24 Hours Of Reality: Al Gore's Climate Reality Project Hosts Worldwide Event (VIDEO)

It's time for the world to face the realities of climate change.

That is the message expressed by Al Gore's Climate Reality Project, which launched "24 Hours of Reality," an event which began at 7pm CT on September 14, and is running for 24 hours straight. It is a global event featuring 24 presenters in 24 time zones, who "will connect the dots between recent extreme weather events — including floods, droughts and storms — and the manmade pollution that is changing our climate."

The event comes on the heels of hurricanes, droughts, and other extreme weather events slamming the United States, and as the country ended its second-hottest summer ever recorded.

HuffPost blogger Rocky Kistner recently reported on the connection between extreme weather and climate change. According to his post, Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said "There is now a pervasive human influence in all climate events."

In a recent Mediaite interview with Climate Reality Project’s Alex Bogusky, Gore said, "Powerful polluters ... see it as a useful strategy to try to convince the public that the scientists are liars and that they're greedy and they're making stuff up. All in the service of their overarching strategy of creating enough doubt to persuade people that there shouldn't be any sense of urgency about addressing this crisis."

In anticipation of the event, the Climate Reality Project released video ads suggesting that when it comes to the climate crisis, "the fat lady has sung and the *#!? is hitting the fan."

Scroll down to watch the "24 Hours of Reality" event livestream in English, or click here to find the location where you would like to watch a presentation.

UPDATE 9/15 9:30am -- The Climate Reality Project writes:

Last night, Mark Ruffalo sat with Al Gore and climate scientists Robert Correll, Heidi Cullen and Stuart Griffin to help debrief the Boulder, CO presentation. Later, actress Amber Valletta stopped by to chat with a panel following a presentation on French Polynesia. More video recaps are available here.

Today, we’ll have more star power stopping by the New York HQ for 24 Hours of Reality:

· Renee Zellweger will host two segments from noon-1pm and 2-3pm ET

· Fran Drescher will appear on a panel from 1-2pm ET

· Gloria Reuben returns after an early morning shift to host once more from 11am – noon ET

· Climate scientists Bill Easterling, Michael Oppenheimer, and Jim McCarthy will appear throughout the day

· Al Gore will deliver the final presentation at 7pm Eastern time, culminating 24 Hours of Reality and capping off 24 presentations delivered in 13 languages representing all 24 time zones.

WATCH "24 Hours of Reality":

Free desktop streaming application by Ustream

LOCATIONS:
Mexico City
Boulder
Victoria
Kotzebue
French Polynesia
Hawaii
Tonga
Auckland
Solomon Islands
Canberra
Seoul
Beijing
Jakarta
New Delhi
Islamabad
Dubai
Istanbul
Durban
London
Husavik
Cape Verde
Ilulissat
Rio de Janeiro
New York

Comments

[danielboone]

01:23 PM on 09/20/2011

GLOBAL WARMING IS A MYTH!!!!!!!

[SarahCuda2]

02:38 PM on 09/19/2011

The "Gore Effect" LIVES! http://tinyurl.com/628j74d

[Badgersouth]

06:21 PM on 09/17/2011

Speaking of who’s calling the shots on the Republican/Tea Party campaign to roll back EPA’s authority to protect our air and water from pollution…

“David and his brother Charles are among the top ten richest men in America through their co-ownership of Koch Industries, the sprawling private conglomerate that includes oil refineries and pipelines, consumer goods, a financial derivatives practice, chemical interests, timber, shipping, and coal. Koch Industries, one of the worst air polluters in America, has lobbied to eviscerate the EPA, repeal health reform, and Koch front groups fight every day to cut government spending on programs for the poor and middle class. However, Koch says he “welcome[s]” taxpayer money for his ballet performances.”

“Theater Audience Boos Tea Party Billionaire David Koch”, by Lee Fang, Think Progress, Jan 3, 2011

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/04/brooklyn-boos-koch/

[kwaut lizard]

03:56 PM on 09/16/2011

This string is dedicated to:
Science education in America collides with Leave No Child Behind and what do you get?
People, who if they had a decent chemistry background, wouldn't be arguing this topic.

Don't believe the scientists? Just ask anyone in the commodities market ... making money.

