Honorary Degree: Albert Arnold “Al” Gore Jr.

It is early April and spring commencement at the University of Southern California (USC) and at other institutions across the country is approaching. Every year at least one deserving individual is granted an honorary degree and is asked to deliver the commencement speech to the graduating class. I thought it would be appropriate to use this week’s post to share with readers my nominee for this year’s award. As stated on USC’s web site, degrees are given to “honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions, or other creative activities.” Therefore, in accordance with the above criteria, I propose that a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, which recognizes exemplary citizens, be granted to former Vice President of the United States, Albert Arnold “Al” Gore Jr. (seen in the picture above). He is a man whose accomplishments have made a remarkable contribution to society and whose character embodies all the qualities that we, at USC, hold highly.

Through his many years of public service, Al Gore has exemplified all of the attributes that are inscribed on the Tommy Trojan statue: (picture to the left) faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous, and ambitious. He has served in the House of Representatives, the Senate and as Vice President with great leadership and initiative. He has contributed to the world of business as the cofounder of Generation Investment Firm, an eco-friendly investment company. He also has been instrumental in the advancement of technology by writing the High Performance Computing Act , which funded research that contributed to the development of the internet. In addition, he co-founded Current TV, a youth oriented cable network that is focused on the free expression of its viewers. Finally, he has set a fine example through his involvement in promoting environmental awareness since the early years of his career and has now become the voice of global warming. According to a recent article in The Concord Monitor, "Gore was one of the first politicians to grasp the seriousness of climate change and to call for a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. He held the first congressional hearings on the subject in the late 1970s.”

While his accomplishments and contributions are many, Al Gore has probably acquired the most regard for his work as an advocate of environmental awareness and proactive engagement. In recent years he has toured the world with a crucially important and engaging presentation on global warming that later became the basis for his Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. He has written three books on this important issue, one of which includes a children’s version of An Inconvenient Truth called The Crisis of Global Warming, which adapts the message for a generation that will have to confront the problem. As Gore stated, "There is no doubt that young people today are more aware of environmental problems than my generation ever was. As this new generation comes of age, it faces the enormous challenge of solving global warming. I have faith that young people have both the ability and the enthusiasm to put a stop to global warming." This year, Al Gore was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. “A prerequisite for winning the Nobel Peace Prize is making a difference, and Al Gore has made a difference,” said a member of the Norwegian Parliament, Boerge Brende.

There has been a great deal of criticism by skeptics who question Gore’s personal commitment to reducing energy usage and the science behind his film. For example, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), “Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year.” However, coverage by several media outlets of the Gore’s energy bills has ignored all the steps that he has taken to reduce his home’s energy usage. Media Matters for America reported that the Gore home includes the primary offices of both Al and Tipper Gore, as well as the necessary special security systems, given that he is the former Vice President of the US. In addition, some media reports also failed to note that the Gore family uses energy saving technology such as solar panels and has signed up for one hundred percent green power through Green Power Switch which actually increases their energy costs. So far the Gore criticisms have been nothing but smear tactics to distract people from the real issues at hand.

James Freedman, president emeritus of the University of Iowa and Dartmouth College, articulates “In bestowing an honorary degree, a university makes an explicit statement to its students and the world about the qualities of character and attainment it admires most.” With that in mind, I am most certain that Al Gore is the most fitting and deserving recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Southern California