PBS NewsHour and Al Gore explain the latest IPCC climate report

While I've been busy writing about economic disasters, such as Sears likely filing for bankruptcy and the Dow falling 1776 points in ten days, the latest news came out about climate change and the risks associated with it.  PBS NewsHour began the week asking World needs to make near-revolutionary change to avoid imminent climate disaster. Is there hope?

Unless we immediately reduce the burning of coal and oil and gas that drive up global temperatures, a new UN report warns the world will suffer tremendous consequences as early as 2040. William Brangham talks with Rafe Pomerance of the Woods Hole Research Center and Gavin Schmidt from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

On the one hand, that's an alarming question from PBS.  On the other, yes, there is still hope, although the time to act to avoid the worst consequences is running out.

PBS NewsHour was not done with the IPCC report, as they interviewed the other winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.  Watch Al Gore calls Trump’s deregulation proposals ‘literally insane’.

Former vice president and climate change activist Al Gore warns that climate change could be an “existential threat” and calls President Trump’s response an “outlier reaction.” In a wide-ranging interview, Judy Woodruff speaks with Gore about Hurricane Michael, President Trump, the UN Climate Change report out this week, and why he thinks Democrats will fare well in the midterm elections.

I'm glad Gore made the connection between climate change and Hurricane Harvey and other examples of how climate change makes hurricanes stronger.  Not enough people are doing that.  That was a major theme of An Inconvenient Truth, although not as much of "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," winner of last year's Environmental Media Association Award for documentaries.  I suppose if it had come out after Harvey, it might have reinforced the point.

Speaking of award-winning environmental films that examine climate change, I need to follow up on "Chasing Coral" and the outcome of its nomination for Outstanding Nature Documentary.  Since it's Sunday, it's time for an entertainment feature, so I'll do that later today.  Stay tuned.