Gores Announce They Are Separating After 40 Years Together

Former Vice President Al Gore, and his wife, Tipper, have announced that they are separating after having been married for the last 40 years.

In a statement obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the couple said it was "very much a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together following a process of long and careful consideration. We ask for respect for our privacy and that of our family, and we do not intend to comment further.”

Later, a spokeswoman for the couple confirmed the authenticity of the statement.

Notes From The Clinton Global Initiative Discussion On Innovation

Former Vice President Al Gore Wednesday cited the absence of political will as a significant roadblock to fighting climate change, noting that while business leaders and citizens are willing to confront the issue, politicians are not.

“We do not have that much time,” Gore said during a discussion held by the Clinton Global Initiative on innovation. “We have to put a price on carbon directly or indirectly.”

Gore, who has attended thirty summits since penning “An Inconvenient Truth,” explained that Americans are currently releasing ninety million tons of carbon into atmosphere without acknowledging the impact.

The Vice President touched upon the upcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen, stating that it was very important for the U.S. to secure a deal, even if it isn’t initially perfect.

Securing this deal will be the responsibility of President Barack Obama, who Gore contends needs to aggressively urge the Senate to unite behind combatting climate change.

Gore warned that if unchecked, climate change will present a growing threat, claiming that food production can be slashed by half in some African countries coupled with decreased soil fertility.

In closing, Gore called upon the international community to embrace sustainable capitalism.

The Vice President was joined by a number of leading environmental experts.

Muhammad Yunus, Founder of the Grameen Bank, stressed the importance of spreading businesses that work for a concrete social objective. Yunus mentioned that there is already some progress being made by food companies, but suggested that social businesses should tackle medical problems plaguing countries like the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Jack Ma of the Alibaba Group discussed innovation in China. According to Ma, the future of Chinese industry lies in privately owned countries, such as the smaller “garage companies” started by his organization. 

 The Rockefeller Foundation’s Judith Rodin explained how innovation on a global level is becoming easier to track. According to Rodin, innovation has as systematic set of processes. Some of these processes such as user innovation and crowd thinking can be applied to social situations. Rodin also suggested collaborative competitions where competitors post their solution.

Rodin called for a business environment where companies can take risks and even fail. She also noted that the foundation is slated to launch an impact-investing network.

Congress Focuses On Global Warming Legislation

Former Vice President Al Gore testified before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment in support of "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009." Describing the bill as "One of the most important pieces of legislation ever introduced to Congress," Gore called its passage a "moral imperative."

Gore cited recent research showing dangerous changes in climate due to man-made global warming including melting arctic ice, increased carbon in water, and extreme weather events.

The proposed bill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, will create a cap-and-trade limit on carbon emissions, meaning that companies will have to buy and sell the right to produce carbon, making it more economical to reduce carbon. The E.P.A.'s findings state that this bill will "transforms the structure of energy production and consumption, moving the U.S. to a clean energy economy."

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich also testified before the subcommittee, calling the bill a huge mistake. He explained that the bill imposes an energy tax, stating, "If you use electricity it punishes you, if you use heating oil it punishes you, if you use gasoline it punishes you. This bill will increase your cost of living." Gingrich worries that the U.S. will not be able to compete in a global economy if no other countries tax carbon.

However, Gore stated that he believes if the U.S. acts, the world will follow. Describing the moral significance as equal to that of civil rights legislation of the 1960's, he explained, "Passage of this legislation will restore America's leadership of the world and begin, at long last, to solve the climate crisis."

Today At Talk Radio News

Reporters are covering:

1. The House Appropriations Committee Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the base posture and supplemental request. Witness: Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command.

2.House Energy and Environment Subcommittee hearing on "The American Clean Energy Security Act of 2009, Day 4. Witnesses: Former Vice President Al Gore, former Sen. John Warner, (R-Va.), and others.

Democratic superstars rally to save planet

On Monday morning Al Gore said that it is an “objective fact” that the U.S. is the only nation which can lead the world when a severe crisis looms on the horizon, and that we as a responsibility to future generations to act. Gore spoke at a forum held by The Center for American Progress Action Fund, which discussed how a green approach to infrastructure and energy production can both create jobs and provide for long lasting stability in supply. Gore’s emphasis was on addressing the issue of global warming.

Among the panelists in the forum were Democratic heavyweights from past and present, including Former President Bill Clinton, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Gore emphasized the importance of reducing gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil, but also spoke on energy infrastructure, a topic which turned out to be the backbone of the forum.

Energy infrastructure refers to the methods whereby energy generated in one location is transported to the rest of the nation. For instance, if the Southwest generates a certain amount of energy in solar power, but doesn’t use all of that energy locally, the rest of it can be distributed to other areas in the nation.
The panelists placed great importance on sound energy infrastructure in the form of a nationwide grid. Pelosi said it was an “essential” element, and without it renewable energy would mean very little to the general national welfare. Pelosi went on to liken it to the interstate highway system, in that it is a program which the federal government should undertake in a uniform way for the expanded welfare of the country. Harry Reid spoke to similar effect.

Robert Kennedy, Jr., Chairman of the Waterkeeper Alliance, said that once the infrastructure is in place, the “energy is free forever”. On that topic, Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said that somewhere in the United States the sun is always shining or the wind is always blowing, and that this method for appropriating energy was truly sustainable. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar also voiced support of a unified energy grid.

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service