if i'm trying to figure out whether the planet is getting hotter, and if so why and with what effects, the last people i'm gonna ask are al gore and sarah palin. first of all, despite all evidence to the contrary, neither is in a reasonable position to read, much less assess the data. second, their views are dictated not by reality but what they want reality to be: their positions are, of course, political positions. their voices are irrrlevant and incompetent, and they should shut the fuck up.