Unlike many in the conservative blogosphere, I am not upset that Al Gore shared in this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

• I believe that the evidence is fairly strong that some degree of global warming is occurring, and that part of this is not natural; i.e. that it is due to human emissions of greenhouse gases.
• By raising awareness of global warming, Gore has raised awareness about environmental issues in general. This is a good thing.
• Gore is not a perfect spokesman for environmental issues; he makes mistakes in his presentation. Ronald Reagan got facts wrong all the time, but conservatives who criticize Gore when he mis-states facts seem to forget this.
• Some have said that this was inappropriate because this is a “peace prize” not an “environmental prize.” I fail to see the reasoning here. Peace (or the Hebrew shalom) is more than the absence of conflict; it is an overall state of well-being. Environmental problems are a threat to the shalom of people all over the world, so it is appropriate to award the Nobel Peace Prize for work done for an environmental cause.

Gore shares the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

No, in writing this I am in no way endorsing Al Gore for President!

Grace and Peace