[SarahCuda2]

03:01 PM on 09/19/2011

Which scientists? How about the ones who have proven themselves to be very smart such as Richard Lndzen or Ivar Giaever or Hal Lewis? People like James Hansen and Michael Mann don't hold a candle to the brain power of such people.

[Badgersouth]

01:46 PM on 09/16/2011

To learn more about Arctic sea ice, check out:

“Everything you ever wanted to know about Arctic sea ice (but weren't enough of a geek to ask)” by Christian Hunt, the Carbon Brief, Aug 12, 2011

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2011/08/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-arctic-sea-ice

[SarahCuda2]

02:54 PM on 09/19/2011

Their chart is a lie. This year's minimum came out more than 2007 not less than 2007.

http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/seaice/extent/AMSRE_Sea_Ice_Extent_L.png

Why is Antarctic ice extent increasing? http://nsidc.org/sotc/images/arc_antarc_1979_2009.gif

Why is Antarctic temperature decreasing?

[Badgersouth]

04:50 PM on 09/19/2011

The Carbon Brief article that I have referenced contains the exact same graph that you have referenced. Where's the beef?

[Badgersouth]

05:14 PM on 09/19/2011

Re the "Antarctic sea extent...

It's important to distinguish between Antarctic land ice and sea ice which are two separate phenomena. Reporting on Antarctic ice often fails to recognize the difference between sea ice and land ice. To summarize the situation with Antarctic ice trends:

•Antarctic land ice is decreasing at an accelerating rate
•Antarctic sea ice is increasing despite the warming Southern Ocean

Source: “Is Antarctica losing or gaining ice?” by John Cook, Skeptical Science,
July 20, 2010

http://www.skepticalscience.com/antarctica-gaining-ice.htm

[Badgersouth]

01:19 PM on 09/16/2011

“Billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch of Koch Industries, the second largest privately-held energy company in America, have poured millions of dollars into creating a web of media influence to increase their power to sow doubt about climate change among the American public.”

Source: “The Kochs' Climate Change Denial Media Machine” by Anne Landman, PR Watch, Feb 4, 2011

http://www.prwatch.org/node/9915

[Jean Bastien]

12:55 AM on 09/16/2011

Uh, I just wanted to put this out there...
Driving a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari most times is better for the environment than driving an Ugly Box, I mean a hybrid. My reasoning is this: People who buy high mileage cars are most certainly likely to drive more, since they can afford to now, and the gas they use ( yes, hybrids still use the devil's liquid, plus have those pesky battery cells that will undoubtedly populate landfills in some third world country someday) allows them to go farther, per tank. A forty-mile-per-gallon car (don't believe the hype, btw, most of those cars don't get anywhere near that) may be driven, say, 15,000miles in a year, or more. Most Ferraris and Rolls Royces get driven, on average, only 3000 miles a year. Not counting very old vehicles with low mileage, btw. Search any used listings and you will find very low mileage examples for relatively recent cars. Ten miles per gallon, or less, is not uncommon for these vehicles.
So to sum it all up, I could drive a Ferrari or Rolls Royce the way an owner typically does and use less gas than many of these "greener than thou" lunchboxes without the hideous "hybrid" exclamation plastered on every plastic panel for all to see. I'll trade that "hybrid" badge for "V12" badge everyday!!!

[BrentW1]

02:53 AM on 09/16/2011

And what if you drove a "lunchbox" the way a Ferrari or Rolls is usually driven ?

[champions1]

04:09 PM on 09/16/2011

Well This american....your like a overdone pork chop...served

[This American]

12:24 AM on 09/16/2011

Thank heaven that this has flopped. It is time for this vulgarian to withdraw from public life. He has become a joke.

[fairandbalanced100]

10:35 PM on 09/15/2011

Almost all of the real experts agree with Gore that climate change is real & manmade.
Some of the Republicans that get donations from polluters , like Perry , don't want to
admit it in public & they have fooled many of the Republicans with liars, like Rush & Fox .

