"Al Gore's dedication to the environment has never wavered," says Eric Chivian, MD, director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment and co-recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. "He is one of our nation's most knowledgeable and passionate communicators about the urgent need to address global climate change."

Gore's commitment to the environment, and particularly global warming, is demonstrated through his pioneering efforts to protect and preserve the earth's natural resources since his days in the House of Representatives. His efforts span nearly three decades and address the need for both public and policy action.

"Time and again, Al Gore has taken a stand for the environment," says Center board member Meryl Streep, who will present Gore with the award. "He has never shied away from fighting to preserve it, for the sake of our own well-being, and that of future generations."

While Vice President, Gore was responsible for a number of environmental initiatives. He worked with President Clinton and the Big Three automakers to begin research and development on alternate fuel and hybrid vehicles. He worked to combat global warming in a way that also creates new jobs, by helping America lead the estimated $400 billion worldwide market for new technologies that clean up the environment, and he was a central figure at the 1997 Climate Change Summit in Kyoto, Japan. His pioneering efforts to protect the earth's ozone layer and to clean up toxic-waste dumps were outlined in his best-selling book, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (1992).

Today, Gore is Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a new London-based fund management firm that plans to create environment-friendly portfolios
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Contact: Leah Gourley
public_affairs@hms.harvard.edu
617-432-0442
Harvard Medical School
21-Oct-2005