Global Warming Update: Gore speaks (but ... his college grades!)

Haven't done a Global Warming Update in ages. ...

This speech is being widely publicized -

Clinton, N.Y. -- Al Gore, 45th vice president of the U.S., Nobel Laureate and author of An Inconvenient Truth, told Hamilton’s Class of 2011 that the climate crisis is “the most serious challenge that our civilization has ever faced,” and that while the grassroots movement in support of solving the climate crisis is the most powerful in the history of the world, “it will be the generation of you in this graduating class that will really bring about change.” Gore also addressed the political state of our democracy and how decisions made on false assumptions have led to major national challenges.

BUT - so is this information

Gore’s transcript documents that during his sophomore year at Harvard he earned a "D" in Natural Sciences 6 (Man’s Place in Nature). Also, as a senior at Harvard, he earned a C-plus in Natural Sciences 118.

For his college board achievement tests, Gore earned a 488 (out of 800) in physics, and a 519 (out of 800) in chemistry. Gore’s academic records were first obtained and reported on by reporters David Maraniss and Ellen Nakashima at The Washington Post in March 2000.

Gore did relatively well, however, on the SAT, earning 1355 (out of 1600). For comparison, George W. Bush got 1206 on the SAT.

I guess you could argue that Gore was a late bloomer? Or  - my position - he just doesn't know what he's talkin' about.

FULL DISCLOSURE: My SAT's were exactly halfway between Bush & Gore's. My son Joe, who graduated from high school yesterday, had higher SAT scores then Gore. I guess this proves ... nothing!

Comments

[A Croton neighbor]

SAT scores have changed since the 70s when Gore and Bush were taking them. There is serious grade inflation now. Back then a 1000 was considered in the 85% - 87% range. Now there's an extra part basing the score on 2400, not 1600. You really cannot compare oranges and apples.

[Tom Faranda]

You are certainly right, especially about grade inflation, including SATs.
So perhaps a comparison between Joe and the other two is skewed (But it sure
sounds good!).As far as the third part of the SAT, which is an
essay, most of the colleges only look at the traditional two parts of the SATs
. Theres not enough predictive data re: the essay and future college success,
to make it worthwhile. We were told this just this past year , as Joe went
through the college application process. In any event, I was only taking into
account his first two scores, not the essay results, when comparing him with
Bush and Gore.

In a message dated 5/26/2011 9:24:08 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

[Croton neighbor]

Well, well done Joe, then. I think that many schools use the third part of the SAT to compare to the common app to make sure that the applicant and not someone else wrote their essays. In any event, it's interesting to see how far one can go with a C average on both counts!