This morning former Vice President Al Gore and the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work bringing attention to global warming. For Gore, the award caps a great year in which he won an Oscar and numerous other awards for his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Gore promptly announced that he would donate his half of the $1.5 million prize (corrected, please see below) to The Alliance for Climate Protection.
Gore's story is a remarkable and inspiring one. After the close defeat to George Bush in 2000, Gore could have easily fallen into a state of bitterness and completely withdrawn from the public stage. Instead, he almost immediately began teaching. He also dedicated himself to his long-held interests in technology and climate issues.
The documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, contains elements of the global warming presentation that Gore has been making and honing for many years. It also shows Gore during his travels and contains personal snippets that show how he has come to terms with the 2000 loss.
While Gore's winning the Nobel Prize is a fantastic achievement that all Americans should be proud of, his strength in overcoming the loss and finding a different avenue for leadership is the real achievement.
Corrections:
The original post said "that he would donate half of his prize." Thank you to Ged Maheux for pointing out the error in the original post. Corrected Oct. 12, 11:42 a.m.
