Al Gore's Statement upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize (born March 31, 1948 12:53pm Washington, DC
Statement of Al Gore on Winning Nobel Prize
I am deeply honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. This award is even more meaningful because I have the honor of sharing it with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change--the world’s pre-eminent scientific body devoted to improving our understanding of the climate crisis--a group whose members have worked tirelessly and selflessly for many years. We face a true planetary emergency. The climate crisis is not a political issue, it is a moral and spiritual challenge to all of humanity. It is also our greatest opportunity to lift global consciousness to a higher level.
My wife, Tipper, and I will donate 100 percent of the proceeds of the award to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan non-profit organization that is devoted to changing public opinion in the U.S. and around the world about the urgency of solving the climate crisis.
A big congratulations to Al Gore on winning one of the most coveted prizes in the world. This is greater than the Oscar, the Emmy, even the Sierra Club's prestigious award and he was elected President of the United States by the people of the United States. He was only the third nominee in the history of the US to win the popular vote and lose the electoral vote (if you remember Florida) He could have been our president, we wanted him to be our president, alas it didn't turn out that way.
I was struck, this morning, by the juxtaposition of the two men; Albert A. Gore and George W. Bush. I had a sort of a play going on in my head between the gods and these two men. "Well Georgie, what have you done in the last 7 years for your country and the world?" "And you Albert what have you done?"
The whole thing plays like a comic book with Batman and the Joker. One trying to save the planet and one trying to destroy the planet. It's a classic tale of how the same energies can be used from the lower level to the higher expression. Both men have Leo on the Ascendant, both have Aries at their Midheaven, both have Pluto in their first house.
I have been amused at the arguments between scientists. The scientists who say Global Warming is happening, and the bought and paid for scientists who say it isn't. The amusing thing to me is if the bought and paid for scientists are right those on the Global Warming side look foolish, but if they are wrong, we are dead. I would perfer looking foolish. One thing we know for sure is our ignorance and greed is destroying life on this planet and Al Gore is traversing the world to try and awaken people to their own power to change the course of destruction. George Bush is chasing Blackwater and the boogieman whom he cannot seem to track down, he can however spend billions to track down all of us.
Al Gore's chart shows a winning year and this time last year I said "perhaps the good year he will have will push him toward the presidency." Today however, his aides say there is only a 10% chance of his running. I would like to see him run but I also understand why he wouldn't and doesn't need to, he has already proven that he is a great man in a way the presidency could never give him, particularly since it has been left in shambles.
It rumored that Australia will shift positions and sigh on to the Kyoto Treaty, leaving the United States standing alone against the "save the planet" countries, nice legacy left here. Since the year 2000 this is the second time I've felt proud to say I'm an American, once was in 2002 when Jimmy Carter one the Nobel Peace Prize and one is today.
Soon, if not already the jealous sniping will begin in the papers and the media, just like it did for Jimmy Carter and this country has done all it could to marginalize Jimmy Carter since he won the Nobel, I expect they will soon start on Gore. It is jealousy and pettiness and fear because the people doing the sniping aren't "great" will never do "great" things, will never rise to those ranks and they know that. Most of us will never rise to those ranks, but I believe most of us take pride in those who do, sadly some do not take the same pride in others accomplishments.
Al Gore will go on to accomplish more great things and be a beacon of light toward the future and once, just once we had the opportunity for this great and prescient person to be our President. How different this country would be today, one can only imagine. And so again Albert A. Gore, Jr. Congratulations to a true leader. Good luck and thank you Batman.