Former US Vice President Al Gore is to make the keynote address at a global climate change conference being held at the University of Sheffield on Tuesday. Does anyone have tickets or an invite for this event?

It will be interesting to see if he arives in his personal Gulfstream jet or if he gets a tram from the railway station.

hes pretty green so he might be coming by train up from london.
as a ex-vp he still is escorted by secret service, so theyll be everywhere

He invented sheffield you know.

Al Gore's 'Cooling the Planet' event is on Wednesday 2pm at the Octagon and is invitation only :(

More info here:

http://www.dlapiper.com/files/upload/cooling_planet.pdf

The email I sent to request tickets has just been returned to me with a big negative. Clearly I needed to be a freemason to gain access to the event.

The email I sent to request tickets has just been returned to me with a big negative. Clearly I needed to be a freemason to gain access to the event.

Don't think it's that.
You probably don't have a steel helmet to wear in case the sky falls during the presentation. :hihi: :hihi:

An email went out across the university a couple of days ago saying there were 150 tickets going to the first people to reply. I replied within 20 mins of the email arriving in my inbox, and no luck. I would imagine if you're not a bigwig then the chances of seeing the conference are almost zero.

He invented sheffield you know.

:lol: :lol:

Yeah. I got that uni email too an replied like lightening. Still didn't get any tickets though in fact I think the reply thing was mucked up by all the replies they were getting. Tis for all the 'Business' types apparently. Does anyone think that they will listen and ACT on what he says or just use it as another good anecdote at their next soiree? :suspect: I fear it will be the latter. In a very cynical mood today. :(

They're showing An Inconvenient Truth at the Union on Tuesday night for £1.80 and also at the Showroom on Monday and Tuesday. It's not quite as good as seeing him in the flesh but anyone who hasn't seen his film should go and watch it.

Don't waste your money, you'll just fall asleep, he's the most boring politician there is.

Don't waste your money, you'll just fall asleep, he's the most boring politician there is.Maybe we need a little more boredom right now. Anything else is not working for us under Dubya

Don't waste your money, you'll just fall asleep, he's the most boring politician there is.

its more of his monotone voice then anything else.

he at least has a sense of humor about it all though. hes been on futurama a few times.. well his head has

Don't waste your money, you'll just fall asleep, he's the most boring politician there is.


I don't think you have seen many politicians speaking live. I went to the Al Gore event - and he was one of the best public speakers (if not the best) I have ever seen.

David Blunket was there and "not slim" Prescot

Just another failed politician evangelising about global warming, - we have Tony Blair for that.

Anyway the US contributes 25% of global CO2 emmissons compared to the UK's 2%,- so why come preaching here ?. He should be strutting his stuff in India, China and Russia :hihi:

I am glad to see him putting climate change on the public conscientious,although hes a democrat and I support the american republican party I am fully behind him on this issue.
This is one area where the Bush administartion hasnt done enough in the past although I think we are seeing A SLIGHT change in policy now.
Go for it Al.

Just another failed politician evangelising about global warming, - we have Tony Blair for that.

Anyway the US contributes 25% of global CO2 emmissons compared to the UK's 2%,- so why come preaching here ?. He should be strutting his stuff in India, China and Russia :hihi:


actually one of the main reasons why gore was chosen as Clintons VP was because he stands (well stood) on a very green platform and would fair well with those democrats who felt not enough was being done (the late 80s/early 90s in the US saw a very big trend in being environmentally friendly and it was good politics to have others around you who were)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore%27s_views#Environment

While a Representative, Gore co-sponsored hearings on toxic waste in 1978-79, and hearings on global warming in the 1980s.[49] While a senator working on his book Earth in the Balance, Gore had traveled around the world on numerous fact-finding missions. During Gore's tenure as Vice President, he was a proponent for environmental protection. On Earth Day 1994, Gore launched the worldwide GLOBE program, an innovative hands-on, school-based education and science activity that made extensive use of the Internet to increase student awareness of their environment and contribute research data for scientists.

In the late 1990s, Gore strongly pushed for the passage of the Kyoto Treaty, which called for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions [50] [51]. However, many of these proposals were not enacted by Congress, and/or were not implemented to the satisfaction of critics such as Ralph Nader.[52] In 1998, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia wrote Resolution S. 98 that opposed ratification of the Kyoto treaty, and in turn the Senate voted 95 to 0 against the treaty.

In recent years, Gore has remained busy traveling the world speaking and participating in events mainly aimed towards global warming awareness and prevention. His Keynote presentation on global warming has received standing ovations, and he has presented it at least 1000 times.

