A Piece of Peace

Yay. Al Gore won another award. Shocked?

There are many critics of Mr. Gore, or the Nobel process itself, that say that he is not a good choice- their reasons range from he is a liar to he hasn't actually stopped anything, let alone global warming, and shouldn't get awards until he actually does something. Unlike the UNCCC, Mr. Gore is just one man, and isn't even a scientist. Why should he get an award for telling the world something that it either already knows and doesn't care about, or doesn't believe?

I think this chorus of critics misunderstand what the Nobel Peace prize is for. Given some of the previous winners, it should come as no surprise that it isn't results based. Unless you can get the award for actually shooting someone.

The Peace Prize, in my opinion, goes to someone who dedicates themselves to changing the world to make it a better place. It has never, explicitly or implicitly, been about ending wars or averting them. It is about an individual who has taken their position, celebrity/political or otherwise, and used that to communicate a message of hope to others. Let me assure you, however, that I can imagine a world where slowing down climate change could avert wars. Ever been to Africa and tried to have a shower?

Now, even though we know that the award isn't results based, let us have a quick look at the results. Al Gore is almost solely responsible for shifting the debate on this particular issue in North America, if not the world. Point finale. Al Gore's key message - which is obfuscated by almost everyone who criticizes him (myself included, professionally) is that we need to become more energy efficient and we need to revolutionize the way we create energy. Only an Oil Executive or Danny Williams would disagree with this position. Mr. Gore's role isn't to stop climate change - it is to help the world understand that it is up to them to do so.

There is NO doubt that Mr. Gore has created many converts to that position - and my views on the precautionary principle aside - there is no doubt that he has dedicated himself to the cause. There is considerable doubt that he did it for completely altruistic reasons. Time will tell, but I remain convinced that one day in our future he will be the President.

In the meantime- he continues to tirelessly, if not selflessly, lobby for change. Bravo.