I hate to say Gore wouldn't win the general election...

[mudesi]

...but Gore wouldn't win the general election. People like to think the environment is an important issue, but believe it or not, people in general don't care about the environment or global warming. The ignorance on this subject is astounding to say the least.

Nobody is willing to give up certain luxuries for the sake of the planet. It's all talk and no action when it comes to this subject. People are much too selfish. Disagree? Well....


Who here will give up their SUV? Anyone? That's what I thought. Everyone here who owns an SUV will give me a reason for why they own one. I need it for this, I need it for that, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Apparently the future of the entire planet is not enough to make such a sacrifice.


Who here will start taking the bus to work? You might have to wake up earlier and stand in the cold every day and get home a little bit later, but are there any volunteers? Anyone? No? Of course not. You need to take your car to work because of X and because of Y and because of this and because of that etcetera etcetera etcetera. Your children or grandchildren may not survive on the planet, but that's not enough to make the sacrifice.


Anybody willing to do the laundry the old fashioned way? Not using a washing machine and a dryer would save tons of power. Doing it by hand and hanging them up on a clothes line works just as well, though it may take longer. Anyone? No? I'm not surprised. You don't have time to do it that way you don't know how to do it that way you don't like to do it that way etcetera etcetera etcetera. The polar caps are melting and the global eco system is on the verge of crumbling, but that's not enough to make the sacrifice.


Any smokers here trying to quit? Ha ha ha.


Perhaps someone here is willing to wash the dishes by hand for the same reasons I gave above regarding the laundry. Any volunteers? Hurricanes will get stronger and millions will die, but that's not enough to make the sacrifice.


There's a reason I call these things sacrifices. They are all things that each and every one of us would never give up - Unless we were forced to give them up, say, with a threat of death? Which is kind of the point I'm trying to make here. The threat of climate change is more dire than anyone is willing to believe. If we don't act now, we are going to die. It sounds extreme, but it is an unfortunate fact.

Gore wouldn't win the general election because his issues are not guns, gays, or God, which seems to be what drives people to the polls. The environment? How boring. Nobody cares. It's not a wedge issue, it's not something the polluting corporations (and the media) care to have in the spotlight, and in the end it's an easy way for the Republicans and the enabling Democrats to spread more lies and smear Mr. Gore's good name. ("He's a hypocrite", "He's fear mongering", "He's trying to take away your freedoms", etcetera etcetera etcetera...)

He'd easily beat Hillary in the primary, though.

[jpgray]

1. Which GOP candidate do you think he would lose to?

I can't see any major candidate on our side losing to any of them.

[undeterred]

2. I think that your diagnosis is a few years off.

People do care about the environment now.

[Virginia Dare]

6. You wouldn't know it by all the gas guzzlers on the road..

seriously, I think the OP is correct. People "care", but they're not doing anything about it.

[undeterred]

9. The gas guzzlers are hard to get rid of

and some people really do need them.

[Virginia Dare]

14. Some do. Most don't..

nobody (except Al Gore) is in "crisis" mode yet. I think the OP is correct, global warming will NOT be the driving issue this year. It will be something relatively irrelevent, like "illegal immigration".

[undeterred]

18. I hardly think of Gore as reducible to one issue. He's a great leader

and thats why so many people want him to be president, not just because of his expertise and leadership on one issue.

[Virginia Dare]

19. Yeah, but what's he going to do about ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION..

:sarcasm:

[undeterred]

30. Yeah, you're right, that's too hard for him.

:shrug:

[silverojo]

23. Illegal immigration is "irrelevant"?

Spoken by someone who doesn't live in a border state. We don't call your local issues "irrelevant", so could you please extend us the same respect?

[Virginia Dare]

I said "relatively" irrelevant...

which it is compared to the planet being destroyed.

[GreenTea]

3. He would definitely get more people to look at electronic voting machines - which is very

much needed to be exposed and looked at even more than it has....because of what he went through in 2000....It could help being brought up often and that would be a great thing for the country and those of us who know how easy it is to hack those republican owned machines (Diebold & ES&S).

[Uncle Joe]

4. You can thank the corporate media for much of the nation's ignorance

regarding global warming or Al Gore, however circumstances will make it increasingly difficult for them to hide the truth. The Nobel Peace Prize went a long way in that regard, but it's still going to be an uphill fight.

I believe on the weather this morning while they announced Al Gore's win, they also stated the main fresh water reservoir for three million people in Atlanta is down to ninety days supply.

[Virginia Dare]

7. Very true..

I think people "get it" but they're still in denial about it.

