When he presented An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, Al Gore became a prophet doom. With his dire vision for the effects of climate change and the future of the planet he left audiences desperate and feeling helpless. But a new Al Gore is emerging. Over the past year, he has become more of a prophet of possibility—even an optimist. Gore is known for his slides with statistics. This is what he now shows: Experts predicted in 2000 that wind generated power worldwide would reach 30 gigawatts; last year it reached nearly 370 gigawatts or more than 12 times higher. And in 2002 it was estimated that installations of solar power would add one new gigawatt per year by 2010. It turned out to be 17 times that by 2010 and 48 times that amount last year. “I think most people have been surprised, even shocked, by how quickly the cost has come down,” says Gore.
Al Gore, the optimist, shows promising energy statistics
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