There was a time when Al Gore was ridiculed for being a stiff policy wonk. His endless talk of the environment and the so-called climate crisis was just bringing everyone down. He wanted us to change the cars we drove and be conscious of the materials we used. He even wanted government to impose mandates on greenhouse gas emissions.

As well-intentioned as his efforts were, he couldn't seem to escape the Chicken Little image — especially after President George H.W. Bush dubbed him "Ozone Man."

The problem was, long before a certain Oscar-winning documentary was made, Gore was forcing the nation to acknowledge the truth — and inconvenient it was.

People had grown attached to their SUVs. Nobody wanted to hear that carbon dioxide from motor vehicles is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Sadly, many still don't want to hear it.

But now Gore has become somewhat of a rock star. He's written numerous best-selling books, won two Oscars for his film "An Inconvenient Truth," an Emmy for his cable television network, Current, and global praise for his worldwide Live Earth concert — which catapulted global warming into the spotlight.

Against all odds, Gore has raised people's awareness of a crucial issue that will have an enormous impact on the future of our planet. And he remains tireless in his efforts to urge our government to make concrete policy changes.

For that, he is truly deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.