Gore Rips Media: "Don't Give Equal Time To Someone Who Believes The Earth Is Flat"

Think Progress:

This morning, former vice president Al Gore appeared on NBC's Today Show to talk about global warming. Host Meredith Vieira brought up a Nov. 1 Wall Street Journal op-ed by climate skeptic John Christy, a former member of the IPCC. In the op-ed, Christy wrote, "I see neither the developing catastrophe nor the smoking gun proving that human activity is to blame for most of the activity we see."

When Vieira asked about the op-ed, Gore noted that Christy "no longer belongs to the IPCC" and is "way outside the scientific consensus." He also sharply criticized the media for giving so much air time to such climate skeptics:

But, Meredith, part of the challenge the news media has had in covering this story is the old habit of taking the on the one hand, on the other hand approach. There are still people who believe that the Earth is flat, but when you're reporting on a story like the one you're covering today, where you have people all around the world, you don't take -- you don't search out for someone who still believes the Earth is flat and give them equal time.

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[ReHoover51]

02:48 AM on 11/07/2007

I really dont get all this mean-spirited criticism of Al Gore!
The man has simply stated a problem with our planet and a solution.
Is it that he "dares to blame" man?
Is it that he has bet his life on this and doesnt need the insane and phony fix of politics?
What scares you folks on this blog about what Al Gore has done?
It makes no sense at all, and as i stated earlier, i dont see any Haliburton or big business supporters trying to make a quick billion of this!
And we only have all to lose, if we dont take this serious!
I once again am ashamed to be part of the same human race that deems this man a threat, a liar, a coward, a fool, a henny-penny, or chicken little!
You folk out there with the small-minded criticisms need to shut the fuck up and find some heavy medication!

[peonyharp]

09:54 PM on 11/06/2007

Okay, put aside the global warming/climate change argument for a moment and ask yourselves this:

Don't we all have a right to breathe clean air?
Don't we all expect to have enough fresh (safe) drinking water to go around?
Don't we realize that landfill space, oil reserves, coal, and minerals aren't endless?
Don't we know a very basic fact about Nature (its intricate interconnectedness), that if something within Nature goes out of balance, other facets of it -- species, habitats and ecosystems -- will also be effected?
Don't you ever wonder why asthma is on the rise? Don't you realize we humans are part of the equation and we will suffer if clear-cutting, pollution, and species extinction aren't stopped?

If we trash this planet and make it uninhabitable, WHERE do we go?

Take the time to really think about your actions. Take some time to look at the following, something Al Gore is doing, along with many people, to try and get the message out about POSITIVE steps you can take right now to HELP rather than HINDER our planet's well-being:
http://current.com/ecospot

To borrow from Rep. Kucinich -- Strength Through Compassion

[patrickjkiger]

02:40 PM on 11/06/2007

The vitriol that right wing global warming deniers hurl at Gore only further enhances his credibility on this issue. That's what people do when they can't handle the truth.

[PaulDonaldson]

11:04 AM on 11/06/2007

VIDEO -
http://tinyurl.com/2ajhg9

Here is the full video clip of Al Gore on The Today Show. He talks about (of course) climate change, but also takes a shot at the media. Thought people might want to have this, use this, watch this etc.

[rwe]

10:58 AM on 11/06/2007

BREAKING NEWS...PART OF THE UNIVERSE HAS GONE MISSING AND AL IS RIPPING THE MEDIA FOR NOT PROCLAIMING IT MANMADE GLOBAL WARMING.

[Stanley]

10:39 AM on 11/06/2007

Regardless of the outcome, it doesn't take a scientist to understand that you must live in the filth you create.
We excuse our personal contribution and abuse our environment at our own peril. Politics or pundits can not escape this reality.

We have seen this in fact, time and time again throughout human history, with massive deforestation, river poisoning, and the resulting end of civilization because of environmental conditions unable to sustain life.

Argue science and doom and gloom for entertainment value, but understand the basic wisdom of being better stewards of our planet and the long term benefits to future generations.

[UltraClassic]

10:36 AM on 11/06/2007

I dedicate the following song to Al Gore;

"The sky is falling, is falling, is falling...
Oh my what a terrible thing,"

"The sky is falling, is falling, is falling...
I've got to tell the king,"

"I've got to tell the king."


Words from early recordings of "Henny Penny." Author unknown.

[average joe]

10:25 AM on 11/06/2007

Al Gore Don' he ride a white horse named Tipper.

[Tator]

09:43 AM on 11/06/2007

Poor ole AlGore...so afriad to face real scientist.

Should be real easy for AlGore to prove his point challenge the doubter to come one and all to debate this issue on national TV. But he will not because he would lose and his Religion would be exposed.

[Average]

08:30 AM on 11/06/2007

Gore is an EXAGERATING EXTREMIST.

[eddiestardust]

03:21 AM on 11/06/2007

If you haven't seen the movie at least rent it or look for the times on cable.

If you haven't seen the movie don't comment because you just don't know anything.

[LastLiberalRepublican]

12:44 AM on 11/06/2007

Mr. Vice President:

It is time for you to get your ducks lined up in order to announce your run for the Presidency. As a country, we are confronted with the very real issue that none of the current candidates, Democrat or Republican, inspire confidence.

You have several attractive attributes, to include: 1) eight years as vice president; 2) substantial Washington experience; 3)no personal baggage; and 4) Vietnam veteran. Oh yeah, Nobel Peace Prize helps, too.

This combat-wounded Vietnam veteran wants to vote for Al Gore in 2008! You decide to run and I will take to the streets to support your candidacy. (It's time to get off your ass!)

[bluesky49876]

12:36 AM on 11/06/2007

Gore should know better than that. The entire purpose of the corporate media is to disinform the public, including feeding them outright lies and total distortions, as a way of manipulating the public into accepting corporate agenda. Gore himself was the victim in year 2000 when he ran for president. They distorted everything this man and repeated their lies thousands times a day. That is the way media operates.

[Newsguy]

11:53 PM on 11/05/2007

There were people five hundred years ago who thought the sun revolved around the earth. There were people who thought the stars were just tiny holes in the sky that revealed heaven's light at night. There were people who thought the earth was flat, and that if you sailed far enough you would fall off the edge. There were people who thought the earth was supported on the back of a giant turtle.

There are people who think Al Gore is nuts.

There are people today who don't believe in evolution and that the earth is actually 6,000 years old. Three of these people are Republicans and are running for president of the United States.

[cognate]

11:46 PM on 11/05/2007

Al Gore is acting like a priest of the New Religion.

Yes, the climate is changing. It has always done so. We've had numerous ice ages and warm periods. All before mankind knew how to convert oil into motion.

The claim that CO2 in the atmosphere is the cause of the current warming is unfounded.

The fact is that in the 400,000-year ice-core records the temperature changes PRECEDE changes in atmospheric CO2 is conveniently not mentioned by Mr. Gore. Talk about a "Da Vinci code" style cover up.

Google "The deceit behind global warming By Christopher Booker and Richard North"