Gore, Albert (1948—)

Albert Arnold Gore is a Democrat who served as the 45th vice president of the United States (1993–2001) under President Bill Clinton. Before becoming vice president, Gore was a U.S. congressman for 16 years, serving in the House of Representatives (1977–1985) and in the Senate (1985–1993) as a representative of Tennessee. In 2000, Gore was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency, running against Republican George W. Bush. Although Gore won the popular vote, he lost the Electoral College vote after a controversial ballot count in Florida and a legal ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that awarded the presidency to his opponent.

As vice president, Gore is credited for supporting legislation that led to the development of the Internet in the United States. His efforts resulted in the High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991, a bill that allocated $600 million to the development of an “information superhighway.” Gore's vision was to create an “infrastructure for the Global Village” through cooperation among the government, academia, and the industry. Gore pushed for open access to this technology for all Americans and also for legislation on digital privacy.

As a presidential candidate, Gore was often criticized as being stiff and having a boring communication style that lacked charisma. The political advertising in his presidential campaign, although primarily policy and issue oriented, were noted for their negativity toward his opponent, George W. Bush. His performance in televised debates was generally uninspiring.

However, Gore's achievements as an advocate for environmental protection are more impressive. Gore's interest in the environment dates back to the 1970s and the 1980s, when he was among the first politicians to initiate environmental-friendly actions, such as hearings on greenhouse emissions and global warming, in Congress. The culmination of his environment advocacy is the 2006 Academy Award–winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which raises awareness about the damaging effects of global warming. Since its release, the film has become, up to present time, the [Page 279]third most viewed documentary in the United States, which prompted Gore to release a companion book that also became a best-seller. In February 2007, Gore associated with Richard Branson (the owner of the Virgin brand) to initiate the Virgin Earth Competition. The prize is $25 million and will be offered to the first person who designs a commercially viable method to remove one billion metric tons of carbon gases a year from the atmosphere for 10 years.

Gore is the author of several books, including The Assault on Reason (2007) and Earth in Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (1992). He is also known as a businessman and the founder of independent media company and television channel Current TV. In October 2007, Gore, along with the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.