Gore is a vocal proponent of carbon neutrality, buying a carbon offset each time he travels by aircraft.[53] Gore and his family drive hybrid vehicles.[54]

Beginning in the fall of 2006, Al Gore and a team of renowned climate change scientists and educators will train more than 1,000 individual volunteers to give a version of his presentation on the effects of – and solutions for - global warming, to community groups throughout the U.S. The presentation and training program are based on the message Gore has been giving for more than two decades, which inspired the documentary film and book, An Inconvenient Truth.[55]

Along with Canadian Inuit activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Al Gore was nominated for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to draw the world's attention to the dangers of global warming. [56]

It was full council meeting today, so there was no chance of my getting to this event. :sad:

Cllr Jan Wilson, leader of the council, and Cllr Mary Lea, Cabinet member for the Environment, were there. I'm sure they'll be telling us all about Gore's keynote speech when we next meet up. I've heard briefly on the grapevine from someone who was at the Sheffield My Planet event that Al Gore was an excellent speaker.

I was there yesterday, managed to get tickets through the Uni. All the speakers were very inspiring, it was a great event, just a shame that more people couldn't have attended. I was very glad to see some of the recent developments included in the presentation, i.e. European car manufacturers objections to capping car emissions per km as proposed by the EU.

I think it would have opened peoples eyes to the world of climate change in a way not frequently portrayed by the media, as AG said, 800 odd peer reviewed articles in scientific journals supporting the idea of climate change, 0 articles disproving the idea of climate change.
Media stories regarding climate change, about 50-50 proving and disproving... can you see the difference!? No wonder there is so much confusion surrounding this issue.

Hear on Radio Sheffield last night that Al Gore praised Sheffield's strategy on tackling climate change. Brilliant that we hosted this event and a real boost to our green agenda.

I managed to get a ticket. It was pretty good - Al did the same talk as in the film with a few more jokes and some more up to date information.

John Prescott ("Al's friend") turned up and Blunkett went on about how Sheffield was the first city to use combined heat and power.

He also went on about how good the public transport was (in the 70's)...

If you watch the BBC news vid -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/news/index.shtml

When he talks about Sheffield, look carefully - you can see a certain goose in the audience

If you watch the BBC news vid -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/news/index.shtml

When he talks about Sheffield, look carefully - you can see a certain goose in the audience

Just had a quick look at that. I was a bit shocked to see many empty seats. It's a real shame, I would love to have gone (if only to heckle David Blunket if he really did try to claim our public transport was great).

If you watch the BBC news vid -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/news/index.shtml

When he talks about Sheffield, look carefully - you can see a certain goose in the audience

Yeah, whats with the empty seats. I emailed the organiser to ask for ticket sand she told me it was fully booked. It really annoys me that people don't bother to turn up to see such an important person speak on a subject he is passionate about. Grr.:mad:

Agree Badgerslikeh - very disappointing to see that those interested in going were refused and then loads of empty seats cos' they invited people who can't be bothered.

And to rub salt in the wound - apparently it was brilliant ( except for Blunkett).

Best start taking climate change seriously - if the yanks are getting worried things must be looking REALLY bad...

The organisers were probably telling EVERYONE that it was fully booked - then letting in just a select and 'safe' few...

Best start taking climate change seriously - if the yanks are getting worried things must be looking REALLY bad...

because hes been talking about it since the 70s?? :loopy:

The organisers were probably telling EVERYONE that it was fully booked - then letting in just a select and 'safe' few...
i have a strange feeling it had a lot to do with the secret service more than sheffield unis handling of the situation

If you'd seen the "security" then I don't think the secret service were employed. There were a few Sheffield Uni employees on the door (just normal staff who volunteered). If anyone had wanted to do anything it would have been very easy.

I imagine the empty seats were people who couldn't make it. It looked pretty full to me. There were no spare seats anywhere near me.

Also I got a ticket by emailing them so there were no security checks.

I walked (well waddled) straight into the event - and I was carrying a big heavy bag with a laptop.

It could have been a boozoka or a bag full of poo.

Did anyone make any Manbearpig references?

If you'd seen the "security" then I don't think the secret service were employed. There were a few Sheffield Uni employees on the door (just normal staff who volunteered). If anyone had wanted to do anything it would have been very easy.

I imagine the empty seats were people who couldn't make it. It looked pretty full to me. There were no spare seats anywhere near me.

Also I got a ticket by emailing them so there were no security checks.He may mean the American secret service. As an ex vice president he is likely to have his own agents there quietly keeping an eye on things and a bulge in their armpits. They may be at the back of only allowing invited guests. Ity's quite common over here.

because hes been talking about it (climate change)since the 70s?? :loopy:

I believe I referred to the 'AMERICANS' in my post Kerri,- frankly I don't give a damn how long Gore has been on about it - MANY Americans are aware of the problem, unfortunately non of them are in positions of power where they can do anything about it...

