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Subscribe to RSSGore was the surprise guest to introduce New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spoke about the city's response to Sandy, which slammed into the city on October 29, killing 43 people, destroying homes, and knocking out power, mass transit and telephone service in huge swaths of the city.
Much of Lower Manhattan flooded from the storm surge, a danger many climate scientists warn will become more acute as the burning of fossil fuels contributes to higher global temperatures that speed the melting of polar ice, raising sea levels.
Bloomberg has long sounded alarm bells about climate change and the city's vulnerability to major storms. His blueprint for infrastructure needs, called PlaNYC, aims to cut the city's carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2030 and he has pushed to limit dependence on coal, a leading source of carbon emissions.
Bloomberg showed a picture of Gore and himself painting a city roof with white paint, a technique that keeps temperatures down and helps cut energy consumption.
The mayor also echoed some of Gore's sentiments about leadership in Washington, saying cities were "not waiting for national governments to act on climate change."
But Bloomberg added: "We had help from every part of the federal government. Everything we asked for we had. Now we've got to get some money out of them, but that's another issue."
The city has asked Washington for $9.8 billion to pay for costs from Sandy not covered by insurance or other federal funds.
Much of Gore's remarks centered on leaders in Washington, who he said had abdicated responsibility on carbon as humans treat the atmosphere as an "open sewer."
Gore, a long-time environmental advocate who served under President Bill Clinton, helped raise awareness on climate change by narrating the hit documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," which won two Academy Awards in 2007.
"Our democracy has been hacked," Gore said. "And when the large part of polluters and their ideological allies tell the members of Congress to jump, they do say, 'how high?' And we need leadership in the executive branch as well."
While saying New York must be more prepared for storms, Bloomberg was defiant that the city will not flee from its 520 miles of shoreline.
"Let me be clear: We are not going to abandon the waterfront ... But we can't just rebuild what was there and hope for the best. We have to build smarter and stronger and more sustainably," Bloomberg said.
New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked for $41.9 billion in federal disaster assistance, including $9.1 billion for projects to prevent and mitigate damage from future storms.
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Go home mr. internet.
Uhhh, Al? You may want to take some time for personal reflection...the private jet and oversized mansions that gobble up massive amounts of utitilities aren't helping 'the cause'. Change starts at home, dude.
Seriously does any one really care what gore has to say about anything these day? But, shame on him for blasting the President, and how totally stupid, makes the left look like they can't get along with each other. That's the right's job!
Well at least on here, it seems people are finally realizing the myth that is called global warming. Over 4 billions years of weather and "scientists" think they can call an event that happens in the blink of an eye, something that hasn't happened ever before. The same group that claimed we were headed for another ice age just 30 years ago have done an about-face. Speaking of which, how do thing we came out of the last one? If scientists were around then, surely they would have cried "Global Warming"!!! "Stop building camp fires", or something silly like that. How narcissistic of us to think that our futile actions can change weather on a global scale, for good or bad. Roll with it people. It's going to do what it's going to do.
the water we've poisoned will kill us before the weather will anyway
Great attitude. I believe "An Inconvenient Truth" was the most aptly named documentary ever made. Watch the movie...his predictions are coming to fruition. But you would rather "roll with it", or let climate change "do what it's going to do"
Like you have a choice jack. Of course it's gonna do whatever it's gonna do . You or al gore can do nothing to stop it . Climate has flucuated since the begiing of time . As if mass taxation is going to adsjust it . Just how dense are you lemmings?
We do have a choice. I know my grass is going to grow, but I cut it anyway so it looks nice. When my son gets sick, I take him to the doctor to get medication so he gets better. In other words, I believe in action (not taxation) by the human race to combat pollution. Calling someone else dense while you fail at the use of basic grammar is laughable.
So what actions are you taking Jack?
Gore and Barack are both a couple of incompetent boobs who won't do anything unless it fits their agenda and their Political careers. Neither one of them care about America or it's people. They sicken me.
Ot appears that your sickness has nothing to do with the outside world.
You would know, 'cause why? Pull your head out, Junior!LOL!
