Curry to Gore: "A lot of people want me to ask you tonight if you're running for President. And I know what you're answer is gonna be, believe me. I gotta ask you though. After fueling this grass roots movement if you become convinced that without you there will not be the political will in the White House to fight global warming to the level that is required, because the clock is ticking. Would you answer the call? Would you answer the call, yes or no?"
The following is the full interview as it occurred at around 9:30pm of NBC’s prime-time coverage of the Live Earth concert on July 7th:
Ann Curry: "Live Earth involves 130 countries, 7 continents, 2 billion viewers, dozens of bands and it's all in a days work for this man, who's worked tirelessly to raise the issue of global warming, the Chairman of the Alliance for Climate Protection, Al Gore. Al, good evening."
Al Gore: "Hi Ann."
Curry: "You know, you've been pouring yourself into this issue, I mean, I gotta tell you, you've exhausted yourself, actually you look like you're having fun --"
Gore: "I am."
Curry: "But you need a vacation, right?"
[Laughter]
Curry: "But nevertheless you keep pushing and actually the question is, what constitutes success here?"
Gore: "Well, you know Kevin Wall, the executive producer of the Live Earth concerts, and I have an announcement, the numbers are still coming in, but we are now prepared to announce formally that this is now the largest global entertainment event in all of history."
Curry: "Whoa!"
Gore: "We'll have more numbers tomorrow --"
Curry: "But how do you know this? Is this because you're tabulating all the --"
Gore: "Absolutely, we've got, we've got the online connections, the viewership, the attendance of the concerts. It is, by a significant margin, already the largest in all of history and we're, and it's still coming in."
Curry: "Congratulations."
Gore: "Thank you very much."
Curry: "Now I have to say, you know there was a plane flying overhead tonight. And I've got to talk to you about the criticism, you've got to answer it. There's been some criticism that Live Earth concerts may be doing more harm than good to the environment. Your reaction?"
Gore: "Well these concerts are, among other things, setting a new green standard. Some of these groups have long been leaders. Others are coming to the issue for the first time. We welcome and thank them for joining us. But this is setting a new green standard and we are getting the message out to the entire world. This is intended to launch a three-to-five-year global campaign to save the climate and to fight the climate crisis and to spread the word about the solutions."
Curry: "Three-to-five-year global campaign. What are you talking about? You're talking about carrying the energy of this forward, to do what exactly?"
Gore: "Absolutely, absolutely. Well to get the two billion people who have been a part of the audience to sign the seven-point pledge for Live Earth. As Jim Hansen, the scientist, said a minute ago, we need a moratorium on any new coal fire generating plants that don't capture and protect the climate against the CO2. There are a lot of other similar steps."
Curry: "So you're not gonna take a vacation, you're going to keep, keep pushing --"
Gore: "Absolutely, no this is just the beginning. This is the launch event. We have, we may have as little as 10 years to, to solve the climate crisis, to make big changes, lest we lose the chance to do so. So that's what this is what this is all about, raising awareness of the crisis and the solutions to the crisis."
Curry: "A lot of people want me to ask you tonight if you're running for President. And I know what you're answer is gonna be, believe me. I gotta ask you though. After fueling this grass roots movement if you become convinced that without you there will not be the political will in the White House to fight global warming to the level that is required, because the clock is ticking. Would you answer the call? Would you answer the call, yes or no?"
Gore: "I don't plan to be -- "
Curry: "Yes or no."
Gore: "I don't plan to be a candidate for office. I do plan to, to continue this different kind of campaign –"
Curry: "‘I don't plan' is not a yes or no. It's possible? Have you ruled it out?"
Gore: "Well the position of president is extremely powerful. But the most powerful source of authority is the people at the grassroots level. This is a global movement. We are launching a global movement to solve the climate crisis and we've got to win that campaign."
Curry: "You haven't ruled it out?"
Gore: "I, you know, the little exception there is not, I'm 59 years old. That's the new 58, you know."
Curry: "Al Gore. On that note we leave it. Have fun tonight. And I think you are."
Gore: "Thank you very much. Thanks for what NBC has been doing."
Curry: "Alright, thanks a lot."
