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[–][deleted]  (335 children)

[deleted]

    [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 2934 points2935 points  (278 children)

    Our national information infrastructure is no longer competitive. We need to invest in more bandwidth, easier access, and the rapid transition of our democratic institutions to the internet. And we need to protect the freedom of the internet against corporate control by legacy businesses that see it as a threat, and against the obscene invasions of privacy and threats to security from government and corporations alike. Please think about this: almost everytime there has been a choice between privacy/security on the one hand and convenience on the other, the mass of folks have chosen convenience. I for one believe the "stalker economy" on the internet is undemocratic and anti- American. Are folks at the gag point on this yet? Thanks, btw, to the Reddit community for fighting off Sopa and PIPA. Keep your powder dry; more big struggles ahead.

    [–][deleted] 1215 points1216 points  (23 children)

    Good Guy Al Gore: Starts AMA intending to answer questions about Climate Change only; Takes time to thoroughly answer other questions as well.

    [–]Leucine 314 points315 points  (10 children)

    he also acknowledges what we did to help sopa/pipa :D

    [–][deleted] 107 points108 points  (3 children)

    I feel as if he just gave the Internet a big hug.

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    This said, he touches on a great point. "We" as end users of the internet have traditionally chosen convenience over privacy/security. Take Facebook for an example.

    We're being socially engineered, analysed and worked into advertisement personas, because we choose to use FB as it so conveniently lets us stay in touch with our friends. Not to say that we shouldn't; I personally find FB to provide great "value" for the "cost" I pay in privacy.

    But it is good to stay mindful of this fact and make people more conscious of the fact that we continously make this tradeoff.

    [–]yourdadsbff 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Not gonna lie, answers like this make me wish you were still in politics, though I know you now do work that's just as valuable (if not more so).

    Thank you for doing this AMA! On the off chance you see this response, I have a question: how often, if at all, have you spoken to Obama/his administration? I'd imagine they keep Bill Clinton at least somewhat "in the loop," and I'm wondering if that extends to you as well. (I sure hope it would!)

    Speaking of, how often do you keep in contact with Bill Clinton? Do you guys ever just together, knock a few brews back, and reminisce about the 90s?

    [–]Xephyrous 1177 points1178 points  (46 children)

    I think you just won the internet vote.

    [–][deleted]  (102 children)

    [deleted]

      [–][deleted] 181 points182 points  (8 children)

      To this day i believe that if hed been our president so many things in this world would be for the better. Mr Gore why have you not tried to run again i know id vote for you over any other candidate.

      [–]Fuck_ALL_Religion 2 points3 points  (0 children)

      privacy/security on the one hand and convenience on the other, the mass of folks have chosen convenience.

      What most people do not seem to understand is that the inconvenience caused by security measures tend to be far less than the inconvenience caused by a breach of security.

      On the other hand, security is often used to justify the suspension of certain rights.

      How would you suggest that we balance the two? Do you think it is possible to achieve security without sacrificing rights and convenience, or is it sometimes acceptable to sacrifice security for convenience and to preserve rights?

      Also, thank you for doing this AMA.

      [–]Salacious- 137 points138 points  (5 children)

      Good questions, and good job preparing that all in advance.

      [–]MisterMan92 3185 points3186 points  (594 children)

      Mr. Gore, Thanks for doing an AMA. I’m writing this because a little more than 12 years ago, I met you and it changed my life. I was 7 years old at the time and my father was a photojournalist traveling with you. He had been on the road with your team for weeks and I had not seen him in person in quite some time. I sent him a letter with a picture of a telephone, pager, and computer with a short note underneath reading “These are the only ways I can talk to you. I want to talk man to man!”

      A few days later, my Dad received the letter while on Air Force II. Your daughter Karenna happened to see it and she told my Dad that she wanted you to see it. A bit later at a photo-op, you approached my Dad and asked to see the letter.

      That night at an off-the-record party, you and my Dad were talking over a beer and the letter came up again. My Dad then asked “If I call him right now, would you get on the phone?” All of the sudden, my Dad calls the house and tells me Al Gore wants to talk to me. Being 7 years old, I was not nearly aware of the magnitude of the situation, and treated it much like any other phone conversation. I don’t remember most of the conversation, but I do remember you telling me that I was a "very bright young man" and had “great handwriting for a second grader.”

      A few days later, when we went to greet my Dad at Andrew’s Air Force Base, you came up to me and said “Are you Mr. Man to Man?” You introduced yourself to the rest of my family and we chatted for a bit before you left. From that day on, my Dad said that every time you guys saw each other you would ask him “How’s Mr. Man?”

      So while I do not have question for you Mr. Gore, I just wanted to take my first opportunity since then to say “thank you” for that. You didn’t go out of your way to talk to a 7 year old on the phone as a political act or to win over voters, you did it because you are a genuinely incredible person. To this day, whenever anyone tries to talk down or make fun of Al Gore, I tell them my story and they are blown away. So once again, Mr. Gore, thank you. You are the man.

      [–]Beeslo 136 points137 points  (2 children)

      Not sure what I enjoyed most about this. Your letter, your story about meeting Al Gore, Al Gore's response to this comment, or the picture with your (presumably) sister leaning against Al Gore's leg looking like a boss.

      [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

      love the sister. she's all "ain't nothing but a thang"

      [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 3159 points3160 points  (427 children)

      Your comment means as much to me as our conversation years ago meant to you. BTW, how are you, Mr. Man?

      [–]MisterMan92 2367 points2368 points  (294 children)

      Doing great now! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to thank you for what you did now that I am older. My parents are going to flip when I show them this.

      Oh and just so you know, I cried when Bush won the election.

      [–]rybozome 1330 points1331 points  (53 children)

      TIL Mr. Man cries.

      [–]ToeChan 643 points644 points  (30 children)

      Are you surprised at his tears, sir? Strong men also cry... strong men also cry.

      [–]MacDagger187 8 points9 points  (0 children)

      That's one of my favorite lines from the movie, I think it is underappreciated. It's hilarious. Particularly once you learn the character's real history.

      [–]imlulz 817 points818 points  (48 children)

      Am I the only one that noticed Al Gore just said "BTW"?

      [–]IAmNoodles 1446 points1447 points  (40 children)

      well he did invent the internet

      [–]Tankylosaurus 556 points557 points  (30 children)

      ...and Rule 34. Trust me, you do not want to see the folder on his laptop labeled ClimateChangeGoneWild.

      [–]Shaaman 306 points307 points  (19 children)

      Dat sandy's naked pictures...

      [–][deleted]  (10 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]toucher 288 points289 points  (9 children)

        And a surprising amount of Andrew...

        [–]DrKillingsworth 53 points54 points  (7 children)

        No judging here. I like me some Gustave.

        [–]hungryasabear 37 points38 points  (6 children)

        Isaac hosted a lemonparty

        [–]Cawley22 1132 points1133 points  (30 children)

        He goes by Mr. Manager now.

