Does this prove Al Gore is an absolute idiot?

Question

He stated at the DNC convention that in the first term of the next president the ice cap in the north will disappear during the summer. Is he an idiot or just nieve?

Answer 1

I hate to do this, but I must come to Al Gore's defense.  He has a reported IQ of 134 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn... which is not a genius, but certainly not an idiot.  His prediction of a melted polar ice cap may very well come true.  If you want to call him a liar, an alarmist, or a fanatic, I will support all of those statements.  His slide show supports all of those statements.  He makes claims that are ridiculous, many unsupported by the IPCC.  But he is not an idiot.  

Answer 2

Complete idiot. Thousands of homes could be heated with the natural gas that his Kentucky mansion consumes.

George Bush's house is run by geothermal power.

Answer 3

He may or may not be an absolute idiot, but one thing we know for sure is that Al Gore is by far the dumbest vice president in our history.  Thank goodness the American people didn't want him as a president.

He flunked out of divinity school and would've been flipping burgers if not for his oil rich corrupt daddy.

He tried to overthrow an election in 2000 with numerous recounts that all showed he lost.  So he's a sore loser as well.

Did someone said he was a genius?  That's hilarious !!

Answer 4

This isn't a global warming question, is it? Sounds more like something to do with American politics... (yawn); no interest to me, mate!

As usual, a sceptic asks a question that is a poor attempt to distract people away from the real issues... perhaps this is why you don't provide a link to what he said. So, allow me:

Al Gore said, "Many scientists predict that the entire north polar ice cap may be completely gone during summer months in the first term of the next president." (for full text of his speech, see below).

So, first, your statement can be proven to be a lie - I think that makes someone other than Al Gore an absolute idiot - if you're going to quote a speech that was made in public, get it right.

As to the substance of his statement, it is perfectly true - "Many" scientists did predict something similar.

As for your edit - you say that it is "proposterous" [sic] that "the polar ice cap will melt in the next 4 years". This is a matter of opinion of course and certainly it smacks of political rhetoric (it was the convention after all). However, once again, you should be careful - Gore did not say this. What he did was report what others have said - nothing preposterous in reporting what others have said...

And what the others have said (according to Gore) is that the ice cap MAY melt... You quote him as saying it WILL melt.

There are an awful lot of people in this forum who persist in misquoting others, of misstating facts and make misleading claims. Frankly, I find this very tedious not to mention that it makes the people who make these mistakes look like 'absolute idiots'.

P.S. It's spelt 'naïve'.

Answer 5

i personally think hes an idiot  

Answer 6

The melting of the northern ice cap is not directly related to mean global temperature but ocean temperature (its always very cold out there even with warming), the current low level of ice is being caused by warmer currents flowing through the region. It takes hundreds of years to warm the sea, so the warming we experianced for part of this centuary is probably not linked to it. It is instead being driven by changes in ocean currents.

But what does it matter if it does melt, it melting naturally so there is nothing we can do about it, it doesnt raise sea levels, and its a remnant of the last ice age, its not meant to be there normally, its that last bit of ice in the shade that hasnt yet melted. Its certainly not evidence of man made global warming.

Lets wait 4 years and see what happens! But people are wrong all the time, it doesnt make them an idiot. Einstien was wrong about Ether after all. Though he isnt really qualified to make such comments, he is just trying to protect his business interests.

Answer 7

It does prove he is a liar . Their is NO clear data to support this claim . Even Danas' graph shows nothing to make this outrageous alarmist claim . Gores mind tricks only work on the dumb masses . Here is the not so alarming data .

http://nsidc.org/cgi-bin/bist/bist.pl?an...

Answer 8

If his prediction turns out to be correct will that convince any of the AGW scientists that they are wrong?

I often wonder why someone would be so opposed to something that would create cleaner air and water and conserve resources. I keep hearing the AGW opinion sliding, 1st it doesn't exist, then it is just a cyclical change. Who is funding the science that disputes Global Warming, oh yeah that would be companies like EXXON, who have a vested interest in our dependance on fossil fuels.

So, no I don't think it makes him sound like an idiot, I think it makes it obvious he isn't paid by the oil companies.

Answer 9

He must have been misquoted. I read his book and found no such a statement in it. However,...

There are indicators that even what you wrote will come to be.

First, in June, 2007, a British lawyer and swimmer dove into the waters in the North Pole and stayed there for 19 minutes wearing Speedo swimming trunks, a cap and goggles.

Second, last summer, for the first time, a NASA satellite photo showed a clear blue line linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Yes, it refroze in the winder but the Northwest Passage will be wider this summer and next summer and the water link will be open for tourism in less than five years, commercial shipping will follow.

Third, the Greenland glaciers are thawing out faster than expected and there will be a point at which the melted water held back by the ice will break through, like it frequently has happened in glaciers in France, Argentina, the Himalayas and very long ago near Idaho.

How significant is that? Some assert that if Greenland ice melts, the oceans will go up by something like 12 to 18 feet. We are going to find out the right number the hard way.

Finally, if you do not think the polar ice is melting, maybe you should tell that to the polar bears that were seen a few weeks ago from the air looking for ice floes, more than 10 miles from any shore. Those bears died from drowning like those that float ashore.