The article actually states that Gore was criticizing the President's lack of actionon the environement. You just expressed your dislike of both of them...so who is it you agree with? It seems more likely you read an article and simply commented about nothing.
Au Contraire Jack! I don't have to agree with either one! They are both dunces! So, it seems you have commented about nothing! One needn't agree with one or the other to state a plausible statement! Go back to night school and study simple logic, as your line of thinking lacks any at all.
What's a picture of your dog have to do with anything?
"One needn't agree"? Trying to be Shakespeare? You just sound like you're trying to sound intelligent. That wasn't logic
Walker, I was just pointing out that the hatred showing in your heart is the source of your anger. You seem to have the psychological makeup that would control you into hating anyone who disagrees with your narrow interpretation of righteousness. Ask your doctor if he can prescribe something to lessen your anger, it might be important for the future of your loved ones.
We all hope that you do not have guns. You seem on the path that often ends in violence.
This is the same Al Gore that has logged thousands of miles in private jets and limos right? He represents those aspects of the republican party that turn me off so much, hypocrisy, greed, dishonesty, why would I accept them in a democrat?
OK if Gore is full of crap then what is that that just hit the east coast and knocked the crap out of all the people in NYC and NJ? If he is such a liar then what is causing all the storms and tornadoes and fires that have been increasing over the last decade or so? If he is such a liar then why did his film win 2 academy awards? Look..I dont care who he sleeps with or wether he could win a debate or not...can you tell me that what he has been studying for over 30 years and has been speaking about is not happening to our environment? DIDNT THINK SO!
Ha, ha, ha! Calm down! There have been storms and tornadoes for millions of years, not just since Al started "studying" it!! Then, he jumps into his limo and goes to the MASSIVE carbon footprint he calls home (one of many)! Not to mention his jet! LOL!!!!!
Animated films (fiction) win academy awards, too. What's your point? Al Gore ALSO told us that he invented the internet. Do a little homework before you put all your faith and hang on every word this man spews. One way to drop the temperature of the world just a bit would be for Al to keep his mouth shut.
But don't you understand? It really started to matter when Al got involved so that he could save us from all of it!
Gore is, and always has been, a dunce. He picked a cause gullible people would fall into (just like Obamacare is going to improve healthcare and save you trillions). He knows as much about climate as a dog does about flying a 747. He DOES however know how to spin tales and get gullible people scared unfortunately. It's sad. Is the climate changing? Yes. Is due to man? No. Has it changed many, many times over the millenia? Of course. Will it continue to change when man is gone? Of course. Gore needs to go somewhere and invent another internet.
Mr. Gore is VERY MUCH INVESTED in green energy. His fortune depends on the government forcing people to "go green". Weather is cyclical. It has been for the several thousand years that scientists feel they understand up to now. If we have a more severe winter than usual, it'll be blamed on global warming. If it's really mild - global warming. Wild fires? Obviously global warming. Mr. Obama continuing to blame "millionaires and billionaires" for our country's troubles? Global warming. Those people who make $250,000 or more a year considered to be "millionaires and billionaires"? Global warming. The president never having an idea that makes sense? A fever.....caused, no doubt, by global warming.
Does everything have to be politicized? Global warming/climate change is real and we need to pay attention. To say that if a Democrat raises the issue it must be phony is just ignorant. This is not about parties and elections- It is about our survival.
Name calling and demonizing seems to be with us everywhere- If you don't understand someone, they must be lying, Right? Ages ago, when people looked up at the stars, they thought that the gods lived there. We used to think the world was flat and that using leeches to "bleed" the sick would make them well.
Let's get real- This is 2012 and we should no better to point fingers at experts in these fields and call them names and disregard all that they do!
Hey "bright one"
Explain life? Use your "big bang" and explain it. IF you can, you've done something scientists have failed to figure out for years, bright one. And you know who your are, NOT.
Next, learn that Big Bang Theory is NOW one of multiple theories, and years ago, theory was different than today, but somehow it's no longer based on facts. IN particular this one.
