Al Gore: Our Home is in Danger

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/1/2007 7:06:46 AM

In today's New York Times, former Vice President Al Gore declares:

Our home - Earth - is in danger. What is at risk of being destroyed is not the planet itself, but the conditions that have made it hospitable for human beings.

You think he's kidding?  Well, consider these facts (yes, FACTS):

*"...many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to several ?tipping points? that could ? within 10 years ? make it impossible for us to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet?s habitability for human civilization."

*"Just in the last few months, new studies have shown that the north polar ice cap ? which helps the planet cool itself ? is melting nearly three times faster than the most pessimistic computer models predicted."

*"...at the other end of the planet, near the South Pole, scientists have found new evidence of snow melting in West Antarctica across an area as large as California."

What does this all mean?  Check out this "tale of two planets," as Gore calls it:

...Earth and Venus are almost exactly the same size, and have almost exactly the same amount of carbon. The difference is that most of the carbon on Earth is in the ground - having been deposited there by various forms of life over the last 600 million years - and most of the carbon on Venus is in the atmosphere.

As a result, while the average temperature on Earth is a pleasant 59 degrees, the average temperature on Venus is 867 degrees. True, Venus is closer to the Sun than we are, but the fault is not in our star; Venus is three times hotter on average than Mercury, which is right next to the Sun. It's the carbon dioxide.

That's right, "it's the carbon dioxide," and we'd better do something about it ASAP.  Here in Virginia, it's time for us to join Fairfax County and become a "Cool Commonwealth."  It's time for aggressive renewable portfolio standards.  It's time for a combination of major incentives AND disincentives that encourage energy efficiency and discourage inefficiency in our businesses, residences, power plants, etc.  It's time to move away from carbon-intensive fuels towards less carbon-intensive fuels. 

And, as Al Gore makes clear in his editorial, there's not a moment to wait:

many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to several "tipping points" that could - within 10 years - make it impossible for us to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet's habitability for human civilization.

So what are we waiting for?

Comments



So what are we waiting for? (voter4change - 7/1/2007 7:23:33 AM)
"Cool Commonwealth is just another buzz word or marketing tool right up there with "Smart Growth," "Transit Oriented Development," "Green Roofs," and "Walkable Communities."  Until the Fairfax Chairman and his "needed" supervisors stop approving every high density application that walks across their desks....we will continue to have bad air quality, gridlock, crowded parks, and kids in trailers.  Am I wrong?


I'd say that "Cool Commonwealth" can either be (Lowell - 7/1/2007 7:32:49 AM)
a marketing/PR buzzword OR it can be something real.  As the expression goes, "the devil's in the details."  In this case, it comes down to how much money and commitment Fairfax County puts into its "Cool County" program.  To turn Fairfax County into a true "Cool County," of course, will take billions of dollars over many years.  That will involve completely retrofitting the infrastructure of the county from energy wasteful to energy efficient.  We'll see what happens in the next few months, whether the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors begins to follow up (or not) on its "Cool County" pledge.  If it does, I will be the first to heap praise upon them.  In fact, if Gerry Connolly really made Fairfax County a national leader with regards to global warming - not just in rhetoric, but in reality - I'd probably become his biggest fan.  And this applies to ANY leader who does likewise.  Example?  I used to dislike Ahnuld, now I absolutely love the governator!