Is Al Gore more important than the President? 02138’s Bom Kim traveled to Los Angeles to ask the former vice president and environmental missionary about the earth’s lost balance, the current inhabitants of the White House, his respect for Michael Moore, and how it feels to be Harvard’s most influential alum. Oh, and one other thing: Is he running for president or what?
Talking to any?
Several of them have called from time to time.
Which ones?
I’m not going to violate the privacy of those conversations, but several of them have called regularly. Some have made private visits to Nashville, and I appreciate that.
Among the current crop of candidates, who has the strongest position on global warming?
I don’t think anyone has given it the emphasis that it should have. But [Connecticut senator] Chris Dodd deserves credit for proposing a CO2 tax—I’m convinced that we should eliminate the payroll tax and replace it dollar for dollar with a CO2 tax.
You’ve been talking about global warming for decades, but some critics still say that you’re talking up the environment only to punch your ticket to the White House. Does part of your hesitation to run come from a desire to prove them wrong, to keep the environment elevated above politics?
Well, those are separate questions. The answer to the first is no, that would be a very indirect way of thinking. But I do think it’s very important to elevate this issue above partisan politics. The world would be better served if that becomes the case.
Are any Republican candidates good on the issue?
No. John McCain was strong on the climate crisis in the past, before he got swept up in the effort to court the base voters of his party. Mike Bloomberg has had a responsible position on the issue, but he’s no longer
a Republican.
At the recent Democratic debate in South Carolina, every candidate claimed to support the fight against global warming. But six of the eight candidates took private jets to get there. Doesn’t that kind of behavior create a risk that global warming will be seen as just a trendy cause for fat-cat, private-jet Democrats who don’t practice what they preach?
It’s not necessarily a fair litmus test for these candidates, who have Secret Service entourages and staff. It would be a mistake to get sidetracked on something like that.
But personal behavior matters. After your daughter’s wedding, you took some heat for allegedly serving endangered Chilean sea bass. Turned out that the fish came from both legal and green sources. Some people, it seems, are determined to catch you in an environmental screw-up.
Did you see the autopsy of that original story? It was completely false. But it’s not new for advocates to try to shoot the messenger who is delivering a message they don’t want to hear. And in this case, there is nothing new about the way they’ve been trying to do that.
Speaking of messengers … you’re hanging out with Leonardo DiCaprio a lot these days. What have you taught Leo about politics, and what has he taught you about acting?
I like Leo a lot. He read Earth in the Balance when he was coming off Titanic. He asked if he could come see me, and I said of course, and we talked for maybe three hours. I was impressed that he had not only read the book cover to cover, but thoroughly understood it—he was in his early twenties at that stage. I encouraged him to continue learning and to use the platform of his celebrity and the communication skills of his profession to build public awareness of this crisis, and I have been very impressed by the way he has done so. What have I learned from him? He illustrates how celebrity advocacy can be a noble calling when it is culled with intensive study, mastery of detail and passionate concern.
Features
The Harvard 100
Spotlight
Al GoreSpotlight
Al Gore
Features
Why Not, Al?
Your privacy is ensured. We never sell, disclose, or trade contact information.
02138 is an independent magazine and is not affiliated with Harvard University. Please note that 02138 is available to the general public by subscription only, but is not automatically mailed to all Harvard alumni.
