The return of the Ozone man

Al Gore is back. An he's angry.



Haha, yeah, I know. If you've seen the Simpson's episode, the multiple Futurama episodes, or the South Park episode (pictured) staring Al Gore (former US senator, Vice President, and one-time Presidential Candidate against George W. Bush) - then you know why this is funny.

He is a man on a mission, though. I read his 1992 book "Earth in the Balance" some time ago, and was quite surprised by his astute grasp of the science and fundamental issues. Its something every intelligent person should read.

Not to mention it gives you hopes about the collective IQ of politicians. One of the great tragedies of this century was Al Gore's narrow defeat to George W. Bush for the US presidency.


Now Gore is back with a new book, and a movie-length documentary to boot.
This is from the NY Times review of the book:

Fourteen years ago, during the 1992 campaign, the current president's father, George Herbert Walker Bush, dismissed Mr. Gore as "Ozone Man" — if the Clinton-Gore ticket were elected, he suggested, "we'll be up to our neck in owls and out of work for every American" — but with the emerging consensus on global warming today, Mr. Gore's passionate warnings about climate change seem increasingly prescient.

Those without the time to sit down and plough through his book, though, can now see the movie instead. And no, not kidding.

"An inconvenient truth" has opened in US cinemas, and will probably make its way through to Australia some time in the next 6 months. Already it has become 5th highest earning documentary of all time (after Mike Moore and Madonna's romps). And its given the book a new lease on life: at the time of writing the book had moved up to No. 2 in the NY time's best seller list (non-fiction) - above Truman Capote!