The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Al Gore, the former American vice president, and to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their work to alert the world to the threat of global warming.
Gore, “is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted,” the Nobel citation said. The United Nations committee, a network of 2,000 scientists, has produced two decades of scientific reports that have “created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming,” the citation said.
In New Delhi, Rajendra Pachauri, an Indian scientist who leads the United Nations committee, said he was overwhelmed at the news of the award. “I expect this will bring the subject to the fore,” he said.
“I’m only a symbol of a much larger organization, the IPCC, and it’s really the scientific community that contributed to the work of the IPCC,” Pachauri said, according to Reuters. “They’re the real winners of this award,'” he said.
Pachauri has it right. Living in a nation where politics and superstition are damned near inseparable, I’m pleased to see prestige and political stature offered to work that suggests science should lead ideology.
According to Nobel’s will, the Peace Prize should be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.
Am I the only one confused here or have they changed the goals?
Exactamundo #1. I was thinking the same thing. Since when is an overweight partisan politician from the U.S. peace prize material? What the hell does scaring people with questionable science do for peace?
Hey, I have an idea, why don’t they give it to the murdered buddhist monks in Burma, or the chinese guy who stood in front of the tank. There has to be someone in this world that has done more for peace than this clown!
The Peace Prize lost all credibility when Jimmy Carter and Yasser Arafat were given it. It’s nothing but a political tool now. This was a forgeone conclusion when he was handed an Oscar for a propaganda film. I’d have been shocked if they hadn’t of given it to him. There’s certainly no longer any prestige to being a Peace Prize recipient.
Speaking of questionable science:
I’m surprised this story hasn’t been posted as a topic: http://tinyurl.com/ysfdog
It’s admittedly off-topic here except that the “cascade effect” of questionable consensus sounds very similar to the climate change debate.
Actually, with wars like Darfur being at least partially or largely caused by climate change and with an estimated billion climate refugees and many more probable wars caused as environmental stresses increase, anything to reduce global warming does further peace.
OK, iGW, take your best shot.
Let’s see how long it takes Bush to steal it.
Eidard: “Living in a nation where politics and superstition are damned near inseparable, I’m pleased to see prestige and political stature offered to work that suggests science should lead ideology. ”
???
It seems just the opposite occured.
Misanthropic Scott: “Actually, with wars like Darfur being at least partially or largely caused by climate change . . .”
Hmm, I must have missed that peer-reviewed paper. Please site your source.
“. . . and with an estimated billion climate refugees and many more probable wars caused as environmental stresses increase. . .”
Again, where is your source for this nonsense? Peer-reviewed please.
#4 that is an excellent article and hope ole D put on the front page
As for (quick question? Is a vice president always a vice president, like a president is always addressed as Mr President even after leaving office )
Vice President Gores’ award those guys jumped the shark long ago.I do have a bad taste in my mouth from a man who is telling us the sky is falling and we should all sacrifice but him and he gets $1.5 million for it
Ohh just for you Bush haters , the house on Crawford is solar heated for water an supplemental house heat and the watering system runs off a cistern of collected rain water .Hmmm who is the environmentalist? Gore or Bush read and decide
#8 – Smith,
It’s discussed in Collapse and/or Plan B 2.0. It also made major news when it was stated clearly by the Secretary General of the United Nations.
It’s rather ironic that Pachauri’s home nation India is exempt from the Kyoto Protocols.
I’m guessing Al Gore took a private jet to get to and from Oslo, like he always does?
What does Global Warming awareness have to do with Peace? If anything, he’s caused division, and Global Warming will ultimately lead to more wars.
#9 – Pmitchell,
Hmmm who is the environmentalist? Gore or Bush read and decide.
Gore. Thanks for the stupid question. Here’s your detailed answer.
Just curious, Scott, how detailed are the weather records for the Sudan prior to 20 years ago?
#13 – Angus,
You answered your own question. You said:
Global Warming will ultimately lead to more wars.
Perfectly stated!! Thanks. Yes. That is exactly what global warming has to do with peace. Minimizing the worst effects of global warming will prevent (some) wars.
To save you folks the trouble of going to Scott’s link in #14, I’ll summarize it –
“Since no one can achieve a size-zero carbon footprint, then it doesn’t matter that Al Gore’s house uses as much electricity as a small city or that he uses as much jet fuel as the entire Mexican air force. It’s intentions that count, you insensitive rightwingers.”
Clinton/Gore ’08
I’m actually somewhat happy about this – I’m hoping that a potential Al Gore candidacy will tear the Democratic party apart just a little bit more than it is now.
Way to go Frank IBC!! Put quotes around your drivel and make it sound like the article says that. Then tell people they don’t need to go to the site to see that you are just plain flat dead wrong!!
Why not actually post a quote from the article instead?
I don’t think Al Gore is going to want to be second fiddle to Hillary, chuck.
However, I would love to see him run just so he can get his election “stolen”… this time by Hillary.
#9 I got a good laugh out of your link but it just happened to omit that Vice President Gore own the company that he is buying supposed carbon offsets from.
Also carbon offsets are a misnomer 400 trees in planted in central America are going to do squat about the pollution I emit driving my large SUV in Houston TX . It is all spin and slight of hand to make those guilty liberals have a penance for their life style but not actually have to give it up .
I believe even the catholic church gave up on those a few centuries ago
Al Gore should never had conceeded the 2000 election. Bush stole the election, so did the latest Mexican president.
Steeling elections in the USA and Mexico leads to global warming, and wars for oil profits.
Charbax –
I don’t know if you’re here in the USA or in Mexico, but in the USA, we have this thing called the Constitution, which says that the President and Vice-president are chosen by the Electoral College, not by direct popular vote.
It never ceases to amaze me how many idiots and assholes abound in this country.
Such #1, BillM, being unable to comprehend simple English as to why Gore’s endeavors earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.
Such as #2, Big A, thinking that martyrdom automatically qualifies someone for a prize or their physical size disqualifies them.
Such as #3, iHotAir(YOP), who doesn’t have a clue why President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Apparently, he also has no idea why Arafat and Begin shared one.
Such as #8, Smith, demanding peer reviewed articles, as if any have ever swayed him in the past.
Such as #9, Paul Mitchel, wondering if the man who scrapped the best attempt to curb man’s polluting this planet is not a better environmentalist than the guy trying to clean it up.
Such as #11, Frank, crying because the Kyoto Treaty put more emphasis on those already polluting the most than those up and coming.
Such as #13, Angus, whining that science has caused division with the unbelievers and energy giants.
Good for Al Gore. He deserves the recognition.
Mr. Effusion –
If the USA is such a polluter, how come it’s India and China (both exempt from Kyoto) which are under the Asian Brown Cloud, not the USA?
Al Gore has no shortage of recognition. He doesn’t need any more.
What he DOES need is to lose about 80 pounds.
#5 – the underlying mentality that brings about thing like this: http://tinyurl.com/2gp28c is your main cause in Darfur. I doubt climate stress plays much role.
#17 – Good summary. Add to it the fact that Big Al buys his carbon offsets from himself and you really begin to see the hypocrisy: http://tinyurl.com/2p2roy
#10 – Of course the UN will blame everything they can on GW. It’s their best tool to try and enact rules and treaties that transcend national boundaries and erode national sovereignty.