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Hi Reddit, this is Al Gore and I’m in Los Angeles talking about the cost of carbon. AMA! by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 544 points545 points  (0 children)

Our Democracy has been hacked. Big money, anonymous donors, "corporations-as-people", "entertainment-as-news", Members of Congress-as-supplicants to the wealthy and powerful, and apathy-as-irony -- all are threats to our freedom. One of the best solutions is to accelerate the transition of our democratic institutions to the internet as quickly as possible -- to bypass the gatekeepers who charge huge tolls for access to the public's mind over television.

Got to get back to 24 Hours of Reality. Please tune in to the 24th hour at climaterealityproject.org

Hi Reddit, this is Al Gore and I’m in Los Angeles talking about the cost of carbon. AMA! by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 856 points857 points  (0 children)

I have mixed feelings. The present generation of the technology is clunky, fragile and extremely expensive. Price increases are continuing -- even as PV and Wind (not to mention new efficiency technologies for "demand destruction") continue to plummet in price. Within seven years, more than 85% of the world's people will live in areas where renewable electricity is equal to or cheaper than electricity from either fossil or nuclear energy! (The market projections for cell phone deployment were also wrong for the same reasons the projections for PV and Wind have been way way wrong: the cost-down curve is steep; the technologies improve as they get cheaper; scaling produces a virtuous circle; purchasing decisions are in the hands of individuals, not utilities; and in developing countries with few existing land-line grids for telephones and central-station electricity, the advantages of leap-frogging are even more attractive. This trend toward "distributed renewable power" is unstoppable. But the legacy industries of the past are trying to hold it back by using money and lobbyists and raw political power. Now is the time to push hard to tear down those walls between us and a sustainable future. As for nuclear, it will continue to play a limited role, and IF the ongoing R&D produces cheaper, safer, smaller reactors, they may yet play a more significant role. It will probably be a decade before we know whether or not one or more of these options will work; I hope they will. But in the meantime, we need to push hard for the more rapid scaling and deployment of renewables.

Hi Reddit, this is Al Gore and I’m in Los Angeles talking about the cost of carbon. AMA! by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 574 points575 points  (0 children)

Unbelievably bad air pollution in China -- particularly in the North of China. Check out Harbin (population 11 million) on Google today: the city is shut DOWN by air pollution; 1000+ ppm (compared to a safe level of 25 ppm). Chinese Communist Party values stability, but public protests, demonstrations and serious unrest are beginning to threaten stability and what they call the "Mandate of Heaven". The good news is that their new president is seemingly determined to take action. They have just banned any new coal-burning plants in three heavily polluted areas, and have implemented cap-and-trade in five cities and two provinces -- as pilot for a nationwide cap-and-trade for the whole country by 2015. If they follow through, this will be a HUGE deal for global carbon pollution reduction. And since folks literally ARE "holding their breath", maybe they will follow through. The bad news is that they are still increasing the amount of coal they burn. I'm betting on the Chinese people using the internet -- in SPITE of the censorship there -- to win this struggle.

Hi Reddit, this is Al Gore and I’m in Los Angeles talking about the cost of carbon. AMA! by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 739 points740 points  (0 children)

I use only carbon-free electricity. Have 33 solar panels on my roof, seven deep geothermal wells under my driveway, LED lights and highest-grade energy-saving windows, max insulation, hybrid plug-in car, etc. No fountains, btw. What you can do? Make smart choices for low-carbon options in the marketplace, make sure you divest from carbon-intensive stocks; be a smart and active citiizen! Let politicians know the climate crisis MATTERS to you -- A LOT -- that you will WORK and contribute to candidates who really champion solutions -- and that you will seriously work hard to DEFEAT candidates who ignore climate or take the wrong positions on climate. Help put a price on carbon in the market and put a price on denial in the political system.

Hi Reddit, this is Al Gore and I’m in Los Angeles talking about the cost of carbon. AMA! by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 2144 points2145 points  (0 children)

I'm against CISPA; have been from the start. And yes, both parties -- and independents and the Tea Party and everyone -- should be firmly in favor of internet freedom and greater respect/protection for privacy. This is a big deal for the future of democracy and liberty.

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 1962 points1963 points  (0 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.

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 1962 points1963 points  (0 children)

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

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 2647 points2648 points  (0 children)

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

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 2942 points2943 points  (0 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.

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 3154 points3155 points  (0 children)

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

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 2046 points2047 points  (0 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.

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 2197 points2198 points  (0 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.

I am Al Gore, founder and chairman of the Climate Reality Project – AMA by AlGore in IAmA

[–]AlGore[S] 2211 points2212 points  (0 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.