[bullwinkle428]

5. I can't speak for everyone, but I've done plenty of little things

in the name of conservation in recent years:

-moved into a considerably smaller place requiring less energy

-already driving a fuel efficient vehicle, but have learned to drive more efficiently, and have gained around 7-8 mpg...a BIG deal considering my long commute

-car is 6 years old with 140K miles on it, but will continue to drive it for a couple more years at which time I'll replace it with something that gets no less than 50-60 mpg

-buying food from as many local sources as possible

-CFL bulbs

-recycling

None of these things have caused me the slightest bit of pain or even inconvenience; again, not everyone is willing to do these things but you're probably not giving the general populace enough credit on this. Economics often force people's hands if nothing else does...

[Virginia Dare]

8. I would say most people on DU are more socially aware..

than the average Joe. The OP was referring to "the people" at large.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

10. he already won a general election. What further proof do you need? n/t

nt

[Jamastiene]

11. I hope you are wrong.

If the chance ever did come up, I hope you are wrong. Otherwise, you do make some good points about how much people DON'T care about the environment. It's basically the truth.

[Thothmes]

12. I would agree with you

provided that Gore's sole campaign issue was the environment. I suspect that man would also address many of the other problems that face his countryman.
That is what would get him elected.

[candice]

13. Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000... how many people who voted

for Gore wished they had voted for Bush? How many who did Vote for Bu$h are proud of what their vote has wrought--the death of tens of thousands of innocent people in his optional war, eight years wasted that could have stopped the tide of global warming, thousands of American deaths as a result of having incompetent cronies in charge of "homeland security" in New Orleans, the final death of the middle class. If one makes 400,000 dollars and up per year and only cares about his own bottom line, then you probably are still a defender. People with a lower income are really getting much for their "vote."

How many who voted for Nadar think that Gore wouldn't have been different from Bu$h?

[reggie the dog]

15. sorry

but I disagree

"Nobody is willing to give up certain luxuries for the sake of the planet. It's all talk and no action when it comes to this subject. People are much too selfish. Disagree? Well....


Who here will give up their SUV? Anyone? That's what I thought. Everyone here who owns an SUV will give me a reason for why they own one. I need it for this, I need it for that, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Apparently the future of the entire planet is not enough to make such a sacrifice."
I never owned nor desire to own an SUV. I used to have a truck that got 25 miles to the gallon. Now I have one car that gets 60 to the gallon and another for my wife that gets 50 miles to the gallon.


"Who here will start taking the bus to work? You might have to wake up earlier and stand in the cold every day and get home a little bit later, but are there any volunteers? Anyone? No? Of course not. You need to take your car to work because of X and because of Y and because of this and because of that etcetera etcetera etcetera. Your children or grandchildren may not survive on the planet, but that's not enough to make the sacrifice."

I take the bus and the train when I can (there are not trains or buses to go many places here in the countryside, but when I go into Toulon to work it is by train, it is easier than driving.


"Anybody willing to do the laundry the old fashioned way? Not using a washing machine and a dryer would save tons of power. Doing it by hand and hanging them up on a clothes line works just as well, though it may take longer. Anyone? No? I'm not surprised. You don't have time to do it that way you don't know how to do it that way you don't like to do it that way etcetera etcetera etcetera. The polar caps are melting and the global eco system is on the verge of crumbling, but that's not enough to make the sacrifice."
You use less water when you use a dishwasher. If you get a new model here in France they are energy rated. Our new appliances have at least a B rating. As for washers and driers we hang our clothes on a rack to dry but we have an A rated for energy use washer. Double pained windows and heat with natural gas heating a system of radiators from November to April. They also sell light bulbs here, I do not know if you have them in the USA, light bulbs that take a minute to grow in brightness but use much less energy. I am in the process of changing the bulbs in my house as they burn out.


Any smokers here trying to quit? Ha ha ha.


Yet another reason to break out the solar powered vaporizer... i wish i had one....

[lonestarnot]

16. Don't have an SUV, never had one and never wanted one, and

my clothes line fell down last week. I'm going to buy a new one. And I bought a hybrid that has already been recalled for a brake system switch (Honda, buyer beware), and I've always washed my fucking dishes by hand right after I eat so they don't take to much water to clean. As for the smoking, I always find an excuse for not making this the day. And I know he would. :toast:

[cali]

17. Whoa. Are you wrong, and not just about me, I'm sure.

I don't have an SUV even though I live way in northern Vermont. My house is built with lots of second hand and found materials. I do have a washing machine and dryer, but they're very energy efficient. And most of the temperate time of the year I do use a clothes line. I have a compost bin, all my light bulbs are CFs. I heat with wood. I have made sacrifices slowly over the course of the years. And I bet there's lots of DUers that have done the same.

And I do think that Americans increasingly care about the environment. Particularly young people, and quite possibly, they'd be enthusiastic about Gore.

