Do any non-Americans (or non-politically minded Americans) on Y!A care that Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize?

Question

I am finding the whole political debate pretty funny. I also am wondering if some obscure Bulgarian scientist had made "Inconvenient Truth" and won the Prize, would people demonize his winning it?

For the record (since people here always make their assumptions), I am a liberal, but I have no affection for Al Gore. And I certainly don't think he should have won a Nobel Peace Prize for basically making a movie about how cool he is with a PowerPoint presentation about the environment thrown in. I agree that the information presented is important and relevant (i.e. global warming seems real enough to me), but I'm not sure it rises to the level of the Nobel Prize.

Answer 1

8 years in the House of Representatives, 7 years in the Senate, and 8 years in the White House... that's 23 years in which Al Gore made global warming and environmental protection his primary focus of his political career.

even when the right has been excoriating him, he has continued to care about us and our planet.

the Nobel Prize has nothing to do with politics. he won it because he has dedicated his life to making an environmental difference for the planet, and he has done so. not just by publicizing global warming with his film, but by giving lectures and classes, by creating the Superfund, and by a host of other methods that NOBODY talks about, because they're too busy making fun of him for saying he invented the Internet (which he never said).

Answer 2

Wow, that's just weird. It falls in line with the two men's political ideas though. Al Gore is a wealthy liberal. This means he would like everyone to make sacrifices, but he would like to be on top and enjoy his lifestyle. George W. Bush is a wealthy conservative. This means he's most likely practical. His house has been designed so that not only is it energy efficient, but it probably costs little to run and maintain. Since he's practical, he hasn't advocated things like the Kyoto treaty, since they don't make fiscal sense (i.e. you get small benefit, or none at all, for a huge cost). You should also point out what kind of negative impact Gore's special concert series had on the environment. He's definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing and for the Nobel committee not to see that says a lot. I guess they certainly don't hire the best and the brightest.

Answer 3

I'm not sure I qualify as a "non political" American, but I'd like to answer anyway.

Who won last year? How many know? I don't remember her name. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm no longer even sure what her country of origin was, but I think it was in Africa. I remember thinking at the time that I hoped her winning the prize furthered her goals, because they sounded truly altruistic and worthy. I remember thinking at the time that she was facing some pretty steep political resistance.

I suspect this year's award will have similar "impact."

For the record, I'm fiscally conservative, fundamentally libertarian in politics, and liberal on many social issues.

Edit addition - I hope that he uses his political connections and name recognition to get some action on conservation and reliance on non-fossil fuels.

Answer 4

Not at all. I think its a scam. Global Warming is occuring, but just like everything, the media is over-hyping it almost to a point where it is obscene. I study weather a little bit, and no body realizes that the "Day After Tomorrow" type of effects from global warming,if they do happen, will not be for a couple hundred years. However, if the worlds oceans start to warm up, what will happen is they will start to evaporate constantly, and therefore yes,we will have very very strong storms all the time, however, this constant cloud cover, over another 100 years or so, will actually cool the earth back down.

Answer 5

Just to clarify, Gore didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize only for making the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” The award was also given for his decades-long efforts on behalf of environmental concerns. The committee recognized that “Al Gore has for a long time been one of the world's leading environmentalist politicians.” Gore’s award was richly deserved.

Answer 6

You could take the smallest physical particle that can possibly exist, and if it were hollow, and if you could drill a hole in it....you could stuff how much I care about AG and the Nobel in there and still have enough room to cram the entire state of California in there!!!!!

Answer 7

I think it's great. Trying to bring people together to solve a common problem without having to go to war is a peaceful thing.

I have heard people rip this guy apart for something he has spent decades on. Okay, if that's how you feel, fine.

BUT....

You should also be mentioning the co-winner of this award, don't you think?

It's Al Gore AND the UN panel.

Answer 8

I think it just shows that he is a celebrity, not a politician. Why did he get an academy award? Because he is putting forth a politically correct viewpoint, and they want to support his opinion. 'The Godfather' 'An Inconvenient Truth' was not.

He can get all the awards they want to give; it only says something about the awards, not about him. He would have to run on his own merits.

Answer 9

When ANY American wins a Noble Peace Prize, it is good for all American's standing in the world.
We don't need any more enemies.

You seem to care. In fact, I'd say it bothers you that an American is looked up to in the larger world.

Answer 10

well, i must agree that the Bulgarian scientist hasen't got a chance.

but id do think Al Gore deserved it, because he did not win it for making a movie about global climate change and "how cool he is with a PowerPoint presentation :)" but because he has publicized the issue so well. He is famous, and he has done alot to use that to make the issue well known.