Al Gore
Former VP is current green celeb
Al Gore was a very important politician - vice president of the United States - as well as a teacher and businessman, but amazingly, he’s become most famous for the green causes he supports.
A little film featuring a slide show presentation by Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, won an Oscar for Best Documentary and opened the eyes of millions around the world to the reality of global warming and Gore’s potential as unconventional leading man. For 30 years he has been advocating action on the climate change crisis, even when it seemed like no one was listening.
The environmental politician and businessman
Al Gore has been involved in environmental matters throughout his political career, from co-sponsoring hearings on global warming in the early ’80s, to launching an Earth Day awareness program for school children (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, GLOBE) during his vice presidency, to pushing for ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in the 1990s. Before, after and even during the media frenzy surrounding An Inconvenient Truth, Gore has been urged to take another run at the White House, although he denies any intention to run again.
Co-founder and chairman of Generation Investment Management, a company committed to long-term sustainability, Gore also sits on the board of directors for Apple and is a senior advisor to Google.
Green living the Gore way
The man who “used to be the next president of the United States” strives for carbon neutrality in his own life by buying offsets for energy consumption he can’t reduce, although that hasn’t stopped some from lashing out at him for high energy use in his home and frequent plane trips to deliver the climate change message. Gore reduces his own footprint by driving hybrid vehicles, using solar panels and purchasing green energy.
An Inconvenient Truth
The book and follow-up documentary produced by Laurie David is what the hype around Al Gore is really all about, although it wasn’t his first foray into environmental writing. Earth in Balance, published in the early ’90s, made the New York Times best seller list. (He also wrote the foreword for sustainability bible World Changing.)
Gore took the documentary’s slide show and set out with climate scientists to train an army of volunteers to give the presentation. But he didn’t hand over the reins; Gore also continues to speak on the subject.
Gore the celebrity
Furthering his high profile, Gore teamed up with businessman Richard Branson to judge the Virgin Earth challenge. It offers a $25 million prize to the first person who creates a commercially viable design for removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
The Gore name is also behind the Live Earth series of concerts in 2007, to focus the world’s attention on climate change, which includes such performers as Bon Jovi.
And for Al Gore’s crowning achievement? It has been reported he’s nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, for efforts that have taken decades to be heard.