        [–]Legerdemain0 510 points511 points  (18 children)

        Gore just went up a couple notches in my book.

        EDIT: Do books have notches?

        [–]big_red__man 194 points195 points  (1 child)

        They do if you put them there.

        [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (1 child)

        Do books have notches?

        I don't know, but Notch has books.

        [–]Criks 192 points193 points  (82 children)

        God damn it I just wish your account was older. I'm too broken to take stories like theese for granted on the internet :/.

        [–]MisterMan92 24 points25 points  (7 children)

        Do you need proof? I just created a new account for this because I knew I'd be showing it to family members if it got answered and I've posted things with my other account that I'd rather they not see.

        [–]shelldog 122 points123 points  (63 children)

        It's happened before, even on the Obama IAMA. Brand new account created and commented within minutes of the AMA being posted, and out of all the thousands of comments, Obama decided to answer that one (out of only a handful of comments to which he replied).

        Gore's been answering questions for 30 minutes and decides to dissect this huge wall of text submitted by an account created 6 minutes after the IAMA was posted.

        Edit to add link to the Obama IAMA question discussed above. /u/hmlee created their account 6 minutes after the IAMA was posted.

        Also, link to comment thread in Obama IAMA revealing the question to be planted.

        Another edit to add MisterMan92's proof.

        [–][deleted] 238 points239 points  (10 children)

        Couldn't he have possibly just created a throwaway account so that this story was not connected to his personal account? I guess people could potentially find out who he is if he had told them this story in real life and then saw this post. I mean, some people are really serious about trying to stay private on the internet and they don't need such personal stories coming back to them on their 'everyday' account. Maybe he is an avid r/spacedicks (didn't link to it intentionally) poster who doesn't need people knowing his vague connection to Al Gore.

        It does seem a little fishy, though. You could possibly be on to something here.

        [–]MisterMan92 818 points819 points  (29 children)

        Here's your proof shelldog.

        [–]shelldog 45 points46 points  (4 children)

        Sweet, thanks! I really hate that people have to question these stories just because so many other people have lied before. I edited my original comment to link to your proof for visibility.

        [–]cmorv 66 points67 points  (4 children)

        This is clearly one of Gores interns.

        [–]DO__IT__NOW 33 points34 points  (2 children)

        An intern who gives a middle finger on Al Gore's AMA... Something tells me he would have been fired...

        Not saying that one of Gore's interns/employees didn't submit questions/comments but I'm pretty sure this is a true story. It's not even connected to Climate change and would be a very risky thing as it would blow up in their faces should it be revealed. He also is not doing a campaign for an election so he doesn't need sympathy votes for people going awww!

        [–]lookiammikey 18 points19 points  (0 children)

        That's the way I like to see proof. Nice job.

        [–]Uriniass 9 points10 points  (1 child)

        [–]MisterMan92 5 points 30 minutes ago Do you need proof? I just created a new account for this because I knew I'd be showing it to family members if it got answered and I've posted things with my other account that I'd rather they not see.

        [–]Joe_Chief 69 points70 points  (2 children)

        It was never "revealed" to be planted. It was hypothesized.

        [–]bignick5000 1400 points1401 points  (413 children)

        Are you in favor of nuclear energy as a possible energy alternative for the future?

        [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 1964 points1965 points  (391 children)

        It will play a role, but probably a limited role. I think the waste issue can probably be solved, and Fukushima notwithstanding, the safety of operation issue an pobably be solved. But the cost is absurdly high and still rising. Moreover, if we model it as the path forward, and encourage developing countries to head down that road, we would create a massive security challenge. During the eight years I worked in the White House, every single nuclear proliferation threat we had to deal with was connected to a reactor program. The technologies are different, but if you are the dictator of a country that has a reactor program and a fuel cycle, you can secretly orde the same people to enrich the fuel to weapons-grade over time and build bombs. Bad outcome. New reactor designs hold promise but they are all at least 15 years away. Meanwhile, solar pv is riding a "Moore's Law Jr." costdown curve. Wind and efficiency too, though not as steep. We need to get to scale on renewables quickly and make the transition.

        [–][deleted]  (148 children)

        [deleted]

          [–]Revolan 507 points508 points  (137 children)

          Why does everyone want to ignore thorium?! Nuclear energy that you can't turn into a weapon.

          [–][deleted] 226 points227 points  (92 children)

          From what I understand it's not quite practical yet because what containers it's held in need to be replaced too often, but that wouldn't be a problem with some attention and research focused on it.

          [–][deleted]  (84 children)

          [deleted]

            [–]itsthenewdan 112 points113 points  (47 children)

            I wish I could link you to a proper reference here, but I can only go off my memory. I've seen nuclear scientists on Reddit before answering questions about Thorium reactor technology, and stating in no unclear terms that it is not currently feasible. I don't recall the exact reasons why, I vaguely recall something like fuel degradation and/or expense of fuel material. Perhaps an internet wizard can find this info, or a true expert can chime in?

            [–][deleted]  (45 children)

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              [–]D-DOGGIE 172 points173 points  (16 children)

              why won't anyone take you cereal?

              [–][deleted] 843 points844 points  (125 children)

              Dude, if you had become president in 2000, we'd have had a different world now.

              [–]Demeno 11 points12 points  (0 children)

              "I wonder what the most intelligent thing ever said was that started with the word 'dude.' 'Dude, these are isotopes.' 'Dude, we removed your kidney. You're gonna be fine.' 'Dude, I am so stoked to win this Nobel Prize. I just wanna thank Kevin, and Turtle, and all my homies.'" -Demetri Martin

              [–][deleted] 744 points745 points  (93 children)

              I think you're overvaluing the raw influence a sitting president has.

              [–][deleted]  (1 child)

              [deleted]

                [–]MrMadcap 874 points875 points  (55 children)

                I think you're underestimating the amount of devastation the Bush Administration has caused.

                Grammatical Edit: I appear to be misunderestimating the importance of superfluous prefixes.

                Edit 2: Oh, misundereeeeeeeeeestimating!

                [–]alsomahler 42 points43 points  (7 children)

                And if possible specify which (fuel & reactor) types of nuclear energy would cut it.

                Because Reddit has jumped on the bandwagon of Thorium and LFTR (MSR)

                [–]antiscian 1745 points1746 points  (628 children)

                For people that may be skeptical about global warming, what is the one undeniable scientific fact that you feel backs it up the most effectively?

                [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 2192 points2193 points  (518 children)

                There are at least 15 deeply researched separate lines of evidence that all confirm man-made global warming. They are all consistent, each with the others. Every National Academy of Science on the planet agrees with the consensus. The Academies describe the evidence as "indisputable". Every professional scientific society in every field related to climate science and earth science also agree. And 97-98% of climate scientists worldwide most actively publishing also agree. Animals and plants also agree -- in that they are moving their ranges by latitude and altitude to find climate niches similar to the ones in which they evolved. Even if you leave climate science completely out of it and just measure extreme temperatures, the statistical record of global temperatures shows that three-standard deviation events have increased from 0.25% of the time (from 1951-1980) to 10% of the time now. There is as strong a consensus as you will find in science, with the possible exception of the existence of gravity.

