Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize

[L Roebuck]

Nobel win validates Gore and his vision
By Leon Alligood, Tennessean

Environmentalists and supporters see Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize win Friday as vindication.

Seven years ago, he lost the closest presidential election in memory — after losing his home state. On Friday, he became the second Tennessean to win the Nobel Peace Prize, receiving the same honor bestowed on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter.

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[Azurerana]

Ok, I'll bite...why does being a politician who ballyhoos global warming qualify one for a Peace Prize?

I've got no quarrel with Gore publicizing his cause, (though with my geological training, I don't quite accept his collection of facts as gospel truth) but what relation does this have to peace? I understand Pres. Carter getting that award as a legit peacemaker and humanitarian. I understand someone like Nelson Mandela getting it for promoting peace through better race relations in South Africa. But to me, a Peace Prize should go to a diplomat, a humanitarian, someone who negotiates two sides to lay down their arms and start to solve problems instead of shooting at each other.

All Mr. Gore has done has stirred up both sides of the argument pro and con, and actually brought more discord on the matter by his actions. He's not a scientist, nor a researcher. He's a promoter, and a salesman, and his particular snake oil is climate change. In many ways, his action is one of Paul Revere stirring the troops, not Andrew Johnson, attempting to 'bind up the nation's wounds' in the aftermath of war.

I'm not trying to start a political discussion -- and I won't argue personalities. But how does his actions of the last few years --mostly grandstanding speechifying and finger-pointing-- promote peace?

'Splain it to me, somebody.

[Brian Roebuck]

He's a good actor afterall - he won 2 academy awards for "An Inconvenient Truth"! And they liked his flashy powerpoint presentations - what else?

To all the scientists, engineers, cameramen, analysts, crew, environmentalists, activists, fund raisers, animals of the world, plants of the world, oceans of the world, inhabitants of the world, etc I sincerely thank all of you for helping Gore get his award. Y'all done good!

[L Roebuck]

azurerana said:

Ok, I'll bite...why does being a politician who ballyhoos global warming qualify one for a Peace Prize?

That's what I wondered.....

[jonsdigs]

I agree with Az its a strange fit. I find it ironic that he won the award named after the inventor of the blasting cap and whose fortune was amassed inventing ways to manufacture commercial explosives (Dynamite was never stable enough for military ordinance.)

His position here seems to be not supportive of mining (Part of our mine runs underneath his place here although he's never home.) He no longer leases to us. All his former local constituents I talk to find this rather unsupportive in the least to the local economy and hypocritical as well since his purchase of the property was a favor from Armand Hammer of Occidental Petroleum to funnel money to his family toward polical support.

Note also that Rush Limbaugh was nominated this year too. Maybe it was just a thin selection this year.

[Brian Roebuck]

jonsdigs said:

I agree with Az its a strange fit. I find it ironic that he won the award named after the inventor of the blasting cap and whose fortune was amassed inventing ways to manufacture commercial explosives (Dynamite was never stable enough for military ordinance.)

His position here seems to be not supportive of mining (Part of our mine runs underneath his place here although he's never home.) He no longer leases to us. All his former local constituents I talk to find this rather unsupportive in the least to the local economy and hypocritical as well since his purchase of the property was a favor from Armand Hammer of Occidental Petroleum to funnel money to his family toward polical support.

Note also that Rush Limbaugh was nominated this year too. Maybe it was just a thin selection this year.

Interesting information Jon! It's hard to imagine the goings-on of the rich and connected people of the world. They deal in power and money with little regard for us peons most of the time. I'd rather be caving.

[Azurerana]

jonsdigs said:

I agree with Az its a strange fit. I find it ironic that he won the award named after the inventor of the blasting cap and whose fortune was amassed inventing ways to manufacture commercial explosives (Dynamite was never stable enough for military ordinance.)

Well, that was the origin of all the Nobel Prizes-- a philanthropic award designed to compensate for the destruction caused by the original invention. You may note that there is no Nobel for geology-- the very industry which actually still uses his invention and its offspring.

This sort of philanthropism is the basis of most large corporate largesse -- Carnegie libraries, the Gates Foundation world medical grants, and many corporations who are underwriters of PBS and NPR and various arts causes...the Monsanto Fund...etc.

His position here seems to be not supportive of mining (Part of our mine runs underneath his place here although he's never home.) He no longer leases to us. All his former local constituents I talk to find this rather unsupportive in the least to the local economy and hypocritical as well since his purchase of the property was a favor from Armand Hammer of Occidental Petroleum to funnel money to his family toward polical support.

It's rather frustrating to me that many vocal environmentalists are not realists. Our local Sierra chapters are against many things -- coal power, (CO2, sulfur and mercury) hydropower,(fish kills and dams) windpower (bird and bat kills) for example, but they aren't FOR any technology, nor for helping to figure out compromise solutions which can become win-win situations. That's why I'm not a member of any of the mainstream conservation organizations, and won't be until they realize that they need to not be anti-mining,for example, but they need to help develop low-impact mining. I had someone tell me the green power answer was to harness the tides. Ok, fine, but that negatively impacts sea creatures, and hey, I'm 900 miles from an ocean, but only about 2 miles from a corn or soybean field.

Note also that Rush Limbaugh was nominated this year too. Maybe it was just a thin selection this year.

Hey Jon, can you come over here and help clean up the tea which just sputtered out my nose when I read that? *|:-) What's ironic is a relative of his, a Missouri judge, was largely responsible for overseeing the St. Louis desegregation effort in the 1970s and 80s.. Rush is a smart buffoon, who decided to trade his personal reputation for notoriety and cash. No more, no less. No clue what realtionship he would have to peace.