Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by jacobwilliamroy on Friday November 23, 2018 @05:27PM (#18519257)

Are you saying that Al Gore's above-average energy consumption (private jets, mansions, etc) invalidates his claims about climate change? Are we meant to infer from his behavior that nobody needs to make any significant changes to their lifestyle?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by ams6110 on Friday November 23, 2018 @06:07PM (#18519413)

Yes. If you're unwilling to live by the charges you are demanding others make, your credibility is weakened.

The jet travel may be justified, but if he believes what he is saying he should be flying commercial and the extravagance in the rest of his lifestyle looks really hypocritical.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by jacobwilliamroy on Friday November 23, 2018 @07:46PM (#18519751)

I would agree if Al Gore existed in a vacuum. There are other, less extravagant people who also claim that:

>climate change is real

>climate change is man made

>climate hazards will impact people all over the world

>climate change quickly creates additional hazards which need to be dealt with on top of whatever problems already affect us (erosion of infrastructure, salination of farmlands/aquifers due to flooding, traffic trapping people during a forest fire)

Perhaps Al Gore believes that individual actions are completely insignificant compared to the acts of corporations and governments. Maybe he is a closet climate-denier. If either of those things are true, it is inconvenient that many see him as the face of climate activism. I think the case for climate mitigation should hinge upon scientific evidence, rather than the lifestyle and personal opinions of a single man.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by anigbrowl on Saturday November 24, 2018 @03:14AM (#18521040)

Since when does the whole thing hang on the reputation of Al Gore? What a ridiculous argument, unworthy of HN.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by ForHackernews on Saturday November 24, 2018 @12:28PM (#18522997)

Seriously. Are we really at the point where "I don't like Al Gore, therefore climate change is a hoax" is something we're supposed to rebut?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by twblalock on Friday November 23, 2018 @08:28PM (#18519898)

If something is true, it's true no matter who says it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by whatshisface on Friday November 23, 2018 @05:32PM (#18519284)

Most people have some faith in scientists and close to zero faith in public figures.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by throwawaymath on Friday November 23, 2018 @07:15PM (#18519639)

I think you should reevalute your confidence in this assessment, because in the United States alone there are demonstrably millions of people with non-negligible faith in public figures - of all kinds and political affiliation.

It's also fairly straightforward to find people who don't exactly hold scientists in high regard.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II by mrexroad on Friday November 23, 2018 @07:10PM (#18519622)

Does that still hold if you replace “public” with “religious?”

[ Parent | on HN ]