Hey BRIGHT ONE, next explain why, based on your brilliance, NO life exists on ANY other planet. You clowns get so caught up in Star Trek that you are unwilling or too ignorant to acknowledge or accept that NO scientist has been able to explain WHY our blood STARTED pumping, what makes it continue to go...come on bright one...let's play...
Come on sweetie pie...explain how Big Bang is any more "proof" than the other hundred or so theories that "bright ones" have now came up with. FACT is that multiple scientist now have disputed that, as it is...well not practical..and further, those STILL can't explain how "that" would create breathing, living organisms, such as humans, etc....come on bright one...explain it...please, bright one.
You are right, it's NOT rocket science...and a damn good thing you aren't one too.
Jerry, you're a rude little son.
I take it you think some mythical being who lives in the sky created the heavens and earth? Yes, evolution is a theory. As is the Big Bang. But since we cannot step out of time or space to view life from outside of it and thereby make an informed, unbiased opinion, we have what we have. Humans, by nature, are curious and want to know the why's. So we come up with theories and do our best to prove or disprove them.
We do NOT know if there is life on other planets, as they are too far away to judge. Start Trek notwithstanding, how can any intelligent, self-aware being look at the myriad of stars and galaxies and seriously believe we are the only life anywhere? We can't even prove the lack of life on almost any part of THIS planet. As soon as some scientist says "no life can live here" some other scientist discovers life there.
But you seriously need to take a chill pill and stop the rudeness - it's not necessary, and it impairs your abiility to make your point.
Leave it to my fellow theists to make the best possible case for atheism -- as usual.
NO life exists on ANY other planet.
Please reference a credible scientific source of your claim, please leave out all fictional stories such as the Bible, thanks.
Jerry, you have a long way to go in the process of education before you will be able to 'play' in the world of science. Ignorant use of the English language aside, you have no idea what you are trying to say. Science never says that it has absolute truth about anything, it only says that based on all evidence observed to date, a model of reality is ....
Absolute truth is as elusive as some voodoo concept of some old man sitting on some chair surrounded by a fantasy world with golden streets. One of the beauties of scientific knowledge is that we are held in awe as it develops before our eyes.
What we have observed in the cosmic microwave background radiation supports the theory of the Big Bang, that is all. What evidence is there for a bearded guy up there besides a book written by desert tribes 3000 years ago or so? It is as ignorant to think the Bible was really written by God as it is to believe the ramblings of some paranoid schizophrenic begging for coins on the corner.
While evolution is not completely understood to date, it is no longer considered a theory by people who are credible students of the process. We can now observe evolution happening in real time and again it follows the observable facts with lots more credibility that that book version explanation of how it all came to be.
To demand absolute truth in the understanding of the world around you, all you guarantee is that you will never understand anything. Ignorance does not qualify a person for spokesperson of the truth.
I have no doubts that this was all arranged and approved by and maybe even written by people in or near to the White House similar to Bob Costas anti gun rant..It is all a pre conceived well planned set up and the Lemmings are just sucking it up like the Lemmings they are. And after the Tweet Scandal with MSNBC and no doubt a few other Media outlets the Media's creditablity is lower than Whale poop at this time. Besides who cares what the bloated over fed Gore thinks he's just another Elite Rich Ruling Socalist Demoncrat making all the money he can off a cause. He is surely one of those Evil Rich Millionaires that they talk about if not the Poster Child.
Four more years have not happened yet. This President cannot solve all of the problems that have gone ubchanged for centuries. Give him a break. Doesn't the rest of the Government have any responsibilities? Congress will fight everything, they are definitely haters. They would rather let the country disintegrate than let the POTUS do anything that might bring him kudos. The Dems want him to wave his magic wand and make everything better.
Now, HE needs a break? I guess his $40 million Christmas vacation isn't enough! Poor Barack!
