September / October 2007
#1 - Al Gore: Man on a Mission
Photos by Catherine Ledner
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?
Anyone else come to mind?
Bono, of course. Angelina Jolie is doing a very impressive job. My friend, George Clooney, who’s done such a great job on Darfur.
What can politicians in general learn from people in entertainment?
If you don’t spend all your time raising money, you can communicate about the public interest.
Michael Moore has said that you are his pick for president. Do you accept his endorsement?
I have a lot of respect for Michael, and I hope that Sicko leads, along with other things, to the passage of national health insurance. It’s way overdue. He came to my house in Nashville a couple years ago and we had a good long talk. He’s an incredibly intelligent and passionate guy with terrific communication skills. He cares a lot about this country and about the world. But no, I haven’t talked to him about him wanting me to run for president.
Larry Summers and others at Harvard are leading an effort to draft a new Kyoto treaty. If Summers asked you to participate, would you join them?
I have such enormous respect for Larry that I would, of course, be responsive to him. We had an extensive dialogue about the global environment when he joined the Clinton-Gore administration, and I found him to be very responsive. We’ve remained friends and allies all these years. He has, of course, an extraordinary intellect. I’m sure that I’ll have an opportunity to be in dialogue with them because Larry is a good friend.
Let’s talk about your family a bit. You were chatting earlier about your grandchildren. What are your concerns about their future?
If we don’t act very quickly, before my grandchildren are even close to my present age they would live in a world where there is no polar ice cap. And that would be a very different planet, because that ice cap is one of the principal ways that the earth cools itself. The destabilizing of Greenland and the extensive snow melting in West Antarctica are ominous signs where very large increases in sea level are concerned. And even a one-meter increase would displace a hundred million climate refugees in the world. A six-meter increase would displace 450 million climate refugees.
You and Tipper are famous for your strong relationship. Your youngest daughter Sarah was recently married in L.A. Any secrets to a successful marriage that you would like to impart to Sarah and her new husband?
Communication. Communication is a bedrock skill, and it requires perseverance. I don’t pose as an expert—the secret to my happy marriage is very simple: Tipper.
Your father once said that you were ready for the presidency because you were raised for it. Have you raised your children with a similar bent?
No, not at all. My hope for each of them is that they will do what feels most right and most fulfilling in their lives. I’m very proud of all four of them.
Before we finish, Vice President Gore, I have to ask one more time: You’re completely ruling out a run for president?
I have not completely ruled out the possibility of reentering politics as a candidate at some point in the future. I doubt that will ever happen. But just as it doesn’t feel right to be a candidate at this point, it doesn’t feel right to make a so-called Sherman statement.
Magazine
Most Popular:
More Like This
- Content
-
Features
The Harvard 100 -
Spotlight
Al Gore -
Spotlight
Al Gore -
Features
Why Not, Al?
The Rankings:
Subscribe to 02138
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.