Discussion (Keynote Address)

  • 31/03/2008

  • India Today (New Delhi)

Q.The office of the President of America is considered to be the most powerful office in the world and given the slugfest among democratic nominees, you would have been an ideal candidate. It would have given you an opportunity to push your agenda, which is climate change. Yet you chose not to stand. Why? Also, why didn't you do as much for climate change when you were in office? Gore: The answer to the second question is actually related to the answer to the first. I did everything I needed to do during the eight years as vice-president and came face-to-face with many great lessons about how great democracies deal with the issue of environmental crisis. On the Kyoto Protocol, I was able to convince only one of the 100 Senators. Some Senators told me candidly that they understood the issue, but if they voted for it, they would be defeated in the election. Even now, last year when a survey was done, only eight out of 3,000 questions pertained to their views on climate change. I decided to change the underlining political reality, that if this issue of climate change must be solved, there should be a sea change in public opinion and a sense of urgency. I don't want to watch this process of destruction take place and tell my children I didn't do everything I could to rally people around it. I might be wrong but it feels that I am right. Q. You say that you are a failure but also that you are optimistic. Perhaps you can explain these contradictory statements. Gore: The goal is to evoke an effective response to solve the crisis. And that requires mass action. There is an African proverb that says "If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.' We have to go far, quickly. To evoke that kind of mass response, it takes a lot of people to be a part of the effort. But until we get there, we are failing. We are getting closer to that tipping point and I do believe we have a chance and I am optimistic. Q. What is your action plan for India? Gore: I want you to find a way to change the way of thinking in India, so that this great nation asks not what we should do compared to other countries but asks instead what should we do for ourselves and for our future. The greatest opportunity in the history of the world business is in green technology. So the leadership and the people of your country should look at this as a great opportunity to exploit the largest emerging market in the history of the world. In summary to your question, I would say changing the life boat i s important but changing the laws is more important. Q. What kind of legislation will make a difference? Gore: Politicians will be allergic to this solution but I am going to tell you what the secret is: put a price on carbon. Reduce taxes on employers and employees, reduce taxes on investments and on pay rolls and make up all of the difference with pollution taxes, principally carbon taxes. This will clarify the choices. Mark Twain once wrote, "Do the right thing, you will astonish your enemies and gratify your friends.'