Former Vice President Al Gore said on Tuesday that he is disappointed with the 2016 GOP presidential field’s overall disregard for climate change.
“Those who are in the top-tier, if you will, are all denying the science and are seemingly afraid to break ranks with the large carbon polluters,” Gore said of the Republican candidates on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes.”
“It’s astonishing on one level and it’s sad for our country because this is the biggest challenge we face,” the one-time White House contender said.
{mosads}“We have to mobilize public opinion, and we’re the only country in the world where one of the major political parties denies the reality of science,” he added of the Republicans.
Gore argued on Tuesday night that forging bipartisan consensus on the impact of climate change could help improve America’s economy.
“It puts our country in a difficult situation because the kind of debate that we should be having about the best solutions, about how we can create the most jobs by installing solar panels on our roofs and putting new LEDs and better windows and insulation, we could create tens of millions of new jobs if we had a legitimate debate about the best way to go about that,” he said.
Gore praised the 2016 Democratic presidential field for opposing construction of the Keystone oil pipeline.
“I’m glad now that all three of the Democratic candidates have come out against it,” he said. “I doubt it will go forward.
“The process by which that tar sand resource is turned into oil produces way more greenhouse gas pollution and it also befouls the landscape and chews up beautiful areas in western Canada,” Gore said of the pipeline’s potential environmental impact.
Gore additionally admitted on Tuesday evening that he is satisfied working outside of politics for the moment.
“I’m enjoying what I’m doing now,” he told Hayes. “I’m a recovering politician and the longer I go without a relapse, the less likely one becomes.”