http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sudarshan http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510342

The way I see it – it still makes sense for Gore to get it, if the Prize raises his prestige so high as the highest-profile person in the US (and the world) arguing for climate change to be taken seriously, and for something to be done about it – that the whole center of gravity of the debate in the US also changes – in the direction of what the IPCC and the Nobel committee would like it to.

As a general comment, I am less enamored of people and companies trying to make money from intermediating global emissions quotas and permits trading regimes – and much more of companies developing long-term adaptation and mitigation technologies, and yes, even those companies who are thinking of creative ways of reversing climate change.

cc, that may be because of the way media works in the US, rather than Gore insisting on being referred to as former Veep. I’ve observed Clinton being referred to as “President” in the media without fail during the past 6 years, and Madeleine Albright called as Madam Secretary even after she stopped being the Secretary of State. I wouldn’t read too much into it or draw some conclusions – that’s just the media protocol for former administration members. I think.

Just to clear that up.

Point taken. “Representative of the U.S. government” was the incorrect thing to say. But he’s still going around the planet with the title of “Former Vice President” attached to him. You’re right. He’s not currently an office holder, and his view is in opposition of present government. But when he makes public appearences, he’s still representing his government as an establishment, at least up to a point. Because the prestige of the Nobel Prize rubs off on the position he formerly held, even if the current Vice President isn’t a Democrat. It’s no different than an entire university sharing in the glory and prestige of a Nobel Prize award in sciences, even if it’s only awarded to single member of the university’s faculty.

My main problem is that on this particular issue, they should have awarded someone other than a famous politician.

What a joke. The U.S. government has led the way in stalling global warming agreements. So now that the Nobel Commitee has decided to award someone on this issue, it awards a representative of the U.S. government?

This is ridiculous. First, Gore is no longer a representative of the U.S. government, just as former President Carter (also a recipient) is no longer a representative of the U.S. government. It’s not like the Prize Committee gave an award to President Bush for his so-called “Clean Skies Initiative.” Second, while the U.S. disproportionately pollutes and creates waste, Al Gore is not some spectre of “the oppressive white man, dumping carbon dioxide into the skies.” Climate change is a human-made problem, and while there are certainly countries who contribute more to the problem, this is not a “white man’s” problem or a “white man’s” creation (unless you are going to argue that industrialization was a purely “white” phenomena that continues be “whites only”).