Nobel laureate and former vice president Al Gore swept into Seattle Friday afternoon to lend a little climate starpower to Washington Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire. At a sold out fundraiser in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel, Gore waxed prophetic about the common thread between the climate and economic crises, the American addiction to carbon-based fuels, and the difficulty of looking like Al Gore.

Here Gore likened the start of the industrial revolution — experimentation with coal due to the fear of running out of trees — with the start of the renewable energy revolution around the world:

Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. All donations DOUBLED for a limited time. Give now in under 45 seconds.
Secure · Tax deductible · Takes 45 Seconds

Stories like this don’t tell themselves.

Make others like it possible. Your support powers solutions-focused climate reporting — keeping it free for everyone. Give now in under 45 seconds.
Secure · Tax deductible · Takes 45 Seconds

And because this was a Democratic poltical fundraiser, Gore fit in the obligatory jab at Bush/Cheney energy policy:

Check out more excerpts from Gore’s speech at the GristTV YouTube channel.

Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.

To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. Here's How