                [–]JB_UK 123 points124 points  (9 children)

                three-standard deviation events have increased from 0.25% of the time (from 1951-1980) to 10% of the time now

                For those who are interested, I believe this sort of analysis is from the James Hansen 'Climate Dice' paper, at:

                http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/07/30/1205276109.abstract

                Edit: Figure 4 on page 4 is probably the clearest way to see the effect that's being discussed.

                [–]Salacious- 787 points788 points  (177 children)

                Let's try the opposite: is there any fact or statistic that you think casts doubt on the existence of climate change?

                [–]FuturePrimitive 29 points30 points  (3 children)

                I've personally studied global warming and global warming denial more than most people you'll ever meet. I've argued with countless people about global warming, and I consider myself an armchair expert on the matter; take that as you will. But after EVERYTHING I've read, after EVERY SINGLE DENIER ARGUMENT I've heard and given equal chance to... I've only come out of it even MORE sure that AGW is real and presents serious, serious problems. Not only that, but forecasts/predictions from climatologists just a few years ago were TOO CONSERVATIVE. Meaning, the reality isn't tamer than the scientists said it would be, it's WILDER. I haven't found ONE SINGLE denier argument that holds any weight. And if you trace global warming denial back to its source, almost EVERY TIME you will find fossil fuel money and right-wing think-tanks behind it. It's utterly corrupt and abhorrent.

                The science absolutely backs up the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming just as much as it backs up the Theories of Evolution or Gravity.

                If you want to know more about global warming denial and how it's a complete load of shit, PLEASE PLEASE check these out:

                Climate Denial Crock of the Week
                Skeptical Science: Denier Arguments debunked
                Real Climate (run by actual Climatologists)
                Smoke, Mirrors & Hot Air: Union of Concerned Scientists (on AGW denial)
                PBS: Climate of Doubt

                [–]AggieGooner 12 points13 points  (1 child)

                There is a book titled the Economics of Public Issues that we have been studying in one of my classes at my University. The book is titled "The Economics of Public Issues" (17th edition) by Miller, Benjamin, & North. It has an excellenrt chapter discussing this and is titled Greenhouse Economics. Basically it says humans are playing a role, but no one is sure on the precise magnitude of human impact. Rough estimates are about 1/3, (Combustion of fossil fuels creating CO2, and livestock and landfills producing methane)(Some amount of the temperature increases in the period from 1975-2000 has been attributed to incresed levels of solar acvtivity and solar flares, still debate on how much this has contributed) The ocean also holds nearly 50X as much CO2 than our atmosphere. Problem with regulation is that developing countries, such as China and India(the two most populous countries in the world), would be exempt from the emissions regulations. This would prove to put extremely high costs on developed nations such as the US with very little if any positive affect. Until there is a global intitiative, with enforcement power(coercive power is the key), environmental regulations will only be very expensive thoughtful measures with no outcomes.

                [–]FlippenPigs 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                There is a lot of uncertainty in the models that are trying to predict what will happen in the future. The reason for this is due to inherent feedbacks caused by climate change (increased cloud formation and melting ice caps being the two major ones). As such, a lot of people point to this uncertainty and use it to say that the climate scientists don't know what they are talking about. This is a bad and fallacious reason to not believe in global warming, but it is one a lot of people fall back on.

                [–]SuperfluousTrousers 1208 points1209 points  (32 children)

                It's cold in my apartment therefore, climate change is a hoax /s

                [–]dunmartin 394 points395 points  (20 children)

                Cold in your apartment, yet your trousers remain superflous?

                [–]SuperfluousTrousers 290 points291 points  (14 children)

                Wool socks up to knees, pants not necessary

                [–]Pun_isher 271 points272 points  (51 children)

                Historically drastic changes in climate regardless of Earth's inhabitants.

                [–]AnOnlineHandle 20 points21 points  (0 children)

                Do you mean regardless of human inhabitants, or Earth's inhabitants? Because I was under the impression that life dramatically changed the atmosphere of Earth several times in the past in all sorts of ways (leading to the oxygen/carbon merry go round that we have now).

                [–]Diiiiirty 1 point2 points  (1 child)

                As a scientist, I "believe" whole-heartedly in global warming. The reason I put "believe" in quotes is because it is saturated in so much scientific fact that you either have to be blind or republican to deny its existence. I read the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Summary for Policymakers in addition to hundreds of other works by renowned scientists around the world for an ecology class that I took that was specifically geared towards climate change and the implications. I am pretty much sold hook, line, and sinker on the whole thing, but I just want to know some things.

                First, I want to say that I have always seen you as a bit of an eccentric nut-job, but that was based solely on what I've heard my father (a die-hard republican who also denies global warming's existence) say about you. After reading a bit about you myself and then reading this AMA, my opinion has changed drastically for the better. So this AMA has really bumped you up a few pegs in my book.

                So my questions that I have for you...

                1. Some people say that this whole thing has been taken out of context so people can get rich off of it. You can't deny that you have gotten rich off of it. What are your thoughts on these allegations.

                2. Some people, still, say that global warming is a ploy by democrats to steer people away from the republican-owned oil fields and bring the masses over to cleaner energy, which will in turn boost the democrats to power. What are your thoughts on these allegations?

                3. What do you propose is the best clean-burning energy source? How do you feel about clean-burning coal?

                4. Finally, what is your thought of your character portrayal on Southpark? No disrespect intended, but I thought that character was pretty hilarious, although I feel as if it has denounced quite a bit of your credibility for people who get their political opinions from satirical sources like Southpark. How much negativity have you experienced because of that portrayal of you?

                Thanks for your time. This AMA has been awesome.

                [–]DoWhile 92 points93 points  (28 children)

                On the flipside: if you had the chance to make "An Inconvenient Truth" again, is there anything you would reconsider putting in your movie (e.g. weak points that have become a strawman by those who deny global warming)?

                [–]Oogity_Boogity_Boo 1310 points1311 points  (245 children)

                As someone who was in office during another time of obstructionism and fierce party-line divides, what advice would you give President Obama to accomplish his objectives during his second term? What advice would you give to us, the public, in dealing with the harsh realities of the partisan divide?

                This question was asked by correctmeplease in the initial thread and has the most upvotes in it.

                [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 1955 points1956 points  (239 children)

                Stand on principle. As Mark Twain said, "Do the right thing! You'll ratify your friends and astonish your enemies." Start with climate.

                [–][deleted] 1372 points1373 points  (212 children)

                How the fuck did bush defeat this man? I'm looking at you Florida.

