Former vice president and environmental activist Al Gore defended the possibility of the U.S. taking on the “brunt” of the global response to climate change, saying the steps the nation takes would have wide-ranging economic benefits.
{mosads}”It’s certainly true that it’s a global crisis that requires a global response with every nation being involved,” Gore said in an interview that aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “We are still in an era of history where the United States of America and only the United States of America can provide the necessary leadership to rally the nations of the world to do the right thing.”
He added that a word like “brunt” implies that “it’s a painful and costly transition, when it fact this is the best way to create millions of new jobs.”
“This is where the economic growth of the future is to be found,” he said. “It’s not as if we’re taking on this huge burden, we’re doing things that are benefiting us in other ways.”
Gore said he is encouraged by most Democratic 2020 presidential candidates making the issue of climate change a top priority in their campaigns, but declined to either endorse or critique any plans.