[Dalpine]

11:00 PM on 09/15/2011

Don't forget Global Warming investors in waiting...Goldman Sachs (and Gore) are getting anxious for a payoff.
"instead of credit derivatives or oil futures or mortgage-backed CDOs, the new game in town, the next bubble, is in carbon credits — a booming trillion dollar market that barely even exists yet, but will if the Democratic Party that it gave $4,452,585 to in the last election manages to push into existence a groundbreaking new commodities bubble, disguised as an "environmental plan," called cap-and-trade"
..http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-great-american-bubble-machine-20100405?page=7

[ubrew12]

07:37 PM on 09/15/2011

Gore is talking right now, and its a recitation of droughts and floods. This gets people's attention, and its important, but its important to point out, as well, that the early effects of AGW are primarily in subtle economic ways, like the recent increases in crop prices. I'm actually surprised that not more Americans 'get it' regarding AGW. If AGW were a solar effect, reversing it would result in an almost instant improvement in the weather. But its not. Its due to the slow buildup of CO2 and there's no easy way to get the CO2 back out of the atmosphere. You can potentially help the consequences by blocking sunlight (perhaps by jet contrails), but by blocking the sunlight you are robbing crops of their primarily fuel for growth, again raising crop prices. The ocean/atmosphere system has a huge thermal mass. This has worked for us by reducing the severity of AGW as the planet warms up. However, if we find the consequences of AGW to be unacceptable, that thermal mass will now work against us, as the planet will CONTINUE to warm up even as we take the difficult, costly steps to (finally) reduce our CO2 output. If we were to stop putting out CO2 immediately, due to the CO2 already up there, and the thermal mass of the oceans, the climate would continue to worsen for decades before any improvement was noticeable. The skeptics have really been placing fast and loose with civilizations economic future.

[Badgersouth]

06:41 PM on 09/15/2011

“Natural climate change in the past proves that climate is sensitive to an energy imbalance. If the planet accumulates heat, global temperatures will go up. Currently, CO2 is imposing an energy imbalance due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Past climate change actually provides evidence for our climate's sensitivity to CO2.”

Source: “What does past climate change tell us about global warming?” Skeptical Science, Aug 9, 2010

http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period-intermediate.htm

[Badgersouth]

06:34 PM on 09/15/2011

For those of you who believe that natural cycles are the sole cause of recent climate change, please check out

“How We Know Recent Global Warming Is Not Natural,” Skeptical Science, Feb 7, 2011

http://www.skepticalscience.com/news.php?p=3&t=108&&n=558

[Bob Ischy]

05:04 PM on 09/15/2011

All the climate changes that are taking place have been happening for millions of years. The climate goes through cycles and always will. Gore is a total IDIOT !!!!

[blackwind]

05:19 PM on 09/15/2011

Actually most of the biggest climate changes in the past were acyclic, which means "not a cycle."
The rest of your comment displays a similar grasp of the issue.

[Bob Ischy]

08:21 PM on 09/15/2011

And You are an expert on these matters????

[fairandbalanced100]

10:39 PM on 09/15/2011

Wrong ! Gore & his experts are right & very smart . The people that don't believe him
& his facts are idiots .The people that criticize him are liars .
Almost all the the real experts agree with Gore.

[GentleRhino]

03:37 PM on 09/15/2011

The major question I, as a total non-believer in politicians, always ask myself is: Cui bono? I don't believe that Al or Barack or anybody else up there has MY true interests in mind. They only have THEIRS.

[fairandbalanced100]

10:41 PM on 09/15/2011

Al & Obama have our best interests at heart & want to save us & protect us from
greedy Republicans & special interests , that only have their own interests at heart & are willing to pollute air & water & cause global warming to cut corners & make big profit.

[GentleRhino]

01:23 PM on 09/16/2011

Sorry, but you sound like a liberal radio show host and just as impersonal and blind as whatever you are preaching. I don't believe it until I see it. There is no politicians out there with my or your interests in mind! I do not trust either party to fix our problems.

[burthurt]

02:39 PM on 09/15/2011

These presenters from every country shows the same slideshow and has the exact same talking points ? Exactly the same ? These are critical thinkers ?These are our best and brightest?

[Daschenk]

04:06 PM on 09/15/2011

Because unlike conservativeland, the facts are always the same in reality, no matter what language or culture

[burthurt]

05:08 PM on 09/15/2011

the "Facts " in the 70's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling

[fairandbalanced100]

10:44 PM on 09/15/2011

Democrats, like Gore use facts to prove they are right . Republicans ignore the facts & make up their own lies & use liars like Rush & Beck & Fox news to spread
their lies .