Nobel Peace Recognition of Rhetoric

Al Gore's win of the Nobel Peace Prize in October is essentially a reward for his effective use of rhetoric. By making the documentary An Inconvenient Truth and essentially taking the lead in bringing global warming discourse to the average household, Gore used the power of all three of Aristotle's strategies to appeal to Americans and the world to take the threat of global warming seriously by taking action in reducing their climate change impact.

This article cites the Nobel citation, which states that Gore's "strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change...He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted."

Such a notable award not only speaks to the ability of effective rhetoric to have a real impact on the world, but serves as a form of rhetoric itself. Validating Gore's actions on such a grand scale gives them the justification that many skeptics need to take his claims seriously.