Summary: This week, members sound off about the national convention and Al Gore as a guest speaker on May 5: “Gore to AIA: Architects Needed More than Ever”. Some pro, some con, but all passionate. Last week’s blog also focused on this topic.

I was not happy to see that Al Gore was invited to speak at the AIA Convention. The AIA should not be politically involved, especially with a leftie kook like Al Gore. [What] is the AIA thinking? Global warming? You've got to be kidding. Look at the facts, please, not a made-up movie from Hollywood.

—Rich Potokar, AIA, LEED AP
Richard A.M. Potokar Inc. Architecture & Planning
Riverside, Ill.

Why would the AIA give credence to a "humans cause global warming" alarmist like Al Gore? Whenever he speaks there should be one of the many qualified experts to challenge him with apposing scientific facts.

—Clifford Gale Turner, AIA
Reno

I have never been so proud to be part of our profession and part of the AIA as at this year’s convention. Aside from the fact that it was just a great event, the support for sustainability, diversity, collaboration, and in the last moments of the convention the support of the UIA through its President Gaetan Siew for cultural diversity and tolerance around the world was so heartening that I feel 20 years younger!

—Marlene Walli Shade, AIA
Project Manager, PSA-Dewberry Inc.
Fairfax, Va.
President, Northern Virginia Chapter of the AIA

I have been told that the AIA was not permitted to film or record the speech by Al Gore. That is terribly unfortunate because he stressed in the presentation the need for all of us to share our information. We have an office of over 200 architects and landscape architects who would benefit greatly by this inspiring speech, and now we don’t have any way to do that. The same can be said about the very exciting and provocative speech given by David Suzuki on Thursday. Both were very important to the profession and we should be able to share them with others who unfortunately could not be at the convention.

—Richard l. Von Luhrte, FAIA
President, RNL
Denver

Wow! Sounds like the 2007 AIA convention was an absolute Woodstock event. Also sounds like Ms. du Plessis is really, really anti-development . . . which is good of course because Africa should just remain primitive and bucolic. Next year you should see if you can get Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to speak (or bark). He talks to animals and claims to have friends from many species. He wants to reduce the world’s population to under 1 billion and do away with cars and planes (except perhaps for a few solar powered blimps) and trains and ships (except for sailing ships of course). He also believes that humans are “AIDS of the earth.” When the AIA runs out of fads to chase, please let the membership know when it will be returning to its 1858 adult mission "to promote the artistic, scientific, and practical profession of its members; to facilitate their intercourse and good fellowship; to elevate the standing of the profession; and to combine the efforts of those engaged in the practice of Architecture, for the general advancement of the Art." (emphasis added.)

—Michael S. Adams, AIA
Principal, Enlign Consultants
Fort Collins, Colo.