2008 Woodie Awards
Give Nobel Peace Prize a Chance
David Stelzmuller
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: Opinion
It is about damn time Al Gore won something for all his trouble. He has captured the minds of millions and helped people understand and believe global warming is real.
He has transcended the presidency by becoming a true world leader and not like the leader of the United States, mocked and reviled by the world.
On Friday, Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize, in conjunction with the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, from the Nobel Foundation for "efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."
At first, it may not be clear how increasing the general knowledge on global warming becomes synonymous with actions geared toward creating or maintaining peace, but the Nobel Foundation makes their message clear in describing why this year's award -winner was chosen:
"Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind. They may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states," the Nobel Committee said.
There it is, the line in the sand.
Either we can put aside our differences and work together to fix the situation we have collectively gotten into, or we can begin to compete for natural resources in a fashion that will increase the "danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states."
It is obvious that by awarding the Nobel Prize to Gore, the Nobel Foundation is confirming his inherent good intentions by trying to fix our environmental woes, but it is also sending the message that going to war over oil will place us, and the world, in the most unenviable position possible.
Gore may have won the popular vote in 2000 while losing the election, but history is correcting itself. The passage of time is showing Gore to be the true world leader, while Bush blunders with every decision possible and leads us not toward peace, but toward an unending war.
He has transcended the presidency by becoming a true world leader and not like the leader of the United States, mocked and reviled by the world.
On Friday, Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize, in conjunction with the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, from the Nobel Foundation for "efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."
At first, it may not be clear how increasing the general knowledge on global warming becomes synonymous with actions geared toward creating or maintaining peace, but the Nobel Foundation makes their message clear in describing why this year's award -winner was chosen:
"Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind. They may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states," the Nobel Committee said.
There it is, the line in the sand.
Either we can put aside our differences and work together to fix the situation we have collectively gotten into, or we can begin to compete for natural resources in a fashion that will increase the "danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states."
It is obvious that by awarding the Nobel Prize to Gore, the Nobel Foundation is confirming his inherent good intentions by trying to fix our environmental woes, but it is also sending the message that going to war over oil will place us, and the world, in the most unenviable position possible.
Gore may have won the popular vote in 2000 while losing the election, but history is correcting itself. The passage of time is showing Gore to be the true world leader, while Bush blunders with every decision possible and leads us not toward peace, but toward an unending war.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
Sharon Long
posted 10/17/07 @ 11:42 AM PST
Its about time Al Gore received the recognition that should be equated with such an important world-wide issue. This article was well written attesting to that fact. (Continued…)
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE
posted 10/17/07 @ 12:18 PM PST
Is this the same Al Gore that rides around in a BIG Private Jet and has a big house in TN that need heating and drives/rides in big SUVs.
Thats funny I would think the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIANT would want to practice what he preaches and not buy smog credits. (Continued…)
Robert Couch
posted 10/18/07 @ 7:25 AM PST
A British court rules that Gore's movie has factual errors that must be explained in advance of showing it to school children. That makes me think Al is an alarmist and a phony though he is the darling of the Marxist / Socialist elite that want to control everyone's life but their own. (Continued…)
Maria Solan
posted 10/18/07 @ 7:30 AM PST
Kid, you are sooooooooo wrong about everything. Don't really know where to start. Get a grip, crack a book (no, the New York Times or Esquire magazine don't count) and come back witha worldview that's not so crippled by mindless drivel and MTV slogans. (Continued…)
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