No but he has been able to do in the last 4 years exactly the opposite of what he promised and more damage to the short and long term economy than every other president in history combined. The irony is that the economy historically has demonstrated that if Obama had just done nothing we would have seen a recovery. Unfortunately, while he inherited a terrible problem, every one of his actions has added burden and wasted the money that has come from it and created more uncertanty and damaged the very mechanisms of this amazing miracle that is our interwoven balance of free markets, innovation, business creation and growth and stifled the natural process that would have resulted in a recovery. The worst part is that he has not learned from his experience (if you blame others and don't take responsibility you disempower yourself) so he continues the same mistakes and this time is already setting up to blame congress. Congress was never meant to administer. That's why there is an executive branch. Congress legislates. But now and for the last 4 years congress has been forced to try to act as the executive because Obama has abdicated his leadership role. So what do you get when you have a 400+ person executive, yep that would be gridlock. Obama has created that by attempting to steamroll the opposition and also his own party by putting forth plans and budgets that can't get a single vote from anyone then doggedly holding onto it and putting it forth to avoid the fiscal cliff. This is empty chair presidency at its worst.
And he just got re-elected by a nation that is increasingly one of spoiled brats who blame pretty much all of their problems, including, and in some cases most especially, the self-created ones, on the actions of others. Sorry, but he truly does represent the American people, as much as you may hate it that he does.
All of you are delusional, misinformed and prefer to be haters.
Walker, I hate to break your bubble, but Obama won the election and will be the President of the United States of America for four more years. If your hatred for reality in the USA is unacceptable for you, I am sure your family will help you with the plane ticket to North Korea, Bon voyage...
Gore is a nobody just looking to make some money with a lot of b.s.
If your agenda doesn't have anything to do with obama, you can stuff it! obama might be more likable by the atheist as he doesn't ever appear in church. All other presidents were seen, regularly, in attendance. This still, at least, the last I looked, is one nation under God. (With respect to atheist, who have the equal rights as the rest of us, to believe as they wish.) So far, obama has shown no respect for our military, our constitution, our laws or our country......nothing that doesn't suit him, personally.The only way he tricked the people into electing him was by placing fear in young women, elderly, college students, welfare recipient's, etc. Now that he's in, the country is, again, stagnant.....and will be for the next four years.
And Bush was better? Or McCain, who was / is a bare heartbeat away from giving the Presidency to Palin? Really?
I don't understand why no one cares that as soon as Obama was elected the first time every Republican vowed to do everything they could to get rid of him. THIS is serving the people who elected you into your positions? Seriously?
Try checking both sides of the aisle before making bald statements like this. I voted for Obama, and I am not elderly, a young woman, a welfare recipient, or an etc. I AM a college student (not a young one), so I guess I fit into your little window. Obama is the first president to actually put his foot down and say he will or won't do something because he feels it's necessary.
All McCain and Romney ever did was lie, and ineffectually at that.
And why do YOU care if Obama goes to church?! That is HIS choice, as it is yours. And it is sure none of your business!
Oh, and by the way - that little line about one nation under god was added in the mid-20th century by people who wanted to differentiate us from Communists, who were deemed to be atheists. We are not now, and have never been, one nation under any god. Mostly because my god and yours are different. Since this IS a nation where we have a right to practice whatever religion (or not) that we wish, your opinion about Obama's person beliefs and how he follows them is unconscionable. How could you? It is sure none of your business what prayers he says, if he does, and where he says them. Church can be anywhere.
I am so incredibly tired of hearing how "god-fearing" we are. Bullpucky. Gods and evolution come from the same source - our imaginations.
Thank you. Of course practicing what The Constitution intended we have the right to do from the time it was ratified is a no-no around here these days. Destroying our planet in the name of unbridled crimminal capitalism and the "junk science" bred and borne of the fossil industry lobbyists, Freedomworks, Americans for Posperity:AKA the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove's GPS Crossroads/The COC, Family Research Council, The Petroluem Institute, Chevron, Shell, BP, Exxon-Mobil, American Natural Gas Alliance, CPAC, AIPAC, The Family Cult, Opus Dei, and the rest of the propaganda fascist RW fear mongerers who have kept this country hostage to the greed of the fossil industry and won't allow us to go forward for over forty years when we could have had very viable/profitable, cheap and plentiful CLEAN alternatives to their filthy antiquated energy source by now but are the reason we DON'T so we continue to pollute and destroy our earth as well as own future for these thieves.
