Gore, Branson Announce Climate Prize

Former VP, British Tycoon Team Up On "Global Challenge" To Give $25M To Global Warming Innovator

(CBS)  Former presidential candidate Al Gore has joined forces with the British financial heavyweight Sir Richard Branson to offer up a $25 million reward to inspire innovations in the field of combating climate change.

In an exclusive London interview with CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith, Gore said: "What we are facing is a planetary emergency. So some things you would never consider otherwise, it makes sense to consider."

Branson announced the "Earth Challenge" prize Friday morning at a news conference in London with Gore, who served as vice president under Bill Clinton, and then failed in a 2000 White House bid before becoming a vocal environmental activist.

His recent documentary film, "An Inconvenient Truth," is credited with bringing the issues of global warming and carbon emissions much nearer to center-stage in the American media - in addition to creating an Oscar buzz and rumors of Gore being considered for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Branson, chairman of the wildly successful Virgin Group, said the prize will go to whoever comes up with the most innovative way of sucking harmful greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.

"The Earth cannot wait 60 years. We need everybody capable of discovering an answer to put their minds to it today," Branson said at the news conference. "The Earth cannot wait 60 years."

When Smith asked the men whether their prize campaign might distract attention from the important drive to get politicians onboard the push for a greener planet, Branson acknowledged, "it's going to be a problem to get the political will of, you know, some countries, in particular America, to actually get out there and encourage people to go for smaller cars, to encourage people to use less carbon."

Gore told the Early Show co-anchor that there had been a "big shift" in American public interest in global warming, and that such a shift was the only thing capable of driving a change in the political policy of the country.

"I think you really are going to see change in the way people demand politicians in both parties make this their top priority," Gore said.

But, Branson said if the political will isn't there yet, that's just more evidence that there's an urgent need to give the private sector new incentive to solve to the problem, and that's the goal of the prize money.

Judges of the competition, which applies the basic business theory of creating a huge incentive to get a problem solved, are looking for a method to remove at least one billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere every year.

The judges include a NASA scientist and several top environmental researchers from around the world.

This is not the first time Gore and Branson have joined forces to bring attention to climate change. Gore backed the English tycoon's September 2006 pledge to devote all the profits from his transportation businesses - which include air and rail - to fight global warming.

Branson said that over 10 years, the amount allocated from his business ventures could total $3 billion.

[dallison7]

Two genuine heros. Branson is also involved in a drive to get billionaires around the world to stimulate alternative fuel programs.

[luvny-2009]

dallison7 - Agree...pretty sad that it takes citizens to step forward and offer their own money to help and it doesn't matter how rich they may be it's stil THEIR money! Thanks guys!

[olebd]

Well I hope they succeed for the betterment of the planet. Alternative fuel should be the priority then the global warming thing should automatically start taking care of itself once the fuels are being used for cleaner burning engines.

[skyk-2009]

More like two genuine zeros.
Posted by bigwhtpony at 08:15 AM : Feb 09, 2007
+ report this comment

How so? You fascist have been doing this *** now for 30 years and all the while we continue to slide toward third world status. I'd say YOU clowns are the genuine zeros!

[gmcnally2]

The answer has been around for 10 years. This is a viable solution, check out stuff by Bob Boyce as well. It will come out sooner than you think.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jcy3JbGjQwo

[starlady2]

I'll be sure to send them my idea on how to use the ocean water-to create electricity in powering the homes, as well as the cars, and all kinds of engines. cha chin!!!

[shaveman86]

Ok... does anyone read these stories before they're published? Al Gore did not run for president in 2004, that was John Kerry. Gore ran in 2000. Not to mention he was an environmental activist long before losing the election. He began testifying to congress on global warming well before he even became Vice President! I found some other typos too. Good story but come on, this is CBS how about some professionalism? I'm disappointed.

[santo_marco]

Again...Al Gore is a crook. This schmuck of a "scientist" has not a clue. And it's all for the dollar.