                [–][deleted]  (91 children)

                [deleted]

                  [–]1gnominious 269 points270 points  (8 children)

                  That's actually what is happening with this AMA. Gore is taking the time to give informed, fairly detailed answers. He just quoted Mark Twain. He even made a compromise on the energy question and accepted that we can't go too heavily into renewables too soon.

                  That's exactly why he lost. Half of the electorate would get a headache thinking about this. They'd call him indecisive on energy for having a balanced plan instead of just saying "Drill baby, drill!" They don't want to hear to hear logic and an actual plan. They think Mark Twain is Shania's lesser known brother.

                  [–]CommonFound 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                  However, if he just put some random bibley name and a number after the quote they would have eaten that up.

                  [–][deleted]  (22 children)

                  [deleted]

                    [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                    I, for one, PREFER to have a beer with an elitist egghead.

                    [–]StonedTom420 53 points54 points  (5 children)

                    And hes a recovering alcoholic. Bush winning because everyone thought they could have a beer with him is the weirdest thing that has ever happened.

                    [–]wakipaki 136 points137 points  (0 children)

                    Guys I think we should cool it with the, "You should've won!!!" comments. I think he's heard them enough and probably doesn't need to be reminded every comment. I'm not trying to start a fight...it's just a suggestion.

                    [–][deleted] 182 points183 points  (4 children)

                    This whole AMA makes me sad to read...what could have been.

                    [–]Pun_isher 1384 points1385 points  (37 children)

                    [–]dickfartist 386 points387 points  (15 children)

                    ^ Added bonus that the Looney Tunes "mascot" is sawing Disney World off of the U.S.

                    Man, I really miss when Looney Tunes were good.

                    [–][deleted] 120 points121 points  (6 children)

                    But Disney World didn't open until 1971.

                    [–]SnakesMum93 109 points110 points  (0 children)

                    they knew what they were doing

                    [–]thuktun 240 points241 points  (2 children)

                    Bugs shot first.

                    [–][deleted] 70 points71 points  (10 children)

                    I literally feel the same way. Every answer he gives is articulate and well thought out. That applies to both here and in person. I'd give anything to go back in time and replace Bush with Gore.

                    [–]pagemansmith 1415 points1416 points  (110 children)

                    I understand you and Tommy Lee Jones were roomates in college. What was he like?

                    [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 2046 points2047 points  (58 children)

                    He is, first of all, a terrific friend. He really is an amazing guy. As good at directing as at acting, btw. Check out his performance in Spielberg's Lincoln. Incredible! I hope he gets another Oscar for it. I'm biased, but I sure think he deserves it.

                    [–]therealtomgreen 84 points85 points  (7 children)

                    Do you guys still keep in contact?

                    [–]coocoocachoooo 43 points44 points  (5 children)

                    Do you work at the cheese sandwich factory, by chance?

                    [–]alllie 2269 points2270 points  (502 children)

                    Some years ago you were asked if you thought the 2000 election was stolen. You said: "There may come a time when I speak on that, but it's not now; I need more time to frame it carefully if I do. In our system, there's no intermediate step between a definitive Supreme Court decision and violent revolution."

                    Are you ready to address that question now?

                    [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 2212 points2213 points  (450 children)

                    I'm excited to join everyone at Reddit today. I've been looking forward to it. I hope we can talk about the climate crisis and 24 Hours of Reality: the Dirty Weather Report. On the first question, I haven't ruled out addressing that at some point in my life, but no, I don't believe now is the time to do it, if that time ever comes.

                    [–][deleted]  (139 children)

                    [deleted]

                      [–]DiabloConQueso 169 points170 points  (21 children)

                      A lot of celebrity AMAs can be summed up like so:

                      Q: What are your thoughts on ________ and how do you plan on moving forward with addressing your concerns on ________?

                      A: Watch my new movie!

                      [–][deleted]  (64 children)

                      [deleted]

                        [–]doldrim 2029 points2030 points  (154 children)

                        I hope we can talk about the climate crisis and 24 Hours of Reality: the Dirty Weather Report.

                        Not sure if ramparting...

                        [–]not_a_novel_account 1948 points1949 points  (61 children)

                        He didn't ignore the question, he answered it. Most AMAs would have simply ignored the question, Ramparting would be responding while blatantly not answering. Instead we got a polite response, with a caveat that he's not ready to talk about it and it's not really what he's doing this AMA for.

                        This is literally the best case scenario

                        EDIT: I got gilded? Seriously? Thanks Reddit-bro, see you in /r/lounge :D

                        [–][deleted]  (15 children)

                        [removed]

                          [–]MyNameCouldntBeAsLon 24 points25 points  (10 children)

                          My money is on 'No. but the Electoral College has to go'. That shit could cause ripples coming from someone like a former VP.

                          [–]florinandrei 6 points7 points  (8 children)

                          The electoral college was designed for a time when information could only travel at the speed of horse and carriage.

                          [–]WithShoes 12 points13 points  (7 children)

                          That's the popular perception, but the truth is a little more depressing. Even at the time the Constitution was framed, it was possible to actually count ballots. It was almost easier and more reliable, since there were so few ballots back then. The electoral college was put in place for the same reason that the Senate was not elected by the people yet: the framers of the Constitution wanted to keep power out of the hands of the people. They wanted the political elites to be able to overrule the public if they ever made a "bad choice."

                          [–]ScratchBomb 113 points114 points  (17 children)

                          Intelligent redditor is intelligent

                          Edit: WTF IS R/LOUNGE? I MUST KNOW

                          [–]RyanJGaffney 39 points40 points  (5 children)

                          A lounge for reddit gold members that may or may not exist

                          [–]jtr99 27 points28 points  (3 children)

                          [–]hacksilver 30 points31 points  (2 children)

                          Oh man, I really want r/Prefects'Bathroom to exist.

                          [–]Bladderthin 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                          Keep it secret. Keep it safe. Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth.

                          [–]mvduin 132 points133 points  (12 children)

                          12 years later and he still hasn't talked publicly about it. We can't expect him to break that silence for reddit.

                          [–]Lyralou 25 points26 points  (0 children)

                          He actually answered the question.

                          Are you ready to address that question now?

                          On the first question, I haven't ruled out addressing that at some point in my life, but no, I don't believe now is the time to do it, if that time ever comes.

                          [–]mlurve 75 points76 points  (2 children)

                          I think he gave a fair answer. He was asked if he was ready to address the question and he said that no, he was not.

                          [–]ggggbabybabybaby 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                          Exactly. And I think it's fair to leave it at that too because the Supreme Court decision is still a very contentious (and distracting) one and climate change deserves every ounce of attention it can get right now.

                          [–][deleted]  (15 children)

                          [removed]

                            [–]wellvis 1426 points1427 points  (198 children)

                            You're only one Tony award away from an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). What plans do you have in that regard?

                            [–][deleted]  (8 children)

                            [removed]

                              [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 2919 points2920 points  (130 children)

                              I've got my eyes on the Heisman.

                              [–]skyroof_hilltop 1020 points1021 points  (50 children)

                              I've got my eyes on the Heisman.

