Climate Crisis as Planetary Emergency
December 11, 2007
In accepting the Nobel Prize Al Gore urgently called for the mobilization of civilization in defense of our common future faced with a planetary emergency – the imminent and universal threat of a climate crisis. Instead of offering false assurances that this can be done without effort, change or cost, responsible leaders must set aside short-term political goals and mobilize citizens with an uncomfortable message that to face this challenge, there will be sacrifices. Our leaders must acknowledge that they are accountable before history and they must speak with moral courage to inspire entire peoples, global citizens of every class and condition, entrepreneurs and innovators from every part of the globe to work couragously for our mutual survival. He rejects the belief that some hold that God will intercede on behalf of humanity to save the planet inspite of the actions or inaction of the the human species. Instead, Gore predicts that as humans unite around this moral purpose, we will collectively unleash a transformative spiritual energy.
Folksonomy
Nobel Peace Prize, moral compass, purpose, God, serve, civilization, planetary emergency, CO2
Webliography
Gore, Al. 2007. “A Precious and Painful Vision of the Future.” The Nation. December 10. Accessed December 10. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071224/gore
February 2, 2007 in Paris 10th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) agreed on a succinct, accurate report from an enormous body of observations of all parts of the climate system by 2,500 scientists. What are we going to do about it? Will politicians and policy makers be able to face up to unconcerned uber wealthy CEOs?
The 10th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides a succinct, accurate report gleaned by 2 500 scientists from more than 130 nations from an enormous body of observations of all parts of the climate system for over a decade based on hard science. Based on their combined authority, we can now say with 90% certitude that climate change is man-made. Extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, heat waves and ice storms will increase, the earth’s temperature will rise, glacieirs will continue to melt. Before February 2, 2007 the debate was public, “Is climate change linked to human activity?” While individuals still have a major role to play, the question can no longer be avoided by politicians and public policy makers, “What are we going to do about climate change?”
- 10th Session of IPCC Working Group I
- Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis
- U.S bosses out of step on climate change
- UN climate report paints bleak picture
- Final Report: Humans Caused Global Warming
- New Warnings on Climate Change
See also Nobel Prize nominee Sheila Watt-Cloutier on “The Right to be Cold”
Flynn-Burhoe, Maureen. 2007. Final Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=ddp3qxmz_89rqp57p . Google Docs. First uploaded February 2, 2007 to Digg and Papergirls Speechless. Last updated February 3, 2007. Creative Commons Copyright License 2.5 BY-NC-SA February 2, 2007.