There is nothing that can be done about the Polar Bears, would you like to do something for your children, nephews and young relatives?

What will you HAVE to see before you accept Global Warming?

How about 842 wildfires started in ONE day by 8,000 lightning strikes in the state with the LOWEST rate of lightning strikes?

California gets 0.5 lightnings per sq. Km, per day, on the average, and has the lowest rate in the 48 states in the continental USA.

How about the, also, "unprecedented" Tornado swarms that hit the mid-west? Did they make you think and wonder?

Would you believe if the forests in Big Sur and Yosemite went up in flames? They nearly did a month ago. Or, would you rather wait until that happens before we begin to do something about Global Warming?

The same scientists that predict Global Warming, also predict that there are about a dozen "Tipping Points" and when they are reached, we will be unable to prevent reaching the other Tipping Points.

For example, one is the inability of ocean water to absorb more CO2, this Tipping Point was reached and measured for the first time in 2007.

From then on, only tress and plants will be able to absorb CO2, bury the Carbon and release the O2 for life to continue.

But, fires are destroying trees and plants at a greater rate in the last 3 years.

Do you feel like taking a chance these facts, and many others, are not real? Why? What gives you the assurance that you can predict the future on a matter that, evidently, you are unfamiliar?

Do you have any idea what it would take to prove that "no man can go to the moon! That's silly or stupid! Everyone knows that!"

Did you ask an expert to tell you where are all the controls in your new car, or was the car very similar to the last one? How do you learn? Does the process begin by first admitting "I don't know!"

Answer 10

Since the man has accomplished very little on his own merits,politics were won on his father's name, he must feed his ego.  Who else builds an energy sucking house and tells the rest of us to conserve.

Answer 11

AL GORE has proven he is an idiot. It is an insult to idiots to call al gore an idiot!

Answer 12

He was making a implication that in a short period of time that it will melt by 90%.

Vote Obama!!

Answer 13

Neither, he is a liar and an opportunist.

Answer 14

He might be a little early in his projection but probably not too far off.

Answer 15

Al gore is a POLITICIAN. He uses global warming much like lobbyists do to get what they want. He's an embarrassment to the scientific community. Trust me, I'm part of it. He's using  global warming to scare the community. Something in science we call "being an alarmist." Being an alarmist is basically blowing facts out of proportion and using scare tactics to get the people behind you yo support whatever you want.  

Answer 16

Yes, he's a nut.  But he doesn't care what normal people think about him.  His only concern is what the greenies/leftist/socialist/commies  think.  As long as he can strike fear and panic into their hearts he's achieving his purpose.  The rest of us can prove him wrong and laugh at his antics and alarmist rants, but we're not his target audience.

Answer 17

Well it is very interesting to me that brother Al is a bigger oil man than any republican ever thought of being and he is lying for even larger oil profits from the company he is a major stock holder in.  

http://www.gnn.tv/articles/2301/Some_Inc...

What gets me on so many of the comments made so far is the huge amount of very bad information so many people seem to have on this subject. First it was hotter in the 1930s than it is now and there is no current sign it is going to get even close to previous optimums during the current interglacial. Because solar cycles can vary from 11 years to 50 years we can have huge normal climate shifts when several solar and earth cycles come together inconveniently. Point being the little ice age where there were 4 solar minimums, two of them extreme over a period of 500 years that led to a much colder than average climate through that period.

Then we have the Skandic/MWP warm cycle where for over 600 years it was a much warmer climate average noticeably higher than the two short peaks we have experienced during the current warming cycle. These two peaks lasted only about 10 years instead of the normal 50 or more! So all climates need to be evaluated not just against recent 30-year spans, but also against previous spans. For instance for the last two years here in Los Angeles they have had to go back to the 1920s to find equivalent low temperature records. In the 90s they had to go back to the 30s to find equivalent highs.

So the 30 year cycle is not a good comparison point for climate average and because of earthquakes and other geological events natural climate conditions can change radically. An example is the enhanced southwest monsoon in the spring and summer months has radically changed the general climate of southern California over the last 60 years from dry near desert to muggy sub tropical because of geologic changes in a ocean ridge extending from Baja California almost to Panama off the west coast. This ridge as it grows from earthquake activity and coral reef growth is altering some minor ocean currents altering the climate of large parts of North America!

The enhanced southwest monsoon in the spring and summer months has radically changed the general climate of southern California over the last 60 years from dry near desert to muggy sub tropical inland of the coastal mountains because of geologic changes in a ocean ridge extending from Baja California almost to Panama off the west coast. This ridge as it grows from earthquake activity and coral reef growth is altering some minor ocean currents altering the climate of large parts of North America! At the same time the coastal region only gets the northern storms if the jet stream dips down in the winter months. We no longer get the pineapple express as we used to 20 years ago because of these minor current alterations. So the inland southwest is going semi tropical and the coast only gets the humidity during the summer months while the rain goes to the desert.

Last Glacial Maximum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Glacia...

Holocene Climate Optimum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_cl...