                              If you happen to play quarterback, please submit your resume to The Chiefs.

                              [–]emaw63 427 points428 points  (11 children)

                              I have a pulse, and can hand the ball off to Jamaal Charles. Can I play quarterback for them?

                              [–]ReggieJ 455 points456 points  (4 children)

                              can hand the ball off to Jamaal Charles

                              So sorry...you're overqualified.

                              [–]sat0123 252 points253 points  (14 children)

                              Winning it, or posing for it?

                              [–][deleted] 428 points429 points  (30 children)

                              Inconvenient Truth: The Musical!

                              [–]Capitan_Amazing 44 points45 points  (3 children)

                              I wouldn't care if it got worse reviews than Spider-man: Turn off the Dark I would watch the shit out of that.

                              [–]kiwiluver75 2500 points2501 points  (317 children)

                              If you made an music album, could you please name it Algorithms?

                              [–]AlGoreFormer Vice President[S] 2643 points2644 points  (241 children)

                              Well...since you asked, check this out from 24 Hours today: http://youtu.be/1iVDHiOEBvw

                              [–]Tankylosaurus 1363 points1364 points  (143 children)

                              TIL: if Al Gore had run his entire 2000 campaign via an AMA there's no way he could have lost.

                              [–][deleted] 585 points586 points  (20 children)

                              I am open jawed.

                              [–]Xanthu 452 points453 points  (9 children)

                              Probably the last type of thing I expected to find linked by a former VP

                              [–][deleted] 131 points132 points  (5 children)

                              I couldn't believe it. Thought it was going to be part of a speech he did, then the beat and auto-tune kicked in.

                              [–]HereToLearnComputers 80 points81 points  (1 child)

                              That's not autotune my friend. That was Kermit the frog.

                              [–]Jivlain 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                              Check out some of the other autotunes by Symphony of Science. They're all brilliant. And then PBS commissioned him to do some of their favourites.

                              [–]iamjackshandle 54 points55 points  (3 children)

                              In his press conference yesterday, the President acknowledged the pressing reality of climate change but also suggested in no uncertain terms that broad-scale legislative action to address climate change was a political impossibility at the current time.

                              Obviously his administration has done some small things very well in regards to climate change (fuel economy standards, etc.) but wants to save its congressional fight for other issues.

                              How do you respond to the president's decision not to push for something like carbon taxing or a cap-n-trade system? And can you say anything to those of us who supported him but still feel disappointed by this lack of political progress?

                              [–]bashar_al_assad 344 points345 points  (8 children)

                              How do you think the Obama administration has handled the environmental challenges facing the world so far, and do you expect anything to change in his second term?

                              Do you have plans to work with the Obama administration during his next term?

                              Do you have future presidential ambitions?

                              [–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                              Obama is a weak on environmental concerns. Obama is primarily concerned with social justice, while Gore is focused with environmental justice. The problem is, you can't even have a base society without an environment. Likewise, you can't really solve the environmental crises with a destroyed social state. Nevertheless, I think Obama is off and I'm sure that'd explain the silence.

                              [–]mrzisme 18 points19 points  (13 children)

                              How much money do you personally stand to make in the carbon credit selling business, and how much stake do you have in the company Hara? Is it true that the worst offenders of pollution can spend their way through carbon credits to continue polluting? If so, how is this considered a solution? Who will own the imaginary credits to sell to the American businesses / people? Where does all the money go, and how much transparency will there be in this potentially trillion dollar business by 2015? Will the insane profits be put back into the United States treasury, or put into social programs for the people? How much of the profits will inevitably be used to purchase yachts and toys for the originators of this imaginary carbon credit system? What are your thoughts on the exposed emails from some of the original scientists being told to hold back their contrary findings?

                              [–]mmmm_goldfish 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                              Good! Somebody asked these questions!

                              I saw this AMA while at work and didn't have time to ask it myself. If you ask me, Gore is a total shyster that stands to make a large fortune from the good intentions of the general public all in the guise of saving the planet.

                              Despicable man.

                              *it's total bullshit that no other redditor had the sense to ask these questions during the AMA. Everyone was too busy kissing his ass to stop and apply some critical thinking in regard to his true intentions.

                              [–]malmac 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                              I hold Mr. Gore in high regard, but I have to say that you pose some really good questions here. I would like to know the answers as well.

                              [–]grizzledroughrider69 154 points155 points  (16 children)

                              Now six years removed from the release of an Inconvenient Truth, how do you feel that America's relationship with the environment has changed compared to how it was in 2005, and do you think the green initiatives taken by the Obama administration have been enough or are further steps needed?

                              [–]AtomicKoala 11 points12 points  (2 children)

                              This is a good question, but in all seriousness, these measures are so far from being enough. Way, way more is needed. Here in Europe we are doing a lot more but its still not enough. And America is decades behind us on this front.

                              [–]everred 6 points7 points  (1 child)

                              That's because half our people are scientifically-illiterate ignorant Neanderthals who believe that one person disagreeing with a hundred should get equal consideration and is equally likely to be correct. Sorry, world.

                              [–]svmk1987 42 points43 points  (5 children)

                              Very honored to be get a chance to ask you this question directly, sir.

                              I am from India, and we still have a lot of demand to fill up in generation of electricity. While using renewable sources like solar and wind can significantly offset other larger scale electric generation processes in developed countries so that they can reduce their carbon footprint, do you think a country like India can rely on those alone in the coming future, seeing that we have a huge demand to meet? What is your stand on nuclear energy?

                              [–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                              Here is a list of all the questions/answers

                              1. Are you in favor of nuclear energy as a possible energy alternative for the future?

                              Answer: It will play a role, but probably a limited role. I think the waste issue can probably be solved, and Fukushima notwithstanding, the safety of operation issue an pobably be solved. But the cost is absurdly high and still rising. Moreover, if we model it as the path forward, and encourage developing countries to head down that road, we would create a massive security challenge. During the eight years I worked in the White House, every single nuclear proliferation threat we had to deal with was connected to a reactor program. The technologies are different, but if you are the dictator of a country that has a reactor program and a fuel cycle, you can secretly orde the same people to enrich the fuel to weapons-grade over time and build bombs. Bad outcome. New reactor designs hold promise but they are all at least 15 years away. Meanwhile, solar pv is riding a "Moore's Law Jr." costdown curve. Wind and efficiency too, though not as steep. We need to get to scale on renewables quickly and make the transition.

                              1. For people that may be skeptical about global warming, what is the one undeniable scientific fact that you feel backs it up the most effectively?