I look at my own children and wonder IF they'll be anything left for them to "inherit" at this rate if people don't stop being so stupid, blind and selfish. Your earth is not a big, giant garbage can as well as something to keep blowing up, mining, drillling and polluting the crap out of. Our air and water cannot be replaced once it is totally f-----d up.
The earth has cooled and warmed up many times so what's the big deal. Humans will adapt
The issue is the RATE at which it is warming, seldom observed in the geologic record. How fast can you adapt to the truth that the actions of human beings are a part of that rapid change?
Well, in just four years, he's made it worse! $16 trillion ain't just cab fare, ya know!
But in all fairness, when he was in the Senate he was one of the main ones to question the fairness of leaving the first ten trillion, which was already on the books by then, to be paid by our grandchildren. I guess that now that it's up to sixteen trillion and still climbing, it's much fairer for them than ten trillion was. Hey, most of the younger people voted for him, so if they can face it then who am I to complain?
Typical missing the point argument. What Gore aught to be focused on is that Obama's policy of blocking oil drilling on government land and blocking pipelines forces the US into more dependace on oil from the third world. So instead of drilling done under carefully monitored and strictly enforced environments like they are in the US, Obama is forcing continued development and production in poorly or completely unsupervised circumstances in countries with few if any of the rules we revere in the US to protect the environment. Since those who support the environment view the world as one closed system as they should Obama's policies have done more damage and continue to do more damage to the environment than any republican president ever dreamed. The real irony here is that the environmental movement supports this and is likewise revealed as anti-environment but pro feel-good domestic political hacks.
And while we're doing all this supervised drilling here at home, FRACKING, we're not polluting the water system millions of Americans rely on? They don't care, because big gas is making the same under the table payments to Congress that big oil is making. SUPERVISED DRILLING, who do you think you're bull@#*ting?
Never seen so many right wing trolls on one article. What, you guys so pissed you're going to have to pay a fair share of taxes that you've lost it ? LOL. Deny, Deny, Deny ....
Global Warming caused by excessive CO2 emiissions is a REALITY. You keep claiming scientists don't support this ? Where are you getting your info ? 85% of scientists are in concurrence on this issue. One of NASA's top climate experts has been studying this for over 40 years. Ever heard of James Hansen ? Do a google on the name and then tell me what your credentials are in relation to climatology. George W. Bush had his own cronies alter Hansens findings before they were even submitted to the EPA. The Koch brothers and every other Oil / Coal corporation spend MILLIONS to suppress the facts. The Republican party is in their hip pocket and it's all about MONEY. They don't give a damn about you, your children the future or the Earth. They are all about TODAY AND PROFITS.
Anyone who can be shown the evidence we are seeing today and still say it's a normal phenomon are simply living with their head in the sand, are in on the profit sharing being made or, just plain STUPID.
Personally, I don't care what Al Gore makes off of it, or what his carbon footprint is. It is a GLOBAL problem. Every country is contributing to it. From the deforestion of the rain forests to the coal being burned to create electricity. It ALL contributes. We live in a time of ME, ME, ME... I want it, I'm going to have it no matter what it does to the air, soil or water. Believe it or not.
Let's see how valuable that oil is when the air is so fu__ed up you can't breathe, our food supply is compromised because of world wide droughts / flooding. And there is NO CLEAN WATER to drink.
Mark my words. Water will be the next Global commodity.
