Thursday, July 17, 2008

Quote of the day, week, century maybe?

We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet.

-- Nobel Laureate and Former Vice-President Al Gore

[source]

5 comments:

Michael Bains said...

Hola Blueberry!

That's definitely the money quote. I thought the one he borrowed from a Saudi oil minister spoke even better about "our" chance of meeting his lofty goals: "The Stone Age didn't end for lack of stone."

Human intelligence, in all its convolution, can trump fear and greed.

Happy Friday!

DrDon said...

Yeah, and phony Al Gore uses more than his share. I wish he'd shut his piehole already. Or at least try to be even a little bit less of a hypocrite.

Blueberry said...

I think all of us are hypocritical by some definitions. I certainly don't always practice everything I preach. I'm always trying to do better, but I have a loooong way to go. I think of myself as "evolving." I can almost see where I want to be, but wonder if I will ever get there. Probably not.

I doubt if any of us finger-pointers (as bloggers, it's one of our main activities) is a steller icon on a pedestal of what we aspire to.

I admire Al Gore, in spite of him not being a perfect example of what he advocates. I hope he has a function in the Obama administration (Obama administration... how's that for hope?), but not VP. He can get more done in some other slot.

DrDon said...

Blue - We'll just have to agree to disagree on Mr. Gore. I think it is completely different when an anonymous person, like you or me, does always live up to our standards. I'm not writing books, getting paid to do lectures, or receiving Nobel prizes for telling people what we ought to be doing and then not doing it. And also, you not always recycling is not the same as living in an enormous mansion wasting energy, being driven to events in SUVs and limousines, and flying on private jets to speaking engagements. You can't compare those things. And purchasing carbon "credits" is a joke.

And frankly, I don't consider myself a hypocrite. I honestly can't think of a single behavioral or intellectual stand that I take where I don't behave consistently with what I say. That's why I get so angry when other aren't consistent. People always know where they stand with me because I am consistent, and it's probably cost me sometimes professionally and personally.

My other problem with Gore is that so much of what he says is just flat out wrong or based on weak science. Now he proposes that we do away with fossil fuels by 2018? Maybe he should put his enormous brain to work on what the alternative is going to be. He just makes these kinds of pronouncements without any thought as to what they actually mean. He's still acting just like a politician.

As you know, I'm not a Republican and I don't hate Al Gore. I respect the fact that he's brought attention to some important issues and I think his heart in genuinely in the right place. But, just like Obama, just because people like him doesn't mean everything he says is golden or even correct. And I do think, right or wrong, when you're a celebrity you have a higher bar of responsibility. People are much more effective leading by example than with words and I don't necessarily feel he leads by example.

Blueberry said...

Well said, DrDon, and we can agree to disagree on several points there. I respect people who have clear views that they have reached after giving them plenty of thought.