PDT by cogitator
Excerpted below:
... On May 6, Jeff Poor wrote for the Business & Media Institute (BMI) a story entitled, "Al Gore Calls Myanmar Cyclone a 'Consequence' of Global Warming," which was subsequently linked on the Drudge Report. Poor claims:
"Using tragedy to advance an agenda has been a strategy for many global warming activists, and it was just a matter of time before someone found a way to tie the recent Myanmar cyclone to global warming."
Poor wrote that Gore said in an interview on National Public Radio, "The year before, the strongest cyclone in more than 50 years hit China -- and we're seeing consequences that scientists have long predicted might be associated with continued global warming."
In fact, the audio clip has been doctored and the conclusion that "Al Gore Calls Myanmar Cyclone a 'Consequence' of Global Warming" is false. Here are the facts:
# Gore Said Myanmar Cyclone Is Not A Consequence Of Global Warming. The BMI headline ignores that Gore says in the interview that "any individual storm can't be linked singularly to global warming -- we've always had hurricanes."
# Gore Properly Described Relationship Between Storms And Global Warming. In the interview, Gore discussed Nargis and the devastating storms that struck China in 2006 (Typhoon Saomai) and Bangladesh in 2007 (Cyclone Sidr). He goes on to say that "the emerging consensus" among climate scientists is that the "the trend toward stronger and more destructive storms appears to be linked to global warming, and specifically to the impact of global warming on higher ocean temperatures in the top couple of hundred feet of the ocean, which drives convection energy and moisture into these storms and makes them more powerful."
* Story Presents False Clip Of Interview. The audio clip included with the online story includes two segments that have been spliced together, out of order, to mislead the listener as to Gore's actual meaning. The actual transcript (see below) makes it clear Gore was saying that the "consequences" of global warming we're seeing was the melting of the polar ice cap, which is unequivocally due to anthropogenic climate change.
* Business & Media Institute Is Part Of Right-Wing Message Machine. BMI is a right-wing "free-enterprise" front group that is part of Brent Bozell's conservative media machine, the Media Research Center.
The actual transcript reveals that Gore was speaking in response to a question about conservative pastor John Hagee's claim in a 2006 interview with Terry Gross that "Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans."
I'll probably be attacked for posting this. But integrity and accuracy SHOULD be important in trying to address this complex issue. It's stunning how much this doctored interview got circulated in the right-wing blogosphere (as indicated by Google searching).
And yes, the melting of the polar ice cap is not unequivocally due to anthropogenic climate change. Gore didn't say that either, but the writer of this piece mistakenly did.
And yes, I'm also aware that currently much of the global ocean surface temperature is a bit cooler than than normal. If anyone wants to post something about that to enlighten other readers of the thread, go right ahead. But don't feel the need to enlighten me about that, because I already know.
I wish everyone would try to be a little more circumspect and emphasize accuracy when trying to report on a subject this complex, but that is probably asking way too much of both the media and groups trying to influence the public through the media.
You might find this interesting. Do you like your hemlock straight, on the rocks, or with a twist?
“Drudge Report, Fox News falsely smear Gore”
TOUGH
I agree with you.
You know you’re going to catch a lot of grief. I plan on printing out and reading you personal page here at FR. It looks very interesting and I will approach it with an open mind. You sound like you know what you’re talking about. Alot here, don’t. I stay away from threads like this because I truly don’t know the facts of the issue. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I’ve gone to Drudge and don’t see this.
I see no reference to Fox and I’m not seeing it on Drudge.
Where is the headline coming from?
HE DOES IT EVERY TIME HE OPENS HIS MOUTH.
----
Send treats to the troops...
Great because you did it!
www.AnySoldier.com
Nonsense.
Mr. Gore, despite his ‘qualifying statements’ is clearly using the opportunity of a disaster to continue to push his agenda. He is clearly linking his mythified global warming to tropical cyclones, and he continues to use the ‘consensus’ line when his ‘conclusions’ and ‘theories’ are not backed by empirical evidence.
The predictable results of the global warming theorems have failed. As such it should be treated as the junk science that it is.
Does this excuse FNC if they doctored sound bites? Of course not. However, what should not be lost in this discussion if the agenda of Mr. Gore, which is to draw a mental link among the populous that global warming is a contributing factor in tropical cyclone intensity - thus laying the blame at the feet of the evil Americans for the deaths in Myanmar.
"[Gore] goes on to say that "the emerging consensus" among climate scientists is that the "the trend toward stronger and more destructive storms appears to be linked to global warming, and specifically to the impact of global warming on higher ocean temperatures in the top couple of hundred feet of the ocean, which drives convection energy and moisture into these storms and makes them more powerful."
That phrase "emerging consensus" means NOTHING -- nothing, except Gore's OWN opinion, which he is foisting into the mouths of some vaguely specified grouping of others, others whom he hopes -- like any con artist -- the audience will accept as trustworthy experts.
It is most reasonable to take Gore's words to there most obvious meaning -- that is Gore is blaming the recent deadly cyclone on global warming.
Yes, to some it is true that a nit is not a louse. A louse is after all, to be exactingly exact in exactitude, a ADULT, and a nit is only an egg. So yes, I can understand how you, whom, I suspect would so argue that nits are not lice, would argue so nit-pickingly that Al Gore did NOT say what the ordinary listener would have heard him say.
I know there were a couple of threads here inspired by the original report, and I think at least one of them was triggered by the Drudge Report or a source that picked up this topic from Drudge originally. (Drudge isn't too blame for not knowing that the interview clip was doctored, but journalistically speaking, maybe he should have checked the original NPR transcript??)
Too damn bad. Gore and his ilk regularly compare those of us who think man-made global warming is a load of crap with holocaust deniers. Pot, meet kettle.
Your link doesn’t go to Drudge and I don’t see this on his site.
Agreed. Well said.
*eyeroll*
Sounds to me as if you are a Gore apologist trying to make a case for him being very moderate on global warming, which we all know he is not.
Global Warming is junk science(by global warming I mean man made global warming)and Gore should admit this and also he should return all the money he has made on the extremely false activity of selling "carbon credits". That scam is a legal con game and should be stopped immediately. Al Gore is a criminal in my mind because of the lies and dis-information peddled by him and his ilk.
Spin all you want, Al Gore is an idiot and does link global warming to all storms.
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