So instead of drilling done under carefully monitored and strictly enforced environments
Would that be how BP was monitored under the no-regulation Bush administration took care of things? LMAO
You know, in this day and age, you have to be a nut NOT to think that there are anthropogenic reasons for accelerated climate change. Deniers seem to think that EVERY SINGLE MAJOR scientific organization in the world is pulling their leg. They would rather listen to morons like Rush Limbaugh to get their science, instead of climatologists. Yes there are about 3 or 4 scientists who deny it, they are the ones who are not climatologists but rather meterologists, or, big oil pays there bills. Hell, even big oil admits it now! The other 99% are just having a little fun with the people. Right. Then they see with their own eyes the polar caps melting and it becomes "Well, there is climate change but that has happened throughout history". Yes, it has. It can be caused by solar activity, volcanic activity,or simply a change in the earth's axis. BUT.....the SPEED of change is unprecedented and coincides with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. It's not just losing Polar Bears that is the problem, it's a deeper ocean. Unlike thousands of years ago, there are now almost 7 billion people on the planet. 80% of them live near the coast. You have not seen the last of these natural disasters as the ocean currents change. To try to compare the science with chicken little is retarded. Is it stupidity or is it the greed of driving your gas guzzler now, and let your grandkids fend for themselves. That is why the Republican party needs to change their game plan from simply accomodating big business. This whole "let's not trust the scientists" has run it's course. Americans are learning it, but learning it much too slowly. If you use the word globalization, you might as well paint yourself as Karl Marx as far as Republican politicians are concerned. But without a global agreement, that climate change is coming, coming faster than you think, and we're all going to pay for it.
not all climatologist agree with each other either but Since the last ice age we have been getting warmer and it would be inevitable that we reach a point that it accelerates regardless of greenhouse gasses. I'm not one to believe we aren't effecting the climate. but the end result is still the same. And we up here are getting colder winters and less sunshine over the last few years including record snow falls all over Alaska
Bottom line -- even if it is anthrpogenic (man-caused) then at this point there is very little that we can do about it, especially Western nations acting alone. And it is very arguable that even if it is then compared to the massive benefits derived from the industrial and agricultural revolutions, then it has mostly been worth it. We can do more to help people in the Third World by putting a fraction of the dollars required to implement most of the plans espoused by the advocates of going all out to fight global warming by fighting malaria, childhood diseases, and the like. And don't take my word for it -- take the word of the distinguished Swedish author Bjorn Lonborg, author of Cool It. He's not a denier, or even a conservative, but a realist who thinks that we need to concentrate on workable and affordable solutions to global problems while working to better life for everyone, and avoiding further avoidable enviromental damage and climate disruption as we can without killing the number one factor needed to improve most peoples' lives, better economic growth. I commend him for having courage. Most of you will probably disdain him, since he neither advocates all-out environmentalism or unbridled, unregulated capitalism, but a realistic compromise. He could never get elected to any office in the U.S. were he a citizen here, as he isn't enough of a "purist" to survive the hideous farce that our primary election process is rapidly becoming.
So these brilliant climate scientists can't even correctly predict that warming is accelerating or what is causing the acceleration.
Two rich guys trying to make more money and force Obama to follow their Globalist Agenda.Marc Morano made a lot more sense on recent interview. I think he has a website on the subject of Global Warming.
Well the messenger Al got bashed so he has earned the right to bash us all. We are screwed! We are all to blame, but more so the deniers and the large electorate that are frankly.......morons! The anti-science bunch can all drown in the rising tides!!!!
Yes! Barack, another $450 billion!! Free Water wings for EVERYBODY!!
And Chris, what have you personally done to herlp the environment?
I wonder who the hell is still paying this man to lecture the world on something that he doesn't even have a clue about.This planet will outlast all of us and he wants our tax dollars to pay for his salary to build panic in the world. He wants money from our country that is borrowing enough already. Gore needs to remember he has no business in this business of job creation through fear. Spend money to people lecturing other people about their opinion.That's all it is....opinions. No hard facts have been established. This planet will go through changes for years to come forever. It's called weather. It's a shame nobody needed a second hand vice-president for anything except for this type of crap.
Gore = Loser
Actually, Bush=loser, (Gore, America, and the world)=robbed by his daddy's SCOTUS, remember? LOL
For all you Al (I invented the internet) Gore fans chew on this one... G.W. Bush's Ranch in greener operating than Al's energy sucking house... Al Gore is a nut case at best
Marc Marano???? Please tell me where he got his degree in climatology. He was a producer for Rush Limbaugh. That makes him an expert on bullcrap.