A Very Inconvenient Truth

Around the world, there is probably no award as prestigious as the Nobel Peace Prize. Any random person on the street is likely to know of it. This morning the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 went to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." Now’s there’s plenty of reasons why I believe the concept of man-made climate change will soon be going the way of the aether, but aside from that, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has selected a recipient that is totally out of synch with its original charter, which instructs the prize should be awarded:

to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

Well I think we can rule out the reduction of standing armies and the holding of peace congresses. And as for fraternity among the nations? Not really seeing much. Moreover, the citation by the committee doesn’t even attempt to align itself with Nobel’s will. Traditionally the prize has been awarded to individuals who had put forth efforts to reduce armed conflicts. There are also a number of laureates who were awarded for humanitarian efforts. But this year the prize went to someone for raising awareness on an environmental issue. It’s ridiculous to try and justify Gore’s selection when juxtaposed against previous laureates and the original charter of the prize.

Moreover I can’t believe they would award the prize simply for raising awareness, an awareness which so far has accomplished nothing. We have the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty that everybody(except the US) signed on to, but nobody actually implements because it would wreck their economy if they did, and even if the whole world achieved the benchmarks it would have a negligible effect on the climate. Beyond that there are probably a few more people buying hybrid cars, and a few more houses with those strange light bulbs that are actually supposed to save you money anyway.

Al Gore’s selection is an affront to the candidates who actually deserved the prize this year. But perhaps this is some sort of life achievement award for inventing the internet…