Al Gore: Sarah Palin and Warming Skeptics in "Air of Unreality"

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Al Gore

4760191Former Vice President Al Gore said today that the evidence of global warming is unequivocal and that those who claim otherwise -- such as Sarah Palin -- "persist in an air of unreality."

Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed today that President Obama should boycott the United Nations summit on global warming in Copenhagen because the issue has become politicized. In a recent Facebook post, she called climate science "junk science and doomsday scare tactics."

Gore hit back at Palin and other global warming skeptics on MSNBC today.

"The entire North Polar ice cap is disappearing before our eyes," Gore said. "What do they think is happening?"

The discovery that CO2 traps heat was made 150 years ago, Gore points out. He adds: "That is a principle in physics. It's not a question of debate. It's like gravity; it exists."

"The scientific community has worked very intensively for 20 years within this international process, and they now say the evidence is unequivocal," he said.

The Republican party has "gotten into a global warming denier posture," Gore said, even though the issue should not be political.

"It really is a moral issue," he said. "It speaks to the responsibility of the present generation to take steps to safeguard those generations yet to come, because this has now reached the level where, if we were not to act, the consequences already beginning at a low levels are predicted to reach catastrophic levels, unless we take steps to prevent it from that."

Furthermore, the former politician said, the response to global warming can bring jobs back the United States. He pointed out that Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm -- who represents one of the states hit hardest by the bad economy -- is a strong advocate for "green" jobs.

"Building the smart grid, building the solar, wind, geothermal, renewable energy systems, planting trees -- these are all job-creators that help to stimulate the economy and produce sustainable growth," Gore said.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by felix_w January 4, 2010 2:15 PM EST: If Al Gore wants to be taken seriously, he should (1) debate his opponents rather than pretend they don't exist, (2) admit to the many errors and exaggerations he has spread his in interviews and his documentary, (3) call for open and transparent scientific investigation of climate trends, and (4) denounce those who manipulate the numbers, destroy the raw data and rig the evidence.

If he doesn't do these things - and is evading all of them - people will treat him as a fraud and a joke. It's already happening.; Reply to this comment


by JohnSpencer321 December 14, 2009 4:58 AM EST: Has Al Gore heard of the work by R W Woods and N Bohr on the greenhouse effect? As for rising water Bangledash and the Nile Delta are organic in as much as they depend on sediment to exist, and yet both have dams.
While desertification in Africa is due to slash and burn.; Reply to this comment


by Unclemercer December 12, 2009 2:13 PM EST: Al Gore is a fat,arrogant, pompous windbag who wouldn't dare debate sharp & sassy Sarah Palin. She would show him up for the belching smokestack he is.; Reply to this comment


by rockcutr December 12, 2009 8:07 AM EST: Granted all politics is hype and mirror deception to purchase a vote of agrement from an opposing side. On the surface ~superficially~ there is Sara. The quitter. Then there is Al the silver spoon. Neither are real valid choices in authority on much of any subject other than themselves. But, credibility has never been a requirement of any politician if you can get a majority vote, you win. GW is still a fight against oil and the greed behind it. When it comes to a debate between Howdy and Doody...this is just a sad state of affairs. Makes for good entertainment but you all can be assured there is little truth being discussed in either pro or con on any issue these two might discuss.
The actual powers that be are deeply imbedded out of sight from the public. They do not care whom is in charge. Resumes are all adjusted to accomodate the new leader. Easy as Mr Rogers changing his sweater and into tennis shoes. It may be true that ice melts. It may be true that we have had dorks in charge of our country. Stooping to these two as any type of valid choice...REALLY? Shame on you!!!!; Reply to this comment


by eimorfin December 10, 2009 5:01 PM EST: Palin may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but when compared to Gore, she is and hot as well....GORE UR AN IDIOT....Getting rich of lies, deceit, and hypocrisy...GO AWAY GORE!!!! UR BECOMING A THORN IN THE AMERICAN FLESH!!!! SAY NOT TO THE BS OF DEMS!!!! Was one and learned the hard way, sorry America for being part of the problem in voting them in...all I can do now is change it in 2010 and 2012; Reply to this comment


by Cinderella95 December 10, 2009 12:02 PM EST: If only Al Gore weren't a giant hypocrite.; Reply to this comment


by iirishamerican December 9, 2009 7:35 PM EST: When this whole GW scam started I used to be able to find and read arguments for both sides of the story they always talk about the west side of antartic shelf melting, but used to find info and studies of the east side of antartic and it is 5 times larger then the west and growing. obama and gore and their well paid for in their pocket scientists have tried to make it difficult to find but there are still scientists that realy are interested and care about what is fact and what has been fabricated by obama, gore and his team of crooked scientists. It takes much longer to freeze water into ice as the east side is doing then it does to melt ice into water which happens quickly as the west side; Reply to this comment

by blue4green December 9, 2009 6:18 PM EST

Here we go with CBS lying again.

Gov Sarah Palin did NOT say climate Change was junk science. You should be ashamed of yourselves, you continuously lie on our public airwaves.

Sarah Palin said, "Policy decisions require real science and real solutions, not junk science and doomsday scare tactics"

And, you might also note that Gov Palin set new goals for renewable energy far more than any other Governor, let alone Federal, after achieving such a high amount already from renewable energy, she increased the goal to an incredible 50 pct by 2020.

I will anxiously await your retraction and again, apology to Sarah Palin

Reply to this comment


by mlmmc December 9, 2009 9:24 PM EST: Psst, it's proper to refer to former governors by the title Governor; get a clue, please.


by denny1233-2009 December 9, 2009 6:03 PM EST: This idiot, and I do mean IDIOT, Al Gore. This empty headed moron, who has made millions of dollars off his moronic global warming fantasy duping the masses while laughing all the way to the bank.He is a typical elitist,arrogant, and demeaning. To think that the industrial revolution, less than 130 years old has so greatly affected the atmosphere that we are all doomed is, well should I say it again IDIOTIC! All those that have jumped on Idiot Al's bandwagon are idiots to.; Reply to this comment


by mmvale December 9, 2009 6:00 PM EST: Al Gore's comments are coming as a huge blizzard comes to the western part of our country. It's hard to take this group seriously when they plan a global warming conference in Dec. Should have chosen August! And they want us to give them trillions of our tax dollars? Nope, don't think so! I'd like to know who's suppose to give the money and who gets it. Somehow they never explain who's going to walk away with our dollars, especially Gore, who will probably benefit from all this hysteria.; Reply to this comment