[rray52]

Replace coal, oil, and gas fired power plants with nuclear power plants. Plenty of power to charge electric cars, heat and air-condition homes. No CO2 emissions

[perception5]

rray52 - "Replace coal, oil, and gas fired power plants with nuclear power plants. Plenty of power to charge electric cars, heat and air-condition homes. No CO2 emissions"

Good idea.....problem is liberal environmentalist's have successfully blocked construction of new Nuk plants since the 1970's. During that same time France has built 60 Nuk plants......
There is a "conflict of interest" because the environmentalist's are big donors to the Democrats............... so we may continue to have issues building them.........
We will see.

[markhoffman3]

I like the Idea and would like any info you could foward to me

thanks Mark

[rray52]

In France where the majority of their electricity is generated by nuclear power they recycle the spent fuel and vitrify the waste.

[gunownerdan]

http://www.hytechapps.com

[rray52]

Also we don%u2019t have to import uranium from the middle-east

[lpcgraham06]

GunOwnerDan hello

[nolalou]

perception5, The problem with nuclear power has always been safety of the plants, and what to do with all that nuclear waste. Nobody want's it in their backyard. There are several court cases where states are challenging the location of waste sites. Maybe we can just store it in your basement?

[burncleangas]

I have a product that will reduce greenhouse by 30% or more.One (pubicly traded) company removed 1000 tons of green house gas last year alone.I have a california state opacity test that show nearliy no emmissions being emitted from my truck.you can reach me at 707-889-4186.looking forwad to hearing from you [e-mail]

[buffalo_ken]

Why does there even need to be a contest for this. The solution to this unprecedented ecological uncertainty is two-fold:

A. Plant trees. Lots of them, in lots of places, and done by lots & lots of people. (Planting any long-lived vegetation will also help)

B. Stop cutting down trees (unless under highly controlled circumstances and only when absolutely necessary).

Anyhow, trees grow using carbon in the air. This can only help the vast preponderance of all people.

KH

[articulator]

This article states: "Gore, who served as vice president under Bill Clinton, and then failed in a 2000 White House bid before becoming a vocal environmental activist."

What I take issue with is ..."before becoming a vocal environmental activist."

Please have the courtesy to research a man's work before making these ridiculous statements. Al Gore was in the forefront of environmental consciousness BEFORE he became our Vice President.

[articulator]

This article states: "Gore, who served as vice president under Bill Clinton, and then failed in a 2000 White House bid before becoming a vocal environmental activist."

What I take issue with is ..."before becoming a vocal environmental activist."

Please have the courtesy to research a man's work before making these ridiculous statements. Al Gore was in the forefront of environmental consciousness BEFORE he became our Vice President.

[marcodele]

Good, positive news story. Here come the compassionate christian conservative neocons with machetes....

[jimibear]

"Good, positive news story. Here come the compassionate christian conservative neocons with machetes....
Posted by marcodele at 12:22 PM : Feb 09, 2007
+ report this comment"

Close, marcodele ... actually, they'll use deisel-powered chainsaws. Machetes don't pollute, you see, and it's slow work cutting down rainforests with them.

The difference (well, one difference)between the NeoCons and real humans is that they are incapable of separating their personal dislike of an individual from that person's accomplishments, so of course this has to be bad as Gore's involved.

If Bush ever did anything worth praising, it would be a first, but assuming he ever did, I would congratulate him on it, not dismiss it because of who the person involved is. But then, I'm not stupid, bigoted, narrow-minded and ruled by hate and greed.

[processor2]

Former VP, British Tycoon Team Up On "Global Challenge" To Give $25M To Global Warming Innovator

GREAT HEADLINE

Because after 8 feet of snow up here in New York, we need some global warming to help us with our heating bills.

.....

[briannorwood]

Could someone please explain to me why conservative Republicans find it so important to argue that global warming is not caused by human actions.

I mean, what's in it for them to continue to buck the overwhelming volume of supporting evidence?

[processor2]

Former VP, British Tycoon Team Up On "Global Challenge" To Give $25M To Global Warming Innovator

GREAT HEADLINE

Because after 8 feet of snow up here in New York, we need some global warming to help us with our heating bills.

.....

[zeekylord]

You know who can solve this? James Cameron!

In his Aliens movie, there were these huge constructs that were labeled Atmospheric Processing Stations - which were tasked with taking out all of the nasties from a planet's atmosphere to make it safe for humans during teraforming.

I've been telling people for years that these are what we need! Giant IonicBreeze machines from The Sharper Image basically.

