Al Gore in Sheffield

[badgerslikeh 10]

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.

[samc 10]

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).

[SUPERTYKE 10]

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...

[alternageek 10]

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??

 

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

[jimmy 10]

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.

[Mr Goose 10]

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.

[JaZzY JeF 10]

Did anyone make any Manbearpig references?

[buck 11]

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.

[SUPERTYKE 10]

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

 

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...

[alternageek 10]

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

[Mr Goose 10]

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

[buck 11]

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.