What will it take to look in to the future and act before it's too late?
Bono writes:
"Al Gore is the kind of leader these times require. Not as President — God and the Electoral College have given him a different job. As it happens, Al is at work repositioning his country from the inside out as a leader in clean energy; and along the way restoring faith in the U.S. as a moral powerhouse that can lead a great, global spiritual revival as the temperature rises."
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"For Al, 2008 is a rendezvous with destiny and an appointment with the enemy. The foe he sees is our own indifference to the future and a lack of faith in our ability to do anything about it. He stresses that through crisis we can find opportunity. His language is pretty Biblical, but, then, doesn't the Bible say something about floods? He is like an Old Testament prophet amped up with PowerPoint and an army of the world's scientists at his disposal. The right response to the global-warming crisis, he explains, will be a mosaic of solutions that will kick off a whole new economic boom, one that is low-carbon and high-productivity, with truly sustainable development, and an atlas for planet management — using not New Age technology but old age wisdom generating sustainable solutions."
Will we look at the survival and greater good of the many, than the benefit for the few?
Al Gore: "I have seen firsthand during eight years as Vice President the other prerequisites for the kind of galvanizing response that is needed. I believe this is the rare crisis that requires a fundamental shift in public opinion at the grass-roots level to embolden members of the Legislative Branch to take action."
Time Magazine: For all the momentum we're seeing, climate change hasn't really emerged as a top issue on the campaign trail.
Al Gore: "I agree, and that tells me that the highest use of whatever experience I've gained along the way is best applied to the task of changing public opinion. If these candidates walk down the street in Manchester, N.H., and every other person they encounter buttonholes them about climate change, you would hear very different stump speeches. I'm doing everything I know to bring about that change. Might there come a time when the opportunity appears to make more headway and bring about more progress as a candidate? I doubt it, but maybe. I'm open to the possibility emerging."
Mr. Gore, what more can I do for you to see that opening? You have created the conversation and the opportunity. If someone cares about the subject, don't they have to be a willing part in the conversation? If they won't, then the one who cares most about the issue must. And you have now seen a complete groundswell of support. You entering will be the tipping point needed. And if you have not yet seen the many speaking out to you, just take a look at the comments left for you on the petition site at DraftGore.com which is now at incredible "Signatures | Total: 234,285." When I need a boost, I read the very honest and open words and I get the hope I need. They are to you, Mr. Gore, please read them.
Some are born visionaries. And we can learn from these great visionary leaders of what we can actually accomplish.
Al Gore and the Internet
By Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf ( THE principal inventor of TCP/IP (i.e. the internet protocol) had to say):
"The fact of the matter is that Gore was talking about and promoting the Internet long before most people were listening. We feel it is timely to offer our perspective.
As far back as the 1970s Congressman Gore promoted the idea of high speed telecommunications as an engine for both economic growth and the improvement of our educational system. He was the first elected official to grasp the potential of computer communications to have a broader impact than just improving the conduct of science and scholarship. Though easily forgotten, now, at the time this was an unproven and controversial concept. Our work on the Internet started in 1973 and was based on even earlier work that took place in the mid-late 1960s. But the Internet, as we know it today, was not deployed until 1983. When the Internet was still in the early stages of its deployment, Congressman Gore provided intellectual leadership by helping create the vision of the potential benefits of high speed computing and communication. As an example, he sponsored hearings on how advanced technologies might be put to use in areas like coordinating the response of government agencies tonatural disasters and other crises.
As a Senator in the 1980s Gore urged government agencies to consolidate what at the time were several dozen different and unconnected networks into an "Interagency Network." Working in a bi-partisan manner with officials in Ronald Reagan and George Bush’s administrations, Gore secured the passage of the High Performance Computing and Communications Act in 1991. This "Gore Act" supported the National Research and Education Network (NREN) initiative that became one of the major vehicles for the spread of the Internet beyond the field of computer science."
As Vice President Gore promoted building the Internet both up and out, as well as releasing the Internet from the control of the government agencies that spawned it.
The Vice President deserves credit for his early recognition of the value of high speed computing and communication and for his long-term and consistent articulation of the potential value of the Internet to American citizens and industry and, indeed, to the rest of the world."
"The Vice President deserves credit for his early recognition of the value of high speed computing and communication and for his long-term and consistent articulation of the potential value of the Internet to American citizens and industry and, indeed, to the rest of the world."
Some citizens create their own action. Here is a video of citizens showing support for the Environmental Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo. A parade of support by Electric Cars for Al Gore.
Now a question. If Mr. Vinton Cerf was the creator of IP address, is that how we came upon the term "surfing (Cerfing) the net?"