Guest essay by Eric Worrall

I guess after getting the science wrong so many times Al Gore feels safer predicting a political tipping point than another dodgy “Ice Free Arctic” prediction.

Al Gore: America Is Close to a ‘Political Tipping Point’ on Climate Change

The former vice president discusses how the politics of the environment have changed considerably over his decades of advocacy.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE
JAN 3, 2019

…

Isaac Dovere: Where do you see the politics of climate change right now?

Al Gore: I think that we are extremely close to a political tipping point. We may actually be crossing it right about now. The much-vaunted tribalism in American politics has contributed to an odd anomaly, in that the core of one of our political parties is uniquely—in all of the world—still rejecting not just the science, but also the messages from Mother Nature that have pushed toward, and perhaps are pushing across, this political tipping point right now.

More and more people on the conservative side of the spectrum are really changing their positions now. This election, in 2020, is almost certainly going to be different from any previous presidential election in that a number of candidates will be placing climate at or near the top of their agenda. And I think that by the time the first primary and caucus votes are cast a year from now, you’re going to see a very different political dialogue in the U.S.

The climate-related extreme-weather events are causing millions of people who had successfully pushed this issue into the background and into the projected distant future to now be finding ways to talk about it and to express their deep concern.

Dovere: When you were in politics and talking about climate change, you were made fun of for it. Is that weird to think about now?

Gore: Forty years ago, it was not easy to get people’s sustained attention for this looming crisis. It’s much easier now.

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Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/01/al-gore-q-climate-change-and-2020-democrats/579340/

The Democrat leadership certainly seems on board with Al Gore’s theory, their new Congressional climate committee is to be called “United States House Fellowship of the Climate Crisis Select Committee on the Climate Crisis“.

What do you guys think?

I’m aware far too many schools have been doing damage over the years by focussing on green indoctrination rather than education, trying to turn our kids into little eco-warriors, but despite this I am optimistic.

A funny thing happens after the kids graduate; they get their first set of bills, they run up debts and mortgages, and suddenly the importance of economic growth and the cost of expensive electricity and fuel becomes a lot more real to them.