metro
10-12-2007, 08:24 AM
Gore "deeply honored" by Nobel Prize win
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, October 12, 2007
06:27 PDT SAN FRANCISCO --
Former Vice President Al Gore said today that he is "deeply honored" to win the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize today along with a United Nations panel for their work fighting global warming.
Gore, who is in the Bay Area today, said in a statement that plans to donate the proceeds to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan non-profit organization working on the climate crisis. Gore is to meet with the group this morning in Palo Alto.
Gore, 59, who won an Academy Award this year for his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," is sharing the Nobel Prize with the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which he said was dedicated to improving the world's understanding of the climate crisis.
"We face a true planetary emergency," Gore said. "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.
The Nobel win is sure to ramp up calls for Gore, the 2000 Democratic presidential candidate who won the popular vote and lost the electoral college vote, to make a 2008 run for president.
But a spokeswoman for Gore, Kalee Kreider, said Thursday that while Gore recognizes the efforts of "draft Gore" groups who took out a full page ad in the New York Times this week imploring him to run for President, he doesn't intend to do so.
"Vice President Gore truly appreciates the sentiment of those who contributed to the ad, however, he has no plans to run in 2008," Kreider wrote in an e-mail Thursday to the Chronicle. "He is involved in a campaign-if you want to call it that-of a different kind. He's working to educate Americans and people around the world about the climate crisis and what we can do to solve it".
Still, the Nobel award is sure to fire up members of at least 19 different "Draft Gore" groups. Christopher Vallone, the Northern California coordinator for California Draft Gore, said that he expects an influx of volunteers with today's news.
Even in anticipation of the award, "our organization has grown rapidly over the last month and a half," he said. "We have approximately 1,200 volunteers statewide who are working to collect 500 signatures in each of the 53 congressional districts, which will allow us to place Al Gore on the CA primary ballot."
Democrats said the news served as validation of Gore's longtime efforts - not only on the political, but the environmental front as well.
"The former vice president has proven he's a tremendous leader on the environment," said Doug Boxer, a longtime Democratic operative and son of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. "Whichever path he chooses, he will continue to be effective."
In its citation, the Nobel committee lauded Gore's "strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change. He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."
Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the prize committee, said the award should not be seen as singling out the Bush administration for criticism.
"A peace prize is never a criticism of anything. A peace prize is a positive message and support to all those champions of peace in the world."
The Nobel Prizes each bestow a gold medal, a diploma and a $1.5 million cash prize on the winner.
Chronicle news services contributed to this report. E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com.
Gore "deeply honored" by Nobel Prize win (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/12/BAU0SP0L9.DTL)
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, October 12, 2007
06:27 PDT SAN FRANCISCO --
Former Vice President Al Gore said today that he is "deeply honored" to win the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize today along with a United Nations panel for their work fighting global warming.
Gore, who is in the Bay Area today, said in a statement that plans to donate the proceeds to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan non-profit organization working on the climate crisis. Gore is to meet with the group this morning in Palo Alto.
Gore, 59, who won an Academy Award this year for his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," is sharing the Nobel Prize with the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which he said was dedicated to improving the world's understanding of the climate crisis.
"We face a true planetary emergency," Gore said. "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.
The Nobel win is sure to ramp up calls for Gore, the 2000 Democratic presidential candidate who won the popular vote and lost the electoral college vote, to make a 2008 run for president.
But a spokeswoman for Gore, Kalee Kreider, said Thursday that while Gore recognizes the efforts of "draft Gore" groups who took out a full page ad in the New York Times this week imploring him to run for President, he doesn't intend to do so.
"Vice President Gore truly appreciates the sentiment of those who contributed to the ad, however, he has no plans to run in 2008," Kreider wrote in an e-mail Thursday to the Chronicle. "He is involved in a campaign-if you want to call it that-of a different kind. He's working to educate Americans and people around the world about the climate crisis and what we can do to solve it".
Still, the Nobel award is sure to fire up members of at least 19 different "Draft Gore" groups. Christopher Vallone, the Northern California coordinator for California Draft Gore, said that he expects an influx of volunteers with today's news.
Even in anticipation of the award, "our organization has grown rapidly over the last month and a half," he said. "We have approximately 1,200 volunteers statewide who are working to collect 500 signatures in each of the 53 congressional districts, which will allow us to place Al Gore on the CA primary ballot."
Democrats said the news served as validation of Gore's longtime efforts - not only on the political, but the environmental front as well.
"The former vice president has proven he's a tremendous leader on the environment," said Doug Boxer, a longtime Democratic operative and son of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. "Whichever path he chooses, he will continue to be effective."
In its citation, the Nobel committee lauded Gore's "strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change. He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."
Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the prize committee, said the award should not be seen as singling out the Bush administration for criticism.
"A peace prize is never a criticism of anything. A peace prize is a positive message and support to all those champions of peace in the world."
The Nobel Prizes each bestow a gold medal, a diploma and a $1.5 million cash prize on the winner.
Chronicle news services contributed to this report. E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com.
Gore "deeply honored" by Nobel Prize win (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/12/BAU0SP0L9.DTL)