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mate Change, the IPCC, came out with its fourth unanimous report warning leaders of the world that they have got to take action, and they do. If I can help deliver that message and play any kind of role in making it easier for people to connect the dots and put this picture together, then I will feel like I have played a useful role."
Gore became interested in global warming while at Harvard University in the late 1960s after learning of it from professor Roger Revelle. In the late 1970s, as a U.S. representative he helped organize the first congressional hearings on the issue, and in the '80s began discussions with leaders in other countries, organizing an international network of legislators to discuss it. As senator and vice president, he participated in numerous global-warming negotiations, including the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the Kyoto Protocol negotiations in 1997.
He said some of his previous critics and opponents have now apologized to him after changing their stance on the existence of global warming.
"That is always a hard thing to do, so it is always extra-appreciated when that happens. But I'll tell you, there are others who go from denying the reality of the evidence to saying, 'Oh, it's too late; we can't do anything,' " he said, laughing at the irony. "That is really the lowest blow of all, not to me but to our kids because that is just a cheap excuse for jumping from one reason not to behave responsibly to another.
"We have got time to solve this -- not a lot of time. The most respected scientists in this field say we may have as little as 10 years to really make bold changes worldwide, but that is enough time. We are going to do it. But it is a race. "
"In this case, connecting these dots quickly and using the best evidence available to us to form a very strong consensus for the bold actions needed is the number one challenge we have. We need to do it as quickly as we can. That is why I am spending so much time trying to deliver this message."
He continues to make his PowerPoint presentations. He was in Montreal and Toronto last week and will visit Middle Tennessee State University and the Universities of Oklahoma and Miami this week. He has trained 800 volunteers, including actress Cameron Diaz, to make similar talks.
"They are out there now giving this slide show nonstop," he said. "These trainees have already given in a few months more time than I've been able to give it in 20 years. I'm happy about that."
Parties could both help
Gore would like to see Democrats and Republicans make peace on global warming and work together to solve what he called "an unprecedented planetary emergency."
"I want to see the candidates in both parties make this their top priority or at least among their top few priorities. … I want the two parties to compete on the basis of who can solve this crisis most effectively and what kinds of solutions will work the best.
"I was in London recently and I'm always taking note of the fact when I am there that both of the two major political parties there are really competing vigorously with one another to be the most aggressive in proposing bold solutions for the climate crisis. I think that is the way it should be over here. It used to be that way.
"The environment used to be a bipartisan issue. Howard Baker was the ranking Republican member of the Senate Environment Committee when (Sen.) Ed Muskie (D-Maine) was the chairman of that committee. The two of them passed terrific environmental legislation and got bipartisan support for it. Even Richard Nixon, who had so many flaws, was nevertheless a great environmental president. Of course, Teddy Roosevelt, also a Republican, was the greatest environmental president. It used to be a bipartisan issue, and I hope it can be again."
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