Roman links

http://raymondpronk.wordpress.com/2007/0...

15th temp spike

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news...

MWP data references

http://newsisaconversation.blogspot.com/...

Warm periods historical references

http://www.kolumbus.fi/tilmari/some200.h...

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba516/

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/counterpo...

Polar bears

http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorou...

Answer 18

idiot lol the only way to stop "global warming is to tell him to shut up."

Answer 19

Yes!

Answer 20

I think this has been proven years ago, but reinforcement is a good thing.

Answer 21

He is not an idiot, he is just an unscrupulous person with power and with an agenda exclusively designed to promote fear and make huge profit from it.

Answer 22

Based on the change in the Arctic over this 4 year period it seems a fairly reasonable statement. It is simple physics that the smaller the ice gets and the larger the area of open water the faster the remaining ice will melt. The darker surface of the open Arctic ocean will absorb the sun's heat, rather than reflect it as the ice cover does now, this will only increase the speed and size of the melt. Given The Northern Hemisphere just had a very cold winter (a 1 in 20 year event) 2008 still managed to be the second largest melt on record 2007 being the record, if next year is just average winter the melt will be much higher.

Charles M

"What gets me on so many of the comments made so far is the huge amount of very bad information so many people seem to have on this subject. First it was hotter in the 1930s than it is now and there is no current sign it is going to get even close to previous optimums during the current interglacial."

The second sentence of this statement would seem to prove the first do you have a source for the 30s temp claim. I have seen it used here quite a few times but only going to blogs etc this is the current info offered by NASA

http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov/keyIndicator...

it shows a couple of years in the early 40s that are warm "not the 30s" and they are nowhere near as warm as most of the years after the late 80s to now. It would be interesting to see a real link with info rather that the usually NAH NAH NAH NASA are liars reply that many deniers here seem to thing is some sort of evidence.

Answer 23

yes, and his carbon footprint is 20 times larger than the average americans.

he's a lying hypocrite who uses the environment for political power.

Answer 24

Does anyone find it ironic how much of a carbon footprint Al Gore is making just going to talk at these conventions?! He has his own personal jet that he takes everywhere. He receives a Nobel Peace prize for his "efforts" against global warming and yet he causes more environmental damage than any American!

So maybe he, personally, isn't stupid, but his methods are completely idiotic. He's surely after political power. I also doubt that his crack team of "scientists" did little or no research in the matter.

And when will anybody else realize that mankind aren't the only ones responsible for global warming?! Honestly, any kind of warming will cause ice to melt! Do any of the environmentalists see that big, glowing ball of fire in the sky?

Answer 25

Um, I hate to break it to you, but he could very well be correct.

Last year the Arctic ice melt shattered the previous record.  This year has nearly matched last year despite being a strong La Niña cycle year.

http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/image...

And the long-term trend is quite obvious:

http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/image...

At this point it's clearly not an issue of if but when the northern ice cap will completely melt.

"leading scientists [are] warning that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2013."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20...

So you just called Gore an absolute idiot for being correct.  That doesn't reflect well on you.  And by the way, it's spelled "naive".

Answer 26

What Gore said:

"Many scientists predict that the entire north polar ice cap may be completely gone during summer months in the first term of the next president."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/28...

Gore's statement is true; many scientists HAVE made such predictions.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/...

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-0...

Next time, read for content. Or even better: next time, read.

Answer 27

The Arctic is expected to be ice free during the summers as early as 2013.

Answer 28

No.  Actually Al Gore's IQ ranks him as a genius.  I seem to remember his IQ is about 140.  He can certainly spell naive.

Here are some proven facts.  Indisputable.

Images from NASA show that the polar ice cap is shrinking.

Average temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as they are elsewhere.

The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf, (the largest single block of ice in the Arctic) started cracking in the year 2000.  It is now breaking up into pieces.

Try your own experiment.  Take 2 ice cubes.  Crack one into pieces.  Place them side by side and see which one melts the fastest.

The FACT of global warming is no longer in dispute by the majority of respected world scientists.  The only debate remaining is if, or not, it is man made, and what can be done to alleviate it.

Even Republicans are now accepting that a potential world crisis needs to be addressed.  McCain stated, "Global warming will be one of three key issues of my presidency."

In my humble opinion, the only idiots, ( I use your word)  are those who despite the evidence, continue to deny the existence of global warming.

Go to:  "http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

newsroom

/Newimages/images/php3?img_id=16339"  for nasa photos of shrinkage that occurred within a one WEEK period.

Answer 29

Al is no idiot politically, he may not be giving us the whole story scientifically but he is not a scientist. There is no doubt the earth has warmed from 1975 to 1997. There is also no doubt we are currently on a cooling trend. The question is still out as to what caused the warming. Many now believe it is just a natural cycle and man's activities have very little to do with it. Rational people can look at this without including politics but I've seen too many people that think all studies that show no man-made link to global warming are just right-wing nuts. How sad.

Answer 30

A lot of very smart people are making that same prediction.  See article below (June '08) which talked about a potential iceless north pole as early as this summer.

I guess all these scientists and reporters and Al Gore are just making this stuff up to get attention though...right?