Now if only we could get them without the aliens with acid for blood. Yes, that would be a good thing.

[jimibear]

"Could someone please explain to me why conservative Republicans find it so important to argue that global warming is not caused by human actions.

I mean, what's in it for them to continue to buck the overwhelming volume of supporting evidence?
Posted by briannorwood at 12:40 PM : Feb 09, 2007
+ report this comment"

Sure, several things are in it for them:

1) For the average NeoCon, the idea threatens their asinine world view that industry and money are the all-important drivers of the world, and that as long as the fat cats are getting rich and there's a war somewhere, everything is fine. They can't conceive that their plan for the world could possibly have a downside, because (like our president) they are stupid and delusional.

2) Equally, nothing their political opponents could do can ever be good. They operate on personal ideaology and antipathy towards others, not upon fact. In their world, someone always has to be wrong, but it can't be them. Their black and white thinking makes it impossible for them to realize that people who disagree with them can have good ideas - quite likely, in fact, better than theirs.

[jimibear]

(cont.)

3) They are arrogant and bullying. It makes them feel good to put people down as "libs" or "hippies" or "tree-huggers". Feeling right at someone else's expense is more important to them than being right.


4) For the ones in power, they are getting massively rich from oil, and they don't care in the least what the longterm effects are, because by the time the worst of the damage hits, they'll be dead. They are so utterly selfish that it's more important that their bank balances swell than that the planet remain habitable.

Basically, it's because they are stupid, greedy, arrogant, bullying, wasteful jerks, or worst yet, toadies and wanna-be jerks. Didn't we already know that, though?

[jimibear]

Processor2, your typical ignorance shows again. You are clearly incapabale of realizing that one of the effects of winter temperatures & water temperatures going up is an increase in snowfall.

I could try to explain to you about the ability of air at particular temperatures to hold moisture, and the lake effect generating snow ... but it would be like explaining electric light to a caveman.

[bigwhtpony]

Global Warming = A tax on people who were educated in government run schools.

[alaskanokie1]

I know we just got out of an ice age, and green house gases have probably helped speed up the natural warming process of the earth. Here`s my theory that I haven`t even heard of.
Oil has a thick consistancy which acts as an insulator between the earths surface and the earths core.when we pump out the oil salt water is usually pumped in to fill the void.As you know salt water has a much thinner consistancy thus allowing more heat to rise up from the earths core.
Two things need to be checked
1.ground temp from the last 100yrs.
and ground to air temp ratios.
2 We need to find out if the polar ice is warming up from the bottom side.to do this we need to look at temps from the ocean floor around the cap.

Is there any coralation between alaska`s prudhoe bay running low on oil and the changes that we`ve seen (rising water levels,weather changes)recently.
Can we make the filler agent the same consistancy as the oil being pumped out with somekind of additive or another differant agent?
Or find some kind of insulating blanket to cover the whole oil feild.
the easiest solution is to start using other sorces of power and force the major companies to release their best tecnology for transportation,standardize all parts for equipment,and think about the enviroment and not money.
P.S. I`m definitly NOT a tree hugger.

[processor2]

Former VP, British Tycoon Team Up On "Global Challenge" To Give $25M To Global Warming Innovator

GREAT HEADLINE

Because after 8 feet of snow up here in New York, we need some global warming to help us with our heating bills.

.....

[gunownerdan]

This is where the prize money should go:
http://www.hytechapps.com
Fuel from WATER!

[olgreyghost]

briannorwood:

Conservatives in general and Republicans as a class are not the only ones who challenge the hypothesis that Global Warming (GW) is caused by human activity. Libertarians also object when the science is mostly conjecture that either GW is caused by human activity and that government suppression of human activity will solve the problem.

As many people post here can show you there are competing hypotheses such as the solar cycle, precession, and our solar system's location in the Milky Way galaxy. Also there is debate if elevated CO2 levels cause GW or does GW cause elevated CO2 levels, ie. solar heated sea water and hayfields release CO2.

The recent meeting of climatologists that voted to declare that GW is associated with human activity is suspect. If the world had a similar meeting to determine the best flavor of ice cream and everyone who liked chocolate or strawberry was excluded, vanilla would win the contest.

