We. Were. Warned. [View all]

[berni_mccoy]

In 2005, Al Gore made "An Inconvenient Truth".

The movie, based on his work of many years prior, made its National Debut.

Here are some key quotes:

"Now I’m going to show you, recently released, the actual ocean temperature. Of course when the oceans get warmer, that causes stronger storms. We have seen in the last couple of years, a lot of big hurricanes. Hurricanes Jean, Francis and Ivan were among them. In the same year we had that string of big hurricanes; we also set an all time record for tornadoes in the United States."

Story from Today:
"Real Cost of Storms"

And this: 60 Million People Affected By Storm; May Slow Economy

You warned us again about the rising Ocean and the impact it would have on people, the economy and the world. You said:

"Here is Manhattan. This is the World Trade Center Memorial Site. After the horrible events of 9/11 we said never again. But this is what would happen to Manhattan. They can measure this precisely, just as the scientists could predict precisely how much water would breech the levy in New Orleans. The area where the World Trade Center Memorial is to be located would be under water. Is it possible that we should prepare against other threats besides terrorists? Maybe we should be concerned about other problems as well."

And from today: "World Trade Center Flooded With 15-30 feet of Water"

Thank you Al Gore. You did warn us, even with Winston Churchill's words:

“The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing, and baffling expedience of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.”

(photo from 2000 campaign, town hall meeting Amherst, NH)

Maybe some are getting it now (Today's Cover of Bloomberg Businessweek):