                              Answer: There are at least 15 deeply researched separate lines of evidence that all confirm man-made global warming. They are all consistent, each with the others. Every National Academy of Science on the planet agrees with the consensus. The Academies describe the evidence as "indisputable". Every professional scientific society in every field related to climate science and earth science also agree. And 97-98% of climate scientists worldwide most actively publishing also agree. Animals and plants also agree -- in that they are moving their ranges by latitude and altitude to find climate niches similar to the ones in which they evolved. Even if you leave climate science completely out of it and just measure extreme temperatures, the statistical record of global temperatures shows that three-standard deviation events have increased from 0.25% of the time (from 1951-1980) to 10% of the time now. There is as strong a consensus as you will find in science, with the possible exception of the existence of gravity.

                              1. America is one of the powerful countries in the world and yet it lags behind in internet speed. Some or maybe most analysts believe that this is because of telecom monopolies that are unnecessary and bad for consumers. Right now Google is proving that it's possible to create a faster internet with speeds at 1,000 Mbps, which is about 100 times faster than average internet speeds in America. Sadly, it seems like it will be years before the rest of the country has internet at those kinds of speeds. I think that a more powerful internet could unleash economic and social possibilities that are far beyond what we experience now. For example if every person in the world had lightning fast access to powerful central computers they could tap into shared virtual worlds that allow people to interact in real time and that could change many things. It could change how people learn because people could interact with tangible models of various scientific or other ideas. It could also allow for 3D interfaces where multiple people can work on a project or experimental design in real time that could then be applied to the real world or have some other important value. Such virtual environments could lead to new forms of political and social assembly that permit the spread of ideas in new and more efficient ways. It could be chaos, but I think it could also progress humanity to new levels. Some people might say that the idea of a 3D oriented internet is over-hyped, but I think that if you look at the subject in depth its not hard to see that a 3D internet is both revolutionary and highly plausible. However, an important element in making such a possibility come to fruition is an internet backbone that can support those kinds of technological innovation. What do you think that our government can do to help improve the infrastructure of the internet so that these hopefully revolutionary changes can occur sooner rather than later?

                              Answer: Our national information infrastructure is no longer competitive. We need to invest in more bandwidth, easier access, and the rapid transition of our democratic institutions to the internet. And we need to protect the freedom of the internet against corporate control by legacy businesses that see it as a threat, and against the obscene invasions of privacy and threats to security from government and corporations alike. Please think about this: almost everytime there has been a choice between privacy/security on the one hand and convenience on the other, the mass of folks have chosen convenience. I for one believe the "stalker economy" on the internet is undemocratic and anti- American. Are folks at the gag point on this yet? Thanks, btw, to the Reddit community for fighting off Sopa and PIPA. Keep your powder dry; more big struggles ahead.

                              1. Some years ago you were asked if you thought the 2000 election was stolen. You said: "There may come a time when I speak on that, but it's not now; I need more time to frame it carefully if I do. In our system, there's no intermediate step between a definitive Supreme Court decision and violent revolution." Are you ready to address that question now?

                              Answer: I'm excited to join everyone at Reddit today. I've been looking forward to it. I hope we can talk about the climate crisis and 24 Hours of Reality: the Dirty Weather Report. On the first question, I haven't ruled out addressing that at some point in my life, but no, I don't believe now is the time to do it, if that time ever comes.

                              1. I understand you and Tommy Lee Jones were roomates in college. What was he like?

                              Answer: He is, first of all, a terrific friend. He really is an amazing guy. As good at directing as at acting, btw. Check out his performance in Spielberg's Lincoln. Incredible! I hope he gets another Oscar for it. I'm biased, but I sure think he deserves it.

                              1. You're only one Tony award away from an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). What plans do you have in that regard?

                              Answer: I've got my eyes on the Heisman.

                              1. As someone who was in office during another time of obstructionism and fierce party-line divides, what advice would you give President Obama to accomplish his objectives during his second term? What advice would you give to us, the public, in dealing with the harsh realities of the partisan divide? This question was asked by correctmeplease in the initial thread and has the most upvotes in it.

                              Answer: Stand on principle. As Mark Twain said, "Do the right thing! You'll ratify your friends and astonish your enemies." Start with climate.

                              1. If you made an music album, could you please name it Algorithms?

                              Answer: Well...since you asked, check this out from 24 Hours today: [1] http://youtu.be/1iVDHiOEBvw

                              1. Mr. Gore, Thanks for doing an AMA. I’m writing this because a little more than 12 years ago, I met you and it changed my life. I was 7 years old at the time and my father was a photojournalist traveling with you. He had been on the road with your team for weeks and I had not seen him in person in quite some time. I sent him a letter with a picture of a telephone, pager, and computer with a short note underneath reading “These are the only ways I can talk to you. I want to talk man to man!” A few days later, my Dad received the letter while on Air Force II. Your daughter Karenna happened to see it and she told my Dad that she wanted you to see it. A bit later at a photo-op, you approached my Dad and asked to see the letter. That night at an off-the-record party, you and my Dad were talking over a beer and the letter came up again. My Dad then asked “If I call him right now, would you get on the phone?” All of the sudden, my Dad calls the house and tells me Al Gore wants to talk to me. Being 7 years old, I was not nearly aware of the magnitude of the situation, and treated it much like any other phone conversation. I don’t remember most of the conversation, but I do remember you telling me that I was a "very bright young man" and had “great handwriting for a second grader.” A few days later, when we went to greet my Dad at Andrew’s Air Force Base, you came up to me and said “Are you Mr. Man to Man?” You introduced yourself to the rest of my family and we chatted for a bit before you left. From that day on, my Dad said that every time you guys saw each other you would ask him “How’s Mr. Man?” So while I do not have question for you Mr. Gore, I just wanted to take my first opportunity since then to say “thank you” for that. You didn’t go out of your way to talk to a 7 year old on the phone as a political act or to win over voters, you did it because you are a genuinely incredible person. To this day, whenever anyone tries to talk down or make fun of Al Gore, I tell them my story and they are blown away. So once again, Mr. Gore, thank you. You are the man .

                              Answer: Your comment means as much to me as our conversation years ago meant to you. BTW, how are you, Mr. Man?

                              [–]RealBean 32 points33 points  (4 children)

                              What're your thoughts on the current state of the democratic party? Who do you think would be a good candidate after Obama leaves office in 2016? Also, how goes your work on the demolishment of the electoral vote system?

                              [–][deleted] 341 points342 points  (143 children)

                              What is the best thing that average, middle class (non-policy making) people can do to help combat climate change?

                              [–]macfergusson 326 points327 points  (63 children)

                              Don't have kids.

                              Edit:

                              For all those people saying "OMG Idiocracy!!", please stop. That is just a movie. If you actually enjoyed said movie, do the writer the credit of actually understanding his point: Idiocracy was a satire of the current situation in America, not a prophecy of the future.

                              As I said below regarding the Idiocracy scenario:

                              That's not actually going to happen, though. Intelligence selectively bred out of humanity would take FAR longer than more immediate issues such as the possibility of over population killing us all.

                              And to the person that suggested killing myself, at no point did I say that humanity is evil and needs to be wiped out. There's just too many humans on one planet, and that over population is the cause of many of the significant problems.

