Solve tomorrow’s problems. Today.

Mañana.

Sigh.

Procrastination is a disease that inflicts many of us (certainly not excluding this author) and The US.

It seems that there is nary a chore, nary a challenge whose solution can’t be put off to tomorrow or, preferably, the day after.

The time has passed. It is time to change our habits. We must start doing our chores.

We must stop making a mess. We must fight to clean up our collective messes. 

We, together, can solve tomorrow’s problems.  Today.

Al Gore gave a speech Thursday (video) in Washington, DC, one that set a major objective before us, a path toward clean up our biggest mess, the dumping of carbon and other pollutants into our atmosphere and waters. He set a path for us to begin to  Solve Tomorrow’s Problems, Today.  And, he gave another speech earlier today in Austin, Texas, at Netroots Nation that raised, not just Global Warming, other serious problems in our society and democracy.  He laid out problems, but, at the core, stated:  Carpe Diem.  Seize the Day.  Work together, fight to Solve Tomorrow’s Problems.  Today!  

Deniers Descend to Outright Deceit

Global Warming Deniers (and their extreme right-wing enablers) are showing their desperation. Rather than continue with simply confusing people with distortion of data (lies, damn lies, statistics, and statistics from Global Warming deniers), we have before us a case of deliberate doctoring of evidence to distort events. For too many in the American right wing, hatred of Al Gore exceeds any ability to or willingness to contemplate reality. Thus, the efforts for the creation of a new “reality” that is more acceptable to the deniers.

As well documented in the WonkRoom, the Business & Media Institutes has made waves with the right wing denial world with a distorted misrepresentation of an Al Gore interview on NPR. The distortion extended to splicing separation pieces of the interview together to create a sentence, comments that Gore never made. Of course, with this being the Right-Wing Sound Machine, the deception didn’t stop with BMI, but went to Drudge, Fox, and other venues.

WE … WashPost Reporting Balanced vs Objective

Tomorrow, Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection are launching a $300 million advertising campaign to mobilize American support for serious action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in “one of the most ambitious and costly public advocacy campaigns in U.S. history.”

One of the real challenges when it comes to press reporting on Global Warming issues is the desire for “balance” in reporting, the desire to have all sides represented.  This balance, of course, can be contrasted (balanced) by the question of objectivity, of focusing on facts.  With the first, Flat Earth society members would be quoted in any discussion of NASA programs.  With objective reporting, they wouldn’t even be in the reporter’s rolodex.  Sadly, as Al Gore highlighted in An Inconvenient Truth, “balance” is more prevalent than “objective” when it comes to Global Warming reporting, truthiness rather than truth.

With that context, let us look at the prominent Washington Post article on the We campaign, by staff reporter Juliet Eilperin.  This was (is) a relatively good article that discusses the campaign’s approach and objectives, with the desire to change the way the public thinks about Global Warming, options for moving forward, and translating this into impetus for serious Congressional action:

CEI: Truthiness, rather than truth, to destroy the future

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is launching a national advertising campaign attacking Al Gore. And, via the attacks on Gore, seeking to undermine a growing understanding by Americans that we must act in face of global warming or face quite serious consequences.

CEI is focusing on attacking the messenger, rather than the message, since it (and other deniers living in the Black Hole of Denial) are on the retreat when it comes to Global Warming as their message flies in face of the reality staring us / the US in our faces. 

Now, for a moment, let us take a stroll through “the messenger” before going to message. 

Talking Environment to America’s Baptists

Al Gore talked to the Southern Baptist Convention with a somewhat unheralded talk that, reportedly, went over strongly.  From Robert Parham’s editorial at Ethics Daily.COM, Gore Delivers Most Important Baptist Address in 30 years

Former Vice President Al Gore delivered the most energetic, substantive and potentially transformative speech made by a Baptist to a Baptist audience in 30 years.

From my first Southern Baptist Convention in June 1978 in Atlanta to the New Baptist Covenant celebration last week in that same city, I can remember no address that matches the urgency and profundity of Gore’s riveting presentation.

49 People to Save the Planet? And, one to kill it?

The Guardian‘s 50 People who could save the planet is an interesting mix. There are some that I’ve heard of and admire. Many that I’ve never heard of and now admire. And some who I’ve heard of and ‘admire’ is far from a word that I would use for them. 

What was their guiding principle?

50 people most able to prevent the continuing destruction of the planet

Talking to Kerry post vote

We went backwards today on the Energy Bill. While, perhaps, this is better than the 2005 Energy Bill, the air has been drained out of my (and many others’) enthusiasm for the bill.  Better than nothing. Probably.  Guess what, Senator Kerry would have supported a much better energy bill, without a doubt.  He wants a (far) better energy economy in the United States and is committed to addressing Global Warming.

Gore’s new venture … clean energy tech

Well, Al Gore is taking on another venture.  As Fortune phrased it,

 The recovering politician, environmental activist, and Nobel laureate is adding another title to his résumé: venture capitalist.

Gore: Media, take note, the world is NOT flat!

“There are still people who believe the world is flat … you don’t go and search out people who believe the world is flat and give them equal time.”

Al Gore was on NBC yesterday and ripped the media for providing a platform for “outliers”, people who merit being taken as seriously as card-carrying members of the Flat Earth Society. People who, rather than being given soap boxes in major newspapers, in Congressional hearings, on TV programs, should be laughed into marginality.

Al & Me: a chance to see AIT briefing in person

Wow.

The news is in.

What an absolutely deserved and merited Nobel Peace Prize.

And, that Peace Prize is part of something, a discussion that has not stopped, that has not “succeeded”, but must maintain and continue momentum to help affect change to move us on a path toward a Prosperous, Climate Friendly Society.

Part of that path, part of that discussion is via
The Climate Project.

You want to see An Inconvenient Truth briefing in person?  Well, the opportunity is just a few computer clicks away. The Climate Project website has a registration path for scheduling a briefing.

I — and 1000+ of my fellow TCP trainees — are waiting at the other end.