Consider this, 90% of the world's population does not have access to the Internet and using the Internet generally means more CO2 in the atmosphere. If those people were whipped into a panicked frenzy believing their lives were in peril, it will be safe bet they would vote to deny the Internet to those of us who have access to it and can use it for the betterment of mankind. Are you ready for that?

[david1737]

This one is just too important to play politics with. I ask everybody to do some research on this and take personal action.

[buffalo_ken]

Hey,

While all of you were talking freaking politics, and hashing over old ground, did anyone stop to even read my note (Hm?):

1. Plant trees.
2. Stop cutting down trees.

Do this all over.
Why not?
It will be good for everyone. So why not?

KJH

[olgreyghost]

buffalo-ken:

I would recommend you for the prize but I think the Arbor Day Foundation has beaten you to it. I was already planning on planting more Live Oaks and Pecan trees on my private wildlife preserve (the Walnuts are thriving on their own). Anyone care to make donations to offset the costs? Mr. Branson, sir?

[one_american]

Just watch as liberals like Al Gore slowly turn up the heat on America, using the junk science of Global Warming as their ruse to impose higher taxes on Americans.

("You're plugged into the power grid??? You're not exclusively using solar power in your northern Alaskan home???? Oh, that's baaaaad! We're gonna have to TAX that!")

They don't intend to use the taxes for cleaning up the environment, either...just to keep themselves in power, and pay for bigger Party Planes, like Nancy Pelosi wants.

[bigwhtpony]

Hey, you libs better hurry.....Algore will be selling tickets to his Global Warming summer concert series real soon. You'll want front row center.

Don't forget to bring your bras to throw!

[jimibear]

"Global Warming = A tax on people who were educated in government run schools.
Posted by bigwhtpony at 01:25 PM : Feb 09, 2007
+ report this comment"

Bigwhtpony, I see you've now given up even trying to make sense. There's no possible meaning to be gleaned from that meaningless cluster of words.

It's probably a wise choice on your part. When you try to make a point, you just embarrass yourself anyway.

[drinuk]

For 50 yrs the major oil producers have been buying up fuel saving patents and throwing them into the garbage can. If Gore and Branson have got $25 dollars to throw around their first act should be to buy up those patents, the second being to throw those greedy B A S T A R D S into jail for *** the world......including the Decider !!!

[jimibear]

Bigwhtpony, why don't you come to the concert too? We'll need some garbage to recyle for demonstration purposes.

You're just jealous because the only "musician" who supports Bush and the NeoCons is Britney Spears (which is telling in itself), so benefit concerts for the right are out of the question. Besides, the "Concert to Ruin the Planet" or the "Concert for Murdering Iraqis" or the "Concert to Kill More American Troops" lack drawing power among the public as a whole.

[rray52]

buffalo-ken:

Planting trees is great, but don%u2019t stop cutting. Young trees grow faster and consume more CO2 per acre than old slower growing trees. Just use the lumber don%u2019t burn

[jimibear]

UnAmerican, you're confusing other politicians with your guys again. Try to keep it straight: Bush and Cheney are the ones who habitually lie at the country's expense for their own ends.

[one_american]

jimibear:

Nobody is "jealous" about idiot liberal politicians paying Hollywood w-h-o-r-e-s to support junk science.

Get over yourself.

[one_american]

jimibear:

You get it straight.

Republicans are the elephants.

Democrats are the JACKASSES.

Do you get it now?

[drinuk]

david 1737, It is the politicians who are playing politics with global warming to attract the "Green" vote. The rest of us are meaningless in the debate, you can however bet your boots on it being a tax hike scam.

[legendary240]

Did you get a look at Al Gore? Doesn't look like he's too distraught about Global Warming to stop eating Cheetohs all day! This is all fun and fanciful publicity for the "boy who would be president".

[legendary240]

Did it ever occur to these thermo-phobes that all the marijuana they smoked probably contributed more greenhouse gas than the car they drove?

[jimibear]

UnAmerican, as far as I'm concerned, they're all jackasses. The fact that the republicans are elephantine jackasses is just a matter of degree.

You may even have a point about global warming being used as an excuse for taxation. Everything else is, so why not?

I still maintain the left-wing has all the cool musicians, though.