Gore says "changing light bulbs" not enough

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Climate campaigner Al Gore urged world policymakers on Thursday to change laws "not just light bulbs" in tackling global warming, and a UN official said world market turmoil must not be allowed to delay action.

An annual meeting of world political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, this year has scheduled a record number of sessions and workshops on global warming. But a sharp downturn on markets and fears of recession have dominated discussion.

"If we get distracted by the aberrations that you see in the financial market right now it would clearly be very unfortunate," said Rajendra Pachauri, head of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Gore, in a swipe at U.S. President George W. Bush's environmental record, said the election of a new president in November could only bring an improvement.

"In addition to changing the light bulbs, it is far more important to change the laws and to change the treaty obligations that nations have," Gore told delegates, in apparent reference to what he sees as the Bush administration's reluctance to initiate legislation on environmental control.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24902018.htm

[mod mom]

1. Ending the fricking war should would be a positive step. nt

[defendandprotect]

7. ...but it works so well for the oil industry and to bankrupt our Treasury and disorient public-!!!

[Uncle Joe]

2. I believe the time for half measures is rapidly running out.

Thanks for the thread, sabra.

[dysfunctional press]

4. i believe the time for us to stop the worst effects HAS run out...

i think Al knows it too.

[defendandprotect]

6. Right --- so the oil industry and those they bought to co-opt government have prevailed ---

including, of course, the corporate-media --- which has lied about this issue for decades.
NY Times allied with ExxonMobil in their Op-Ed propaganda messages vs Global Warming!!!

[Uncle Joe]

8. He said last year, he believed we had somewhere in

the range of 8-10 years to turn it around. I imagine that time is shortening with updated scientific evidence that is continually coming out, but the upshot is I trust Al Gore to tell me the truth as he sees it.

[dysfunctional press]

9. and this year he's saying: "Climate change 'significantly worse' than feared"...

there's another thread currently in LBN about it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3154682&mesg_id=3154682


and btw- i don't think that ANY politician would EVER tell the people that they were entirely doomed, with no hope of survival. that kind of thing might tend to upend society completely.

[Uncle Joe]

10. I read that thread, mine is post number 9.

I do trust Al Gore more than ANY other political leader, although I do understand your point of view.

[otohara]

3. Changing Presidents To A Gore Administration

would be the best RX for Planet Earth.

[defendandprotect]

5. Nationalizing OIL and putting ELECTRIC CARS ON ROADS 40 years overdue!!!

Let's hear Al discuss both those issues and then maybe I'll have some real confidence in him!!!

[catgirl]

12. Have you seen "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

You should.

[defendandprotect]

15. I'm the one who's been running around here bringing it to people's attention!!!

GO SEE "WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?" ---

great movie!!!

Someone should ask Gore if he's seen it --- !!!

[RantinRavin]

18. Sorry, but the electric car is useless

until home solar power is readily available. The national electric grid can not handle the extra load of chaging everyone's vehicles, and the power plants themselves wouldn't be able to provide the extra electricity. We have rolling blackouts now just from running air conditioners in the summer.

[defendandprotect]

19. The entire idea of a national grid is mainly a useless monopoly for profit and corruption ---

See the movie --- the possibilities are endless ---

[Orsino]

11. Saying "changing light bulbs isn't enough" isn't enough, either.

Electing a Democrat isn't enough. We need heroes representing us.

I think Gore could have been one of those heroes.

[defendandprotect]

16. As Gore, himself, has told us --- he has now been set free by NOT

being in public office ---

If we had gotten Gore, we would also have gotten Liebermann . . .
a religous fanatic/Republican in the #2 spot ---

How could Al not have known?

As Al has told us, he was a different person then --- !!!

[Orsino]

22. Gore for EPA or Interior! n/t

[Uncle Joe]

17. I'm anticipating his book due out in two or three months

regarding his proposed solutions to this crisis.

I agree with you on the hero part, however I believe that's what he is doing now, being heroic while sacrificing his own personal ambitions and trying to create a sea change of consciousness at the grass roots level to support the dramatic changes that will be required to save our selves from our selves.

Washington and the corporate media in their current state are broken and can't support that kind of change with out sufficient grass roots power, they're too beholden to the corporations and lobbyists which continually feed their pockets all for their own agenda.

[Fly by night]

13. No, Al, but your deciding to run for President would be enough ...

... to ignite broad-based support for you, a fraud-proof 20%+ lead in the polls, a 45+ state November victory and then a combination mea culpa/victory lap around the globe by you to announce that the US witch is dead (or at least her Smirking Chimp), and that we're ready to start acting like we share this planet, not own it.

How's that for doing your part to save the planet, eh, Al?

[Emillereid]

14. AL Gore - I you want things done right, it's best to do them yourself. Run already!

[yandorboy]

20. Go al n/t

[and-justice-for-all]

21. How about telling Big Auto to bring back the EVs? nt