Al Gore: Environmental Prophet or Capitalistic Profit-monger?

All in all, I think Al Gore is a good guy. I mean, if someone is going to save the world, it might as well be Al Gore. He’s certainly not perfect. After all, he was a politician. But when it comes down to it, the rest of us are not so perfect either.

Our world is in desperate need of more leaders who can stand up for worthy causes and not back down when the political reality sets in. I believe we now face global challenges like never before, and we need figureheads to lead the charge and provide a voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic world. We need people who are smart, driven, and have good intentions. I believe Al Gore certainly fits this role.

That’s why when a New York Times article printed last week not too subtly criticized Gore’s investments in green energy, my feather got a bit rumpled. The article basically calls into question Gore’s motives in pushing a clean energy agenda. His multiple investments in companies such as Silver Spring Networks would presumably make him millions, all directed by government policies he greatly influenced.

As much as I despise money (don’t ask me about my college debt), I am under no illusions that change requires none of it. The technological innovations needed to push us forward into a new era of energy requires funding to exist and evolve. It also needs investors who are very knowledgeable on which kinds of technology have the most potential and deserve money.

Here is where Al Gore shines. As perhaps one of the most knowledgeable individuals on the issue of climate change, he holds both the know-how and power to invest in companies he sees fit in order to prevent the catastrophic problem. With the money needing to come from somewhere, Gore’s investments help push climate change entrepreneurs in the right direction.

The recent attacks against Gore’s estate, mainly from conservatives, seem particularly baseless and hypocritical given that it is conservatives who largely advocate free market capitalism. This would mean Gore, as a private citizen, is free to invest in any company he chooses. He is not a registered lobbyist. His influence on policy merely reflects his research and philosophy on the future of energy.

Another fact often overlooked in the argument is the amount of money Gore donates to the non-profit organization he founded, Alliance for Climate Protection. All of the profit he made from “An Inconvenient Truth,” including the cash he received from the Noble Peace Prize, all go to the organization. He also committed all the money he makes from his newest book, “Our Choice,” to the cause.

It’s not like Al Gore is lining his pockets full of Washingtons and strutting down the street. He puts his money where his mouth is. It’s capitalism, for once, being used in a positive way. And in a world where it is too often used to destroy the environment, it’s nice to see someone using it to push back.