A Conversation With Al Gore

Al Gore has been delving into the future. The former vice president and media mogul (he just sold his Current TV network to Al-Jazeera English) says we are at the dawn of a new era.

In his new book, “The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change,” he takes an in-depth look at major shifts occurring in the world: globalization linked to automation and digital connections that are shaping a world where fewer workers are needed; population growth coinciding with a widening gulf between the haves and have-nots; new biological breakthroughs that are bringing humans into control of evolution.

Gore says our short-term focus on growth is running into a disruption of the relationship people have with the Earth’s natural systems, and he doesn’t offer easy solutions.

Also this hour: Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet is in New York City this week to perform works by choreographer George Balanchine, staged by former PNB Artistic Director Francia Russell. Marcie Sillman brings us a look at what it means to stage a ballet and how Russell became one of the world’s experts.