Al Gore, February 2011
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Q: That's interesting — you wrote in the 2007 book The Assault on Reason about the increasingly post-truth nature of politics. Is there a way to deal with this on the climate question? Fight it with more facts?
A: Buy the app! As Theodore Adorno said, "the conversion of all questions of truth to questions of power has attacked the very heart of the distinction between true and false." I thought the [birther] issue was receding when I wrote this introduction, but it's a clear example of what's going on. It so closely resembles the willful refusal of climate skeptics to accept the truth of the climate crisis. It's like the Moynihan quote: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts." For me the [climate change] case was made a long time ago. But the political chapter contains one of the most startling facts about this. [He shows an illustration indicating that 19% of college-educated Republicans believe in climate change, compared to 75% of college-educated Democrats.] That difference is astonishing, and it also echoes the birther controversy.
Q: Has this polarization always been this case?
A: No it hasn't.
Q: What's happened to bring us to this?
A: People tend to follow their leaders.
Q: In terms of getting at that 19% of Republicans, does a solutions-oriented message, one that focused on energy and the potential for jobs, does that have a better shot?
A: I think that's a message that is integral to solving the climate crisis.
Q: Does it make a real difference when people see these solutions at work in the real world?
A: Yes, it does. You know, News Corporation has some media properties that promote the denial of global warming, but News Corp. itself has decided to go carbon neutral. And they have. [Gore laughs.] And it works for them — it makes them money. That's an illustration. You find lots and lots of people who may never agree chapter and verse on the nature of the problem who are nevertheless very interested in the solutions because they make sense for so many other reasons.
Q: So it may not matter why they're doing it, as long as they support these solutions?
A: Exactly.
Q: Are we falling behind China on climate and energy?
A: The app tells that story and not only in words but also in pictures and all the other elements that I have mentioned. China clearly made a choice to move as quickly as they possibly can. Have you seen their new Five Year Plan? It's astonishing. I looked at the speeches by Xi Jinping, the next president — wow. The depth of knowledge in his speeches is quite convincing and surprising to Western eyes. They have clearly made a choice. To that extent I hope that the app will continue to contribute to that same choice being made elsewhere. And especially here.
Q: Do you still feel confident we will make he right choice?
A: Yes I do. I do.