[AZ Criminal JD]

24. You heat with wood?

That releases years of carbon dioxide which had been taken in by the tree. Heating with wood is far more damaging to the environment that electricity or gas. Please stop.

[cali]

26. No. I'm not going to stop. I'd much rather heat with wood

from local woodlots than truck in oil or gas, and heating with electricity in Northern Vermont is ridiculous. I'm aware that wood is also damaging to the environment, but the claim that it's more damaging doesn't add up. The energy it takes to produce, refine and transport oil has to be added to the actual burning of it. I live in a very energy efficient home with a very efficient Vermont Castings Stove and passive solar. I burn less than 2 cords a winter.

Vermont's air quality is good, despite the number of people who, like myself, heat with wood.

[Flabbergasted]

20. I think with the right leadership you would be astonished at what could be accomplished.

I bet you'd see an unheard of landslide. 70/30 split.

[Der Blaue Engel]

21. That's funny, he won it the last time he ran

And less people liked him them.

[Virginia Dare]

25. Look who he was running against though..

possibly the biggest loser in all of history. Definitely the worst President.

[silverojo]

22. FYI....

We don't own an SUV, but we did sell our van, and now drive in a more fuel-efficient car. We combine errands and drive as little as possible; there is no bus service in our area.

Though I'm unable to wash clothes by hand (I have carpal tunnel syndrome), I have been a staunch proponent of using clotheslines to dry clothes. Apparently you didn't catch my posts on the subject. ;) On a hot summer day, clothes dry much faster than they do in a dryer, BTW.

I have never in my life used the dishwashers in the homes we've lived in.

I also do a lot of solar cooking, in a solar oven that I easily rigged up using a box, some aluminum foil, and crumpled newspapers. Far cleaner than cooking on a barbecue.

All our lives, we've made a point of moving closer to the workplace, to avoid making long commutes. I don't care if you are driving a Toyota Prius--if you're driving for long distances, you may be emitting LESS pollution, but your car is still belching pollution into the air. Commuting is commuting, and it pollutes.

I guess my question would be, before you criticize other people, have you personally done any of the above? I have.

I know you mean well, but please don't make assumptions like this. There are many people like me, who have ALWAYS done their best to save our resources, long before Al Gore brought up the subject. To us, these things aren't sacrifices, but a way of life. :)

[tkmorris]

27. I would do all of those things

I think a lot of people would do them if they felt like they were part of a larger group that might actually get something accomplished. Individuals who have already made those changes are to be admired, but I think many people don't try very hard because they know that by themselves they can't accomplish anything useful except to feel like they are no longer part of the problem. People need leadership, they need to be part of something larger than themselves.

In terms of the environment at least, Gore could be that leader.

[ecstatic]

28. He won't win because the same memes from '00 will come up

He's a very nice man, but his personality doesn't captivate crowds.

[Warren DeMontague]

29. You're right. He won't just "win". He will SMITE. He will obliterate. He will kick ass, take names,

chew gum.

Whether or not he runs, is the question. Not "can he win". He WON in 2000, and that was a badly run campaign. He's got his head on straight now.

Beyond that, the idea that "guns gays and God" are why people go to the polls- who told you that? If the "vales voters" are so damn all-powerful, why is the GOP dangerously close to nominating a pro-choice crossdresser who gets divorced more often than he goes to church?

I'll tell you why: Because the American people are far more sane, liberal, socially libertarian and environmentally conscious than the Corporate Media wants us to believe. This is why Terri Schiavo bit the GOP on the ass. Fine, drop the guns.. I could give a shit about taking away the fetishized penis substitutes of millions of red staters. But on everything else, the American people line up with what WE believe. They don't want to outlaw abortion; and the GOP (at least the base) doesn't even think contraception should be legal. They want clean air, clean water-- unlike the flat Earth fucks running the Republican party, they understand and accept scientific fact, from evolution to global warming.

They're ready for a LEADER. Al Gore is that guy.

The question is, will he run. If he runs, he wins.

[Evoman]

31. You?

Do you sacrifice? Or do you fully admit you come up with bullshit excuses?

Because if you do either of those, you get mad respect from me. I see my own bullshit...no, I don't drive an SUV, use a dishwasher, and I take the bus almost everyday (I just bought an old beater, but I've driven it once). But I've got a 1001 excuses for the stuff I don't sacrifice, and everytime I hear another environmental warning, my excuses ring hollow.

[book_worm]

32. Don't own a SUV. Walk 2 miles to work everyday and home

Take public transportation (bus) when raining. Yes, do own a washing machine, but no dryer--I do use a clothes line. Use only 40 watt light bulbs. Have wood floors, so no vacuum cleaner (you didn't think of that one). I recycle religiously--and so do my neighbors.

And I think Al Gore could whip anybody the GOP put up against him.