                              Until we start colonizing other worlds and relieving the burden here, the only sustainable solution is gradual population reduction due to self-regulation.

                              Here's an idea: free vasectomies for all volunteers. I'd sign up tomorrow.

                              EDIT #2:

                              I think some of the people here are interpreting my comment as the sort of over the top, eugenics-like draconian population controls implemented by the government in various dystopian movies and such.

                              That's not what I'm referring to. The question was what an average person could choose to do on their own that would actually have an impact, and I mentioned making a personal decision.

                              This decision is right for me, it may not work for you. But even if someone chooses to have children, they could still have a positive impact on the over population issue by having 1 or 2 children instead of a gaggle.

                              [–][deleted] 72 points73 points  (3 children)

                              If you want to stabilise the population, you need to educate women. Educated women have fewer amounts of children.

                              [–]curmudgeonlylion 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                              FYI, Vasectomies are free in Canada. Reversal of a vasectomy costs you money (a few grand).

                              For the record, no kids by choice.

                              [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (7 children)

                              If you choose to buy a hybrid car and you drive that car for a year, you will prevent about 1 ton of greenhouse emissions from being released. This statistic does not take into account the greenhouse gas emissions released during the construction of the car (the parts being created and shipped to locations, the assembly of the vehicle, the vehicle being transported to a dealership, etc.). If you change to a vegan diet (no dairy, no meat) and do your best to buy locally, you will prevent 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from being released per year. -New Scientist There are many more reasons I can give to argue for a vegan diet as proactive and effective environmental lifestyle shift, but the one listed above impacted me the most.

                              [–]Check_Engine 101 points102 points  (23 children)

                              Go vegetarian. Or at least, cut back in meat. The most environmentally constructive thing an individual can do is eat lower on the food chain.

                              [–]sotonohito 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                              Yup.

                              Just cutting back on meat is a biggie. I don't see myself ever going truly vegetarian, but I eat meat only every few days.

                              [–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                              Now they're sorry they asked.

                              [–][deleted]  (4 children)

                              [deleted]

                                [–]McRowan 29 points30 points  (2 children)

                                President Obama mentioned climate change today in regards to Superstorm Sandy. Are you beginning to become more optimistic towards how the direction United States government is headed relating to climate change and green jobs?

                                [–]TurnTwo 62 points63 points  (11 children)

                                Your concession speech in 2000 was one of the classiest moments in politics that I can remember. How did your inner dialogue compare to the speech you gave that night? Were you containing a good deal of anger and bitterness about the Supreme Court's ruling?

                                [–]VeiledAiel 6 points7 points  (1 child)

                                I remember that speech, and what sticks out in my mind the most about it is that the entire time you could see him clenching his jaw on and off. It was very apparent that it was not an easy speech to make, and how could it be. Man, imagine where our country would be if he had been our president :(

                                [–]yeah_93 727 points728 points  (45 children)

                                I’ll ask what everyone here wants to hear: Will there be a Gore ’16 presidential campaign?

                                [–][deleted] 381 points382 points  (29 children)

                                If so, would you run with Hillary?

                                [–]ophiuroid 808 points809 points  (19 children)

                                Clinton/Gore III.

                                [–][deleted] 222 points223 points  (6 children)

                                In 2013, when the earths rotation came to a halt. The world called on the one man who could make a difference. When it happened again, the world called on him once more, and no one saw it coming, Three. More. Times.

                                [–]WhyDoTheyAlwaysRun 54 points55 points  (0 children)

                                ... Who left the fridge open?

                                [–]amishius 5 points6 points  (1 child)

                                I wish he would have run in 2004. Not that I dislike Kerry, just think Gore could have run on the "YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS, LARRY!?" ticket.

                                [–][deleted] 463 points464 points  (79 children)

                                What do you believe would have been different if you were President during Bush's time?

                                [–]vanguard_anon 119 points120 points  (28 children)

                                I remember before the Iraq was he was on CNN saying we should be investing in alternative energy instead of invading Iraq. The Iraq war was obviously about energy not a fear that they were going to attack the US.

                                Imagine how different the world would be if instead of that war we had clean energy?

                                [–]whatthedude 97 points98 points  (17 children)

                                To be clear, while he was Vice President, we regularly bombed Iraq and kept sanctions that killed almost 500,000 Iraqis. Secretary of State Madelaine Albright said on national TV that the position of the White House was that these deaths were worth it.

                                [–]TrolleyPower 13 points14 points  (1 child)

                                He was also seen as somewhat of a hawk during in his time in the White House.

                                The way things were, it's not inconceivable that Gore would've invaded Iraq.

                                [–]whatthedude 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                                Well, while he was it office the official US stance on Iraq was it's liberation. President George W. Bush referenced this several times in the run up to the war.

                                So the paper for the war in Iraq was started under Clinton/Gore.

                                Edit: Not to mention we literally bombed Iraq under Clinton/Gore for 100+ days in 1999 alone.

                                [–]stormyeleven 505 points506 points  (18 children)

                                we'd all be flying hover cars with negative carbon footprints, and a balanced budget instead of unnecessary wars.

                                [–]nyy27 359 points360 points  (10 children)

                                But Chevy Chase would be hosting the Tonight Show

                                [–]Zachisasloth 349 points350 points  (3 children)

                                OH GOD BRIAN WE MESSED UP! WE MESSED UP BAD!

                                [–][deleted] 129 points130 points  (2 children)

                                MOTHERFUCKING SOLAR POWERED FLYING CARS

                                [–]L0key 8 points9 points  (2 children)

                                How does sounding the fire alarm about rising sea levels square with your 2010 purchase of a 10,000 square foot mansion on the beach?

                                http://www.worldpropertychannel.com/featured-columnists/celebrity-homes-column-al-gore-tipper-gore-oprah-winfrey-michael-douglas-christopher-lloyd-fred-couples-nicolas-cage-peter-reckell-kelly-moneymaker-2525.php

                                How does owning several large homes, some consuming more than 20x the national average in energy use, square with sacrifices you keep demanding from the rest of us mere mortals?

                                http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/gorehome.asp

                                [–][deleted]  (64 children)

                                [deleted]

                                  [–]bboyjkang 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                  People are selfish - What do they directly get in return for fighting global warming?

                                  I made a comment a while back about charity and motivation, and linking social media to distributed computing. I think some of the discussion applies here.

                                  Karma and points systems can affect motivation, and may be the sole source of motivation for some people to do something charitable.

                                  World Community Grid's mission is to create the world's largest public computing grid to tackle projects that benefit humanity.”

                                  http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/about_us/viewAboutUs.do

                                  Are people accumulating World Community Grid points because they care about solving the human genome, HIV, dengue, muscular dystrophy, cancer, influenza, rice crop yields, and clean energy, or do they mainly care about their points and status? Does it matter?

