Twenty years after the release of the groundbreaking documentary An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore remains confident that humanity will successfully address the ongoing climate crisis. Speaking at an event in New York dedicated to marking the 20th anniversary of the film’s release and his subsequent advocacy work, the former US vice-president shared his perspective on the progress made over the last two decades.
Gore acknowledged that he was taken aback by the intensity of the sustained backlash from the fossil fuel industry and its political allies following the documentary’s launch. However, he emphasized his continuing optimism regarding the world’s ability to confront environmental challenges.
When asked about the trajectory of climate action in the intervening years, Gore, who is currently 78 years old, offered a humorous reflection. He quipped, “I always say if it hadn’t been for me, we might have a big problem right now,” highlighting his belief in the impact of his advocacy efforts.
Does anyone else find it strange that we mark the anniversary with a speech instead of just accelerating the renewable transition?
Twenty years later and we are still waiting for the big shifts. Hope is nice, but policy changes are what actually matter.
That joke was painfully proud, but honestly? We need more confidence like this to keep the momentum going.