NATIONAL NEWS
November 20, 2009
10 Questions for Al Gore
TFK Kid Reporter Andrew Ravaschiere spoke to former Vice President Al Gore about Gore's new book on global warming, Our Choice
In his latest book Our Choice, former Vice President Al Gore explores the causes of the current climate crisis and the actions we can take to solve it. TFK Kid Reporter Andrew Ravaschiere caught up with Gore in New York City.
 |  BRENDA IASEVOLI FOR TIME FOR KIDS TFK Kid Reporter Andrew Ravaschiere met with Al Gore in New York City. |
In 2006, you wrote a book about global warming called An Inconvenient Truth. Why did you decide to write about this issue again in Our Choice?
AL GORE:An Inconvenient Truth was focused on raising awareness about the nature of the crisis and the impact that it is having on the Earth. Now that awareness has grown as much as it has, I thought it would be a good time to describe all the solutions to this crisis.
TFK:What research did you do for Our Choice?
GORE:I started three-and-a-half years ago. I held 30 meetings on global warming. I invited experts to come and spend a day presenting research, debating with one another and describing what the best solutions are. Then, I talked to the best scientists to get a clear understanding of what direction we should move in to use more solar energy, more wind energy, and to prevent the cutting and burning of so many trees.
TFK:What is your best argument for kids that something has to be done about global warming?
GORE:Scientists around the world have been collecting evidence for years now and they say that there is no longer any question that this is real, that we are causing it and that we have to solve it. Since your generation is going to be here a lot longer than mine, the impacts that could hit during your lifetime would be worse. Also, if we solve global warming in the right way, we can make the economy stronger and there will be lots of great new jobs for people.
TFK:What steps can kids take now to fight global warming?
GORE:The first and most important step is to learn about it. The more you know about global warming, the more persuasive you can be in convincing others to do something about it. It's important for all of us to take steps in our own lives, but it's even more important to take steps as citizens of the United States in persuading elected officials to pass new laws and policies that will quickly solve the crisis. I also support a treaty that's being negotiated in December, in Copenhagen.
So, learn all about global warming. Then, talk to your parents, teachers, and other adults. Organize groups of kids to do things like recycling and see if you can get your school to change the lightbulbs and to take other environmentally responsible actions.
TFK:In Our Choice, you've written about alternative sources of energy, such as wind and solar power. On a day-to-day basis, we kids can't choose the type of energy we use. What do you hope kids will take away from these chapters?
GORE:Some companies that sell electricity, they're usually called utilities, offer programs called "Green Power." So, you actually can choose, or your family can choose, to buy electricity from renewable sources. The more people who do that, the more the utility companies will go to wind and solar sources instead of coal to produce their electricity. But there are also steps to take like changing lightbulbs, changing the windows to modern energy-efficient windows, and adding insulation to the house. These kinds of things can save energy and money.
TFK:What alternative energy source do you think is our best hope for the future?
GORE:I think solar energy is very exciting because enough solar energy falls on the Earth every 45 minutes to equal a full year's worth of the whole world's energy use. Geothermal energy, particularly the new kind, called, "Enhanced Geothermal Energy" could produce enough electricity to supply all of our energy needs. And wind power has been the leading new source of electricity in the U.S. for the last two years. All of these are very promising.
TFK:What choices have you made to fight global warming?
GORE:I've made lots of speeches. I've had lots of meetings with people who are in positions of leadership and have convinced them to do something about it. My family and I changed our lightbulbs and windows and insulation. We put 33 solar panels on the roof of our house. We dug seven geothermal wells underneath the driveway, and we buy all of our electricity from renewable sources. We drive hybrid cars and we recycle too.
TFK:What do you hope will be the outcome of the upcoming climate conference in Copenhagen?
GORE:I hope that they'll produce a treaty that sets limits on global warming pollution and then reduces global warming emissions.
TFK:Critics of global warming say that temperature changes are natural cycles. How do you respond to them?
GORE:It's not as important what I say compared to what the scientific community says. Twenty years ago, the United Nations brought together 3,000 of the best scientists in the world, from all the different fields that are important to understanding global warming. They've produced four reports, all of them unanimous. In the last one, they said the evidence is unequivocal. "Unequivocal" means that there is no more room for argument. They can continue to explore and debate some of the details, but the main points are settled. It's sort of like they've decided the Earth is round, and even if some people think it's flat, it doesn't matter that much. It's definitely round.
TFK:What has been your greatest accomplishment in your effort to address global warming?
GORE:I may not be the best judge of that, but I guess it has been to communicate in clear language exactly what's going on, why it's going on and how we can fix it.
