Yup, that's Al Gore
by SarahSE
My friend Jillian and I had the distinct pleasure of going to see former Vice President Al Gore speak at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD this week. (I did my internship at Augustana and Jillian is an alum!) Mr. Gore was the speaker at Augie's annual Boe Forum on Public Affairs. We hit the road on Tuesday at noon and got into town just in time to have some dinner with friends before arriving at the Elmen Center to grab a seat in a full house. The name of his speech was "Thinking Green: Economic Strategy for the 21st Century." Not only was he funny, but it was also very inspiring to listen to him speak about what he calls "the greatest crisis our world will ever face." I've seen the film An Inconvenient Truth, which I believe is compelling enough. But what I found particularly exciting is that Gore's speech did not simply stop there. He went beyond addressing our climate crisis to challenging voters to make informed decisions and to offering practical and realistic solutions for both individuals and corporations.
The former Vice President, Gore argues that protecting the environment is not just a political issue, but a moral one. He believes that everyone can agree that we need to do what we can to stop global warming. I certainly agree with him. And finally he argues that companies and corporations will actually do better financially and be able to create more jobs if they take steps towards minimizing CO2 emissions and reducing waste. It makes me wonder how we at Luther Seminary can become more aware of the ways we affect the environment based on the decisions we make as an institution. According to Gore, it takes very little effort for an individual to reduce or eliminate one's contribution to the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. What would it look like for churches and religious institutions to do the same? Does our faith inform our actions when it comes to the environment? I think that it does, and I know many others feel the same way. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch "An Inconvenient Truth" or to read the book, I highly recommend them both. Feel free to post your opinions about this issue!
posted by SarahSE at 2:40 PM
5 Comments:
By promoting fear of an envionmental catastrophe, former Vice President Al Gore has become an advocate of enviro-fear mongering, and his quite predictable solution is severe restrictions on your freedom and mine, alongside international regulation and enforcement. In simple terms, he wants to place our country under the control of the United Nations. No thank you, Mr. Vice President.
The UN is promoting what is essentially a type of new world religion through its focus on the environment, calling on people to save the planet from destruction. At its World Summit on Sustainable Development, or Earth Summit II, the Earth Charter was unveiled. One of the Charter's authors, former Communist leader Mikhail Gorbachev, said, "My hope is that this charter will be a kind of Ten Commandments, a 'Sermon on the Mount,' that provides a guide for human behavior." A similar assessment was offered by Canadian billionaire socialist Maurice Strong, who said, "The read goal of the Earth Charter is that is will in fact become like the Ten Commandments."
Concern for the environment is one thing. Environmentalism as a religion is quite another. Please, dear reader, do not be dubed into thinking the modern environmental hysteria is a legitimate plan to preserve what we love and enjoy at State Parks and National forests. There are much darker, much more suspect, forces at work to undermine your freedom and mine.
John R. Christy, Professor of Atmospheric Science and Director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, testifeid before Congress in 2003 regarding global warming. He said:
"A fundamental fact that our nation needs to understand is that any of these proposals (for reducing global wraming such as the Kyoto Treaty) if implemented, will have an effect on the climate so small that we would not be able to detect it."
Global warming is not Gospel but merely a well disguised attempt to institute global socialism.
If you really think this is a partisan issue, or one geared at “global socialism,” than you either haven’t actually seen the movie, or you are uninformed of the scientific realities of what we have done to the earth. There is little to argue with when you see the facts about increases in global temperatures, melting icecaps, the emergence of increasing storm systems, and the diminishment of massive bodies of water. And at the end of the day, we (as humans but especially as Christians) have a responsibility to nurture and care for the earth; I dare you to argue with the suggestion that excessive consumption and unnecessary use of the world’s resources are doing our planet any favors.
Furthermore, I can’t imagine that you are actually using Mr. Christy’s quote to suggest that since the problem is so large, we shouldn’t bother doing anything about it; this is the most asinine reasoning I have ever heard. The world was not created to be at your disposal, and certainly continuing to make the choices we have made have not only jeopardizes our health and well being, but also have made a visible impact on the planet that will eventually lead to our demise. Gore’s not asking you to do anything unthinkable. Recycle. Turn off the lights when you leave the house. Think before you drive your car up the hill to campus. We are to be stewards of the planet and good neighbors to all of God’s creatures. There are ways that Luther Seminary and millions of individuals and corporations around the world can do this. It’s time to look at those options instead of turning it into a partisan issue. And if we don’t, the impact we’re having on the world will kill the Democrats and the Republicans alike.
Finally, if you really want to back up your opinion, sign your post next time.
I am hearing echos of a desparate attempt at saving face by a certain, anonymous writer. Unfortunately, there is the sound of "freedom and rights" being sung as some sort of god; some sort of idol.
Idolotry is bad news, my friend. Protecting "rights and freedom" makes a god out of something that will ultimatley fail to produce; for, who can make rights and freedoms completely accessible to all but God? In your desparate attempt to save the face of the good 'ol American "rights and freedoms", you have mistaken "rights and freedoms" as something greater than God.
It is as though your arguement is telling me, "if you just hold on to your rights and freedoms, son, the world will be redeemed from any sort of destruction". Sorry pal, I only put my hope in the one who promised to save, Jesus Christ.
Given that my hope is in Christ, and Christ says I am saved and free from worry about salvation, I think I will go out and help somebody (besides myself and my "rights and freedoms") who actually needs my help; my neighbor and my planet and my future children and grandchildren.
Peace,
Informed Undergrad from that "dang 'ol liberal institution that hosted Al Gore"...
I thought the blog was suppose to allow freedom of speech. This is a different anonymous writer and I am quite taken aback by how the former anonymous is vehemently opposed.
On my part, I think there is truth on either sides of the divide. For anyone who cares to note, there is a fair amount of scientific literature that shows that the earth is not any more warmer than it was 40 or 60 years ago.
But be that as it may, I agree that Christians should be good stewards of the earth and do whatever they can to minimize enviromental hazards. However, we should not buy hook, line and sinker into the present enviromental "this and that" wind that is blowing everywhere.
Indeed, it is Jesus that is our savior, not enviromental solution or human right and freedom.
During the cold snap it is hard to take global warming seriously.
I certainly hope the Earth Charter does not become like the Ten Commandments. I would like to see people take care of the environment a little more seriously than they do the Ten.
As I recall a cosponsor of of a bill in congress supporting the ten commandments was flustered when asked to name them. It was political. He really did not have any kind of handle on them.
I'll see if I can leave my name, Joel Xavier. checking anonymous on these things is sometimes easier than figuring out the internet. (Which Al Gore invented. He he.)
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