Today was the first day of Science + Society (see the conference website), a conference that looks for ways to narrow the gap between scientists and the general public.
Al Gore was one of the keynote speakers. As a journalist, it pained me to hear the woman who introduced Gore specifically emphasize that the former vice-president’s talk was off-the-record (and therefore, I presume not something the press can report on); this is not exactly a great way to narrow the gap between scientific experts (Gore is certainly an expert on global warming) and the public, is it? There must have been at least a few other people in the room who thought about this irony.
In any event, if Gore’s talk was really off-the-record, I guess I really can’t write about what he actually said.
I think what I can say is this: hearing him speak—he made references to CP Snow, John Scopes, ancient Rome and Greece, Galileo, the Enlightenment, Hannah Arendt, and lots of other people and places and ideas that the current president is, in all likelihood, not particularly conversant with—just reinforced the idea that had Gore become president, the world would be, and look like, a completely different place right now. Science might be in the forefront of the administration, even.
Gore’s humor, though, was the best part of the afternoon. For instance, during a question-and-answer session, Gore was asked by moderator Lester Crystal of MacNeil/Lehrer Productions what it was like, considering the success of An Inconvenient Truth, to be a movie star of sorts. Gore replied: “What do you mean, ‘of sorts’”?
This was just one of many comedic gems. For instance, Gore noted that now that he is a private citizen, he has gone from traveling on Air Force One to having to take his shoes off as he goes through airport security. Welcome to the world of the huddled masses, Mr. Ex-Vice Presdient, Mr. Should-Have-Been-President, and now, Mr. King-of-Comedy at Science and Society.
I’m not sure I would call Al Gore a scientific expert on climate change. He’s definitely a great communicator, (unofficial) spokesman and advocate for scientists and policy folks looking for action on climate change, and has arguable done more as an individual than anyone else in bridging the gap between science and society on these issues.
I too was amazed at how much personality Gore showed in his documentary. It’s really too bad he didn’t open up like this during the 2000 election campaign.
I agree; on second thought, he is not a scientific expert since he is not a scientist by training, but I think he probably knows enough about the science of global warming to be considered an expert (of some sort), at least in the sense that he knows and understands and is up on the scientific literature.
An expert spokesman and advocate—perhaps that is the best way to put it? If only other advocates could be as well informed.