I believe I referred to the 'AMERICANS' in my post Kerri,- frankly I don't give a damn how long Gore has been on about it - MANY Americans are aware of the problem, unfortunately non of them are in positions of power where they can do anything about it...

and a lot of them ARE changing. most towns through the US have full recycling programs (it actually shocked me that sheffield - and other councils where ive lived - city council cant pick up glass, paper, plastic and metal containers in your recycle bin; how hard is it to have set pick up days?)

the goverment gives tax breaks to those who use renewable energy sources to heat their homes. the higher energy index rating your home has, the better it is. we're encouraged and educated on how to buy and where to find low energy using products as well. in the last few years youve seen the increase of homes now having refrigerators with the freezer on the bottom (less energy to keep food frozen), front loading washers and dryers, and induction stove tops. we also heavily insulate our homes to reduce heating bills.

if you buy a hybrid or an alternative resource car you receive a tax break (generally for the VAT) for buying one and then receive additional discounts from your insurance provider. these cars are VERY popular in the us and for most of them there is a 2 year waiting list from when you buy the car to when you receive it. toyota, honda and ford can not keep up with the demand

there are federal,state and local incentives to encourage car pooling and the use of public transport. you are able to buy bus and train passes weekly, bi weekly or monthly tax free through your employer. state transportation organizations are building HOV (high occupancy vehical) lanes to encourage car pooling between co-workers.

they are encouraging people not to drive and park to the airport. in fact when i was living in NY i used to take the train to jamaica train station and catch the airtram to my flight at JFK airport.

in the late 70's during the carter administration, the goverment encouraged the american public to turn to solar panel to heat their homes (again with tax relief), increase home insulation and keep their heat at a fixed temperature. unfortunately when reagan came into office in jan 1981 he removed a lot of those programs in order to favor big oil encourage the use of gas and oil to heat homes.

weve also installed wind farms and solar farms (microsoft actually has one of the largest ones in the US to help power one of their server farms) through out the us to help reduce a dependency on oil.

we might have not signed the kyoto treaty (yeah that was bad on the current administration part) but america on the whole is trying. we're just not going around bragging about how green we are and just trying to find the best combination of things to help combat the problems the world is facing. america has a long way to go, but the goverment has been eavesdropping on what people are saying and its making a start.

btw a lot of the programs ive pointed out have been in effect since the late 80's, funded with the help of the clinton administration and the good started just been overshadowed by that monkey in charge

The main problem is the USA addiction to cheap petrol and inefficent cars.

Hey - here is a good idea - why don't we in the UK start buying big SUVs as well.

Duuurrrr go round Tesco's car park and check out the woe

Ford Motor Company is in serious financial trouble partly because of its love of large vehicles. There is a significent trend in America toward smaller miore efficient cars. They are never going to be the tiny vehicles you would maybe like to see us use, but if we can achieve around 35 to a US gallon we're part of the way there. Many of us drive much larger distances than you are used to and doing that in a tiny car is a bind. Another reason for more fuel use is the need to have air conditioning in the car. Opening windows doesn't do much good in Florida in the summer.

I was a bit shocked to see many empty seats.

I was talking to someone who went... apparently a lot of the 'suits' (from the company sponsoring the event) left early because it was over-running... :(



.

and a lot of them ARE changing. most towns through the US have full recycling ----.

---with the help of the clinton administration and the good started just been overshadowed by that monkey in charge

Quite, Kerri. - Perhaps it is to this 'monkey' that you should be submitting your lectures and your witty little icons that denote idiocy.
Or is that you are unable to grasp the irony of the situation - the inconvenient truth that the worlds' leading power can't bring itself to curb its conspicuous consumerism - or die - but merely pay lip service to the overwhelming evidence that the world is heading for trouble.

Gordon Rattray taylor alerted my parents and many others, to the looming dangers back in the early 60s in, 'The doomsday Book'; even down to warning of the impact that air travel would have on the environment.
My parents were activists' in various arenas at the time; indeed, I bore a
'Ban the Bomb' banner at the age of two, on my first demo!

I have no problem with America. In fact you have potentially world class leaders coming out of your lugs - Bob Dylan could have done the States a LOT of good - in fact, he did the whole world a lot of good - BUT -
'Don't think twice, it's alright... '

. As an ex vice president he is likely to have his own agents there quietly keeping an eye on things and a bulge in their armpits.

Is it wise Buck, to entrust such an emminent life to men suffering with glandular problems? :lol: