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"Gore gets it!"

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Gore gets it! – the prize, and the crisis. Deeply rooted in science, Al Gore has established climate crisis as a moral and spiritual imperative. Now we must act with speed on an unprecedented scale. Speed and scale. — John Doerr

I have seen the VP’s passion since my early days photographing him in Washington DC. He was a different person on the campaign plane than the public saw, and now the world sees him for who he is. [Above is] my favorite photo taken of candidate Gore on the campaign in California, May 2000. — Kevin Gilbert

My wife and I came to TED uncertain about Al Gore and not thrilled to hear him. He seemed fake to us in the national political election he had gone through. His presentation profoundly changed our view of him even more than his message. We bought the messages. We did not buy the message presenter. At TED, he gave a sense of his humor, three-dimensionality, commitment to the cause, ability to criticize himself. We left with a positive attitude toward him and a commitment to help. — David and Heidi Hoffman

At TED2006, Al Gore brought alive a vital and little-understood subject with humble, direct, passionate facts that were a call to action far beyond his previous resume as a politician — bravo to a great humanist leader who made us address our history! — Randy Antik

At 60 years old, there are rare seminal moments that cut across the arc of your life that make you stand up and cheer with joy of a 3-year-old, the passion of a 16-year-old and the wisdom of a 60-year-old — Al Gore did that at TED! — Sandra Kulli

Thank you, bless you — Al Gore; what greater giving, what better gift to the planet, than your new dawning of insights, intelligence and calm authority in advising the world — finally — to what future there might be…and what future we might create anew? — Tim Girvin

Watching Al — and Tipper — Gore at TED was my privilege; working to reverse climate change is my responsibility. — Stuart Gannes

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Photo of Al Gore: @Kevin T. GilbertAl’s talk, while certainly rich in substance and influence, was made more poignant by the obvious, life-long dedication that he has given to the topic of global warming and understanding what we can do, as individuals, to reverse the course of climate crisis. — Warren Packard

My takeaway from the Al Gore presentation was the sense of urgency that we must all have in confronting the reality of global warming. I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro after the TED Global conference and had many discussions with a guide who had been climbing for many years. He was able to point out the changes that have happened there over time … a short time. It brought me back to the images that Al presented of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2006. — Alan Jacobson

Al Gore’s jaw-dropping work on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, made a profound impact on me and other TEDsters. What had been an abstract calculation of a potential climate problem became an urgent, visible worldwide crisis in one session at TED2006. Congratulations to Al Gore and the UN Climate Panel on winning the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. — Jackie Leo

Focused, impactful and powerful: his message changed how our family minimizes our impact on the earth in our everyday decisions, as well as how we can become an advocate for environmental issues as global citizens. — Brett Bullington

Al Gore’s talk on Global Warming was his most passionate, convincing talk that I had heard him deliver. It instantly heightened my awareness, understanding and sensitivity to the issue which has driven me to do the same for the people that I meet and do my part in reducing factors that affect Global Warming. — Rakesh Sapra

Al Gore’s presentation on Climate Collapse was the defining event of the 2006TED conference – it brought the audience together in community and gave perspective to all other conversations, focussing the sense of purpose we all felt when we left. — Dorothy Lawson

His presentation at TED woke me up to the crisis at hand. — Rich Durkin

One word: fluorescent. — Patrick Adams

In a time of transition — it is inspiring to see the rewards of praise and recognition when brilliant thought is married to an intellectual passion. Congratulations to Al Gore on behalf of myself and my 5-year-old daughter. — Laura O’Brien

The man has found peace and this is the voice this topic needs. — Ramana Rao

He brought a tear of regret for what might have been, a tsunami of deep concern for what is, and an abiding conviction for what must be. — John A. Dymun

Al Gore’s passion and commitment truly inspired me to take just one step every day to contribute to the health of our planet. — Laurie S. Monsees

Gore’s striking presentation at TED left me appreciating the beauty and majesty of our planet’s natural resources while, at the same time, helping to illuminate the risks we pose to its balance and well being through our ardent strides at global industrialization. — David Geller

Al Gore not only delivered an incredibly important message, his comments elevated and set the tone for the entire TED2006 event causing us to listen in high definition. — Scott Cutler

Congratulations on the much-deserved recognition for your work in raising people’s awareness to global warming and how humans need to wake up and smell the ozone! You have become such an effective advocate about it. The momentum you have created is fantastic and I hope the people living below me in the newly constructed riverfront condos get exposed to your message before the big wave hits!! — Mary Rowell

After almost running right into him in the hall, I continued to be amazed by his continual presence, message, and obvious commitment not just during his talk, but throughout the entire conference. ‘This matters,’ he was teaching us with every word he spoke. — Meg Withgott

Al put a human face on climate change instantly radicalizing my attitude toward sustainability which I have put into action in my personal (CFLs, buying wind energy, riding a trike, increasing awareness in my Brooklyn community) spiritual (starting a compost program, installing a rainbarrel, certifying the wildlife habitat in my Quaker meeting outdoor space) and professional lives (helping clients to think sustainably too). I gave Al a copy of my book Branding for Nonprofits at TED and he gave me a hug. Thanks for the hug and so much more, Al. — DK Holland

Not only did he raise my consciousness, he created my consciousness about the severity of the problem and that I have the ability to do something about it. Rock on, Al Gore!!! — Betsy Henning

Al Gore’s presence and participation at TED changed all of our lives … I truly believe it was the TED community that gave the importance of his message the final push it desperately needed to finally get heard. It was hardly a coincidence or miracle of marketing but the right group of people including the media at TED. The sincerity of Al’s presentation and his continued engagement at TED put all of us on a mission that will hopefully change our and our children’s children’s lives. — Jon Kamen

Watching and listing to Al speak so passionately about one of the most important issues we all face every day, our world, made me realize how much each and everyone of us can do to make a difference for the cause; I think about it every day and try to do something to make a difference, no matter how small. — Richard Kerris

The unparalleled legacy of your leadership on global climate change will outlast even the greatest of achievements that might have lain along the road not followed. — Katherine James Schuitemaker

On stage at TED you showed us the man with the vision that we all dreamed would lead our country through these treacherous waters.
You have shown us that you are the man with the vision to lead the world through these treacherously high tides.
Carry on with your message and show the world that Substance , Authenticity , Action, and Commitment are what we , as a nation CRAVE.
Congratulations, I cannot think of a more deserved winner .
Warm, but not too warm regards,
Sunny Bates

Al Gore’s talk convinced me of the need to make a more concerted effort to encourage and support the Thrivals to become more focused in shaping public policy around energy policy. There is no greater issue facing our time. —
Nat Irvin, II

Al Gore’s passion and conviction really came through during his TED talk. I think we all saw the president we longed for. — Andy Kanefield

With humour, passion, and great oratory skill Al Gore has bought the most important issue of our times into the public’s mind, hopefully with this award more urgency will move from global awareness raising into implementing on the ground solutions for combating climate change. — Saul Griffith

Gore’s 2006 TED talk made the once-abstract issue of global warming real, urgent and actionable — proof positive that real leadership can make a difference in the world. — Heather Frank

I felt a man shaking the world, saying “listen, people, the future is up to you.” — Don Levy

At TED 2006, I remember being in the room watching and listening to Al Gore’s talk and thinking: Wow, he has discovered the one big story that can unite the country and the entire world, just when we need it most. — Evan I. Schwartz

al’s talk, for the first time, made me think of our planet as a living organism filled with interconnections that i had never considered. how i live my life in NYC directly affects the polar bears in the Arctic and the fishermen in the Philippines. as simple (and as complex) as that…
— michelle madden

Al Gore’s speech continued the TED tradition of lifting us up to think about how we can help affect change in the truly important things, not just that which obsesses us day to day; America’s loss in a President has clearly been the world’s gain. — David Sze

Al Gore’s passionate, sincere, and really scary message at TED was impossible to ignore and it graduated nearly everyone in the room from casual awareness of global warming to incited owners of the very real climate crisis. Although I am glad he received such a prestigious award for his efforts, I am not at all surprised given his great evangelism and efforts to help safe our planet. — Michael Levit

Gore’s talk at TED showed the power of authenticity to transform adversity and scorn into enlightenment and positive change. — Howard Gutowitz

Awareness is the first step in healing, both individual and planetary, and Al Gore has done more than anyone to raise awarenes–at TED and everywhere–about the urgent need to address global warming. — Dean Ornish, M.D.

Al Gore’s speech, delivered with the passion and concern of a man who had seen this coming long before the rest of us, rocked the TED community. All of us who were present felt compelled to start spreading the gospel of what was going on to our clients, friends, coworkers, and families. This was the wakeup call we all so desperately needed. — Dave Weaver

Nineteen months ago Al Gore’s talk at TED sparked me to start talking about global warming and catalyze awareness and action among my family, friends, company and our tens of thousands of clients worldwide — and I won’t stop. — Paul Zilk

Surprised. Convinced. Inspired. Motivated. Frustrated, because the world would be in such a better place today if he were U.S. President. — Harriett Levin Balkind

Al Gore transformed the idea of climate crisis from something I could think about when I had time into an in-my-face, urgent reality that has since become part of how I look at the world every day. — Bill Nussey

Your talk exited me to fund a green building company in my home town in Kentucky. Congratulations! — Ross Fubini

Through organic gardening, composting and recycling I thought I was doing very well for the environment — Al inspired me and showed me that I could do more. — Julia Geier

Intelligence + Passion + Perseverance = Al Gore => Optimism — Jay Harman

After seeing Al Gore at TED, I must admit he has ruined me for all other candidates. — Don McKinney

Al Gore’s presentation at TED2006 truly opened my eyes to the urgency of the planetary warming crisis. We usually think of Peace as the absence of human-to-human warfare. In awarding Gore the Nobel Peace Prize, the Nobel Foundation sent a clear message that Peace must also involve ending warfare against our planet Earth itself. This is a fitting testimony to Gore’s impact. — Eric Tilenius

For decades I had been a global warming skeptic, mainly because most of the doom and gloom scenarios presented by environmental activists had not come true, and so I quite paying attention to all the new data that had been collected in the meantime…until I heard Al Gore’s eye-opening lecture at the 2006 TED, which drove me to the scientific literature where I discovered that it is now time to replace skepticism with activism. — Michael Shermer

What an honor to have been in the room to witness Al Gore’s momentous TED presentation, a live version of the film An Inconvenient Truth! I came away with a commitment to create and implement a personal action plan, focusing on conversation. — Anneke Seley

To be a successful catalyst for a global change, one must possess an inspired vision of the future grounded in the brutal facts of today. Al Gore has harnessed this masterfully to provide our finite planet a non-negotiable wake-up call. Concerned inhabitants of the planet thank you. — Steve Beshara

Al Gore’s speech at TED 2006 made me aware of the severity and immediacy of the climate crisis, and has inspired me to be an activist in changing my personal life to reduce carbon emissions, talk to friends/family, purchase carbon offsets and work with my company to reduce carbon emissions. Thanks and congratulations, Al! — Bob Stock

Bravo! Gore got his groove back at TED; when he started talking about his true passion, he came alive on stage. — Steve Jurvetson