April 4, 2007
2,000 IC Design Engineers Hear Al Gore Speak 


They were registered and paid attendees at the Embedded Systems Conference
at the San Jose Convention Center who crossed Santa Clara Street, April 3,
2007, to the Civic Auditorium to hear Mr. Gore talk about, “The
Democratization of Technology”.  And there weren’t many others there.  The
general Press was barred, so had been the trade Press until a last minute
change of mind that let me in.  We have a couple of theories that might
explain why more publicity was not desired by Al Gore and his associates,
at this time. It certainly was not related to the content of his talk,
delivered as the Conference Keynote.

Al Gore came across as a personable, intelligent, engaging man with a
great and self-deprecating sense of humor that he shared abundantly with
his audience, whose laughter filled most of his hour.  But it was hard to
find any specifics that bore on his announced topic in the actual talk.  
Environmental pollution issues, particularly the alarming threats from
human-engendered global warming, are the challenge.  We need to create
more engineers and scientists to help address the threats.  I believe that
he may be still developing his program to “democratize” technology and
that may be one factor making publicity premature.

But the significance of Al Gore’s appearance at this time, in this venue,
certainly goes beyond his chosen mission to sound another alarm.  In about
10 months California will hold its Presidential primary for the Democratic
Party candidate.  Peter Waldman and Pui-Wing Tam pointed out in an article
about leading candidates, Clinton and Obama, March 26, 2007 in the San
Jose Mercury  News, “Others, including venture-capitalist John Doerr and
Apple Inc. boss Steve Jobs, are staying conspicuously neutral, possibly
seeing if their friend Al Gore enters the race”.  Now who would have more
clout with the Embedded Systems Conference sponsors than they have and who
would have more appreciation of its importance.  I shall refrain from
drawing scenarios of how the Democratic Party nomination process might
play out, including the ticket composition November 2008.

A word here has to be said about the propounders of the “Global Warming
Swindle”, who suggest that it’s all sunspots causing long-term climate
changes.  In some ways they are analogous to “The Swift Boat Calumnies”
that bedeviled Kerry’s presidential bid in 2004..
Gore is not alone in raising the threat.  The vast majority of
environmental scientists so believe. A prime example is Dr. Nathan Lewis
at Caltech who has minutely tracked carbon intensification in the
atmosphere and its impacts, in his work on solar and other renewal energy
forms.

The “Swindle” people have to ask themselves, “Am I 100% sure that all
global warming is beyond the control of humans?”  Because if they are not
100% sure, they could be inviting disaster for all of us. If they are
sure, they need to come up with unassailable proof—the burden is on them. 
If any of them have a hidden agenda, they should declare it.  Al Gore, at
least, is honest, in my opinion.

The importance of the Embedded Systems Conference needs to be emphasized. 
Embedded Systems are the staging ground for the Electronics Inside that
move the industry.  It’s where the de-gutting is done and the product
improvement.  It’s where new ideas are hatched on silicon.
Al Gore picked a good venue for promoting “The Democratization of
Technology”.  I hope he puts some more meat on them bones.

I had hoped for a private interview—didn’t fit the format.  Maybe next
time.