Al Gore: Nobel Laureate?

OK, I understand that for legions of die-hard greens, "An Inconvenient Truth" is their "Passion of the Christ," a triumphant cinematic rendering of the sacred mysteries they hold most dear. And I know that even though a judge in England has ruled that schools' showing the film must tell kids about nine of the documented falsehoods it contains, the movie still carries great cachet as an environmentalist call to arms. I get all that.

What I don't get is why in the world -- even if all the accolades about him are true -- Al Gore could possibly be considered Nobel Peace Prize material. Reducing carbon emissions, it seems, is rather different from getting warring factions to lay down their arms, helping to end ancient and bitter hatreds, or enabling nations to live together in harmony -- you know, making peace. And isn't that what the Nobel Peace Prize is supposed to be all about?

Then again, seeing that past winners include Yasser Arafat, maybe not.