FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - January 6, 2010
"Frozen Gore" is a dig at Gore's beliefs about climate change.
The first statue went on display last year. This year's version is hooked up to the exhaust of a pickup truck to make it appear Gore is spouting hot air.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the smoke drew laughs from a crowd Tuesday as a Gore speech on climate change played over a loudspeaker.
The sculpture was commissioned by two businessmen, Craig Compeau and Rudy Gavora, who want Gore to discuss global warming in Fairbanks.
"We don't agree with his theories - we're suspicious of the financial motivation behind them," Compeau said.
Last year's inaugural Gore ice sculpture got national attention, including mentions on The Drudge Report, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.
Compeau said his Web site with photos and information about the sculpture attracted 1.7 million visitors. He also was swamped with mostly positive e-mails from people who found the sculpture entertaining.
Climate change scientists say Alaska has warmed by 3 degrees Fahrenheit during the past 50 years. The average temperature for 2009 was 27.8 degrees in Fairbanks, about one degree warmer than normal, said Rick Thoman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
