Gore gets $100,000 plus Expenses to Speak the Truth

Gore gets $100,000 plus Expenses to Speak the Truth
2007 03 13

Thanks to Mario for sending along the article!

Gore set to make campus presentation of Academy Award-winning film in early April

First Bill Clinton, then Nancy Pelosi, and soon Al Gore.

Starting today, ASU students can buy tickets to see Al Gore when he comes to campus April 2.

The former vice president will be presenting the slide show on global warming that is featured in the Academy Award winning film, "An Inconvenient Truth," at Gammage Auditorium.

Undergraduate Student Government is sponsoring the event, said James Quinn, USG premier events coordinator.

Bringing Gore to campus started after Quinn and friends saw the movie last summer, he said.

"Afterwards we said, 'Wouldn't it be really great if we could get Al Gore here?'" Quinn said.

Gore will be paid $100,000 plus expenses for the event, Quinn said.

But Gore's payment will be covered entirely by private donors and the University will only pay about $3,000 to $4,000 of his expenses, Quinn said.

"Very little money is being subsidized from the University or student tuition," he said.

Originally Gore was scheduled to make his presentation prior to the November midterm elections, Quinn said, but USG officials decided to reschedule due to the election.

There will be seating for about 3,000 people, he said.

About 80 percent of Gammage will be reserved for the ASU community, Quinn added.

"The whole reason he's coming here is to educate students," he said.

Kristin Roebuck, a political science senior, said she'd like to see his presentation.

"I have very different views than him on global warming," Roebuck said.

To her, global warming is not as big of an issue as Gore believes it is, she said.

"I don't agree with him whatsoever," Roebuck said.

Still, Roebuck said she does like him as a politician. And, she said, she'd like to hear his argument.

In the presentation, Gore reviews scientific evidence that supports global warming.

While it presents the argument in an effective way, there is more to the story that's not told, said Robert Balling, a geographical sciences professor.

"What I found was the complexity of the debate does not come through in the film," he said.

Balling, who went to Hollywood to see an advanced screening of the film, said he isn't trying to be critical of the film.

"I thought it was a wonderful piece of advocacy work," he said. "But my advice would be to, when you get done with the film, at least be willing to explore some of the claims in this film."

If the film were presented differently, by saying there's evidence for some things and not evidence for other things, it would be boring, Balling said.

"Go see the film as a starting point, then go out and explore even more," he said.
"I think most people would be stunned."

Tickets for students, faculty and staff can be purchased today at 10 a.m. for $5 to $20.

The general public will be able to purchase tickets priced $35 to $75 on Friday at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets.

The slide show will take place at 4 p.m. Gore will answer pre-screened questions from students following the event.

Article from: http://www.statepress.com/issues/2007/03/07/news/700184

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