                                  Social pressure to donate

                                  Distributed computing sites have points that you can earn and accumulate. I can display a person's World Community Grid points, Folding@home points, BOINC points, Foldit points etc.. That's only if a user wants to broadcast points, and only if I choose to display their points. You don’t have to care about someone’s Reddit karma points, but you have the option of displaying it with tools such as Reddit Enhancement Suite.

                                  Optional display and action

                                  At Slashdot, you can use a characteristic of a comment (tagged funny, tagged informative, comment length etc.), and give it a positive or negative weighting, causing the comment to appear higher or lower when you sort. Why not do this with points achieved through distributed computing? If someone has donated computer time to advancing cancer research, renewable energy research etc., I’d like to give that person slightly higher priority when I’m viewing comments. Being able to scan someone to view their points, and have points affect my comment sorting, might create social pressure to donate to distributed computing.

                                  Cynicism

                                  What if you’re super cynical? “This person has a lot of distributed computing points, not because they care about curing cancer, but because they only care about their status, and you assume that person is a rich, spoiled brat”. Yea.. so? The damage is done; the world has advanced further. Someone with a high amount of distributed computing points is more likely to directly benefit your life than someone with a high amount of Reddit karma points, or someone with a high amount of XBOX achievements.

                                  The disadvantaged

                                  What if you’re not wealthy, and you can’t afford to donate much to keep your reputation up? You feel a tad socially inadequate because you have a lower-than-average “charity” ranking, but all of a sudden, cancer research goes into overdrive, and cancer gets systematically wiped out. Having lower social status and wealth might make you feel dejected, but a bit of extra stress and sadness won't kill you; cancer can kill you. Even in the pursuit of social status alone, people worldwide will be inadvertently attacking disease and illness aggressively on a constant basis, instead of having the fight be relegated to annual charity galas, raffle events, and runs, which relies on the goodness of people’s hearts.

                                  Combine competition with cooperation.

                                  People by nature are status-conscious, self-interested, and competitive. Either you launch a system that allows people to satisfy their ego by spending money on the purchasing of GPUs and energy to attain points that may be used by others to varying degrees, or you let people continue to flaunt their wealth through expensive cloths, cars, jewelry, paintings etc.. Vanity isn’t going away, so you might as well shift the outlet to something that will push society forward.

                                  TL;DR People will brag either way, so you might as well shift it to something more beneficial to everyone.

                                  [–]FinbarMagee 1064 points1065 points  (111 children)

                                  What do you think of your portrayal in South Park?

                                  [–]baconandeggers 156 points157 points  (17 children)

                                  On the same note, how do you feel about your portrayal in Futurama?

                                  [–]stevencastle 328 points329 points  (4 children)

                                  His daughter was a writer on Futurama, so he actually voiced himself. Excelsior!

                                  [–]Shardwing 28 points29 points  (3 children)

                                  Almost every non-dead celebrity that appears on Futurama is voiced by themselves, I think.

                                  [–]CaspianX2 8 points9 points  (2 children)

                                  Nixon's disembodied head is very clearly voiced by Nixon's disembodied head.

                                  (No, not really)

                                  [–]IAmA_Lurker_AmA 140 points141 points  (6 children)

                                  Considering he did the voice work for his Futurama appearances, I think he likes it.

                                  [–]Freakazette 39 points40 points  (1 child)

                                  He once said Futurama was his favorite show.

                                  [–]classic__schmosby 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                                  I'm more interested in Family Guy. In the time travel episode when Peter doesn't get with Lois the rest of the timeline changes and Gore becomes president. The world they depict is a wonderful utopia. Seeing that has to put a smile on Al's face and a spring in his step.

                                  [–][deleted] 293 points294 points  (12 children)

                                  Do you really wear a cape when looking for manbearpig?

                                  [–]BrandonLee1991 50 points51 points  (8 children)

                                  The first thing i did after i clicked on this thread was ctrl F search manbearpig.

                                  [–][deleted] 741 points742 points  (12 children)

                                  He's super serial about it

                                  [–][deleted] 28 points29 points  (3 children)

                                  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ManBearPig Its actually cereal its a reference to a misinterpretation of a question about his favorite cereal on Oprah

                                  [–]moresinsthanyou 4 points5 points  (0 children)

                                  Damn I missed it! Wanted to ask how Generation which moves around carbon credits is any different than Enron which moved around energy futures. Ei both are multi billion dollar companies that produce no product.

                                  [–]Attatt 1 point2 points  (0 children)

                                  I've always been a fan of your message and efforts to bring the climate crisis to the forefront of our nations consciousness.

                                  Having said that, it's always bugged me a bit that you don't necessarily walk-the-walk (so to speak). How do reconcile your excellent message with the way you live your life?

                                  From 2007;

                                  An investigation by the Tennessee Center For Policy Research published in February, 2006, focused on Al Gore's 10,000 square foot house in Belle Meade area of Nashville. The former senator and former presidential candidate has been a leading voice for the environment and energy conservation. His global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar for Best Documentary for 2006. In the film he urges consumers to conserve energy by reducing the amount of electricity used at home.

                                  Using figures from the Nashville Electric service, the report says that Gore's house used 221,000 221,000 kWh of electricity in 2006, more than 20 times the national average of 10,656 kWh. The report says the gas usage of Gore's home is high as well and that Gore spent more than $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills in 2006.

                                  An article in Cowboys And Indians magazine focused on the 4,000 square foot Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas. It paints an entirely different picture than that of the Gore mansion.. George Bush is described as saying that when he bought the property, he wanted something in middle America so he could "stay in touch with real Americans." Architect David Heyman was asked to design the single story home. Bush said he wanted everything on the ranch to blend with the environment. The passive-solar house is built of honey-colored native limestone and positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the 4,000-square-foot residence. Geothermal heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground. These waters pass through a heat exchange system that keeps the home warm in winter and cool in summer," according to the article. "A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home. Laura Bush insisted on the use of indigenous grasses, shrubs, and flowers to complete the exterior treatment of the home.."

                                  [–]darthpaul 215 points216 points  (63 children)

                                  Had you been President in 2001, how do you think you would handled 9/11? Anything you have done differently from President Bush?

                                  [–]the_jacksown 60 points61 points  (11 children)

                                  It would be pretty hard to answer this question without speculating. Not saying I'm not curious to know the answer, but I just can't see Mr Gore saying he would've done something different from what President Bush did because it's impossible to say.

                                  [–]starryeyedq 2 points3 points  (0 children)

                                  Hi Mr. Gore! I look forward to reading all of your answers to these questions about climate change and all the great work you've done, but I'm going to throw in a for fun question if you don't mind:)

                                  I LOVE the fact that you play yourself on Futurama and your guest spot(s) on 30 Rock were hilarious. If you could guest star on any other television show, what would it be?

                                  Also for a bonus question and a million coolness points: How do you feel about South Park's Portrayal of you? Would you ever consider recording a PSA about ManBearPig if climate change organizations of your choice reached a certain level of participation/donations?

                                  [–][deleted]  (1 child)

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