Former vice president Al Gore, along with a scientific panel from the United Nations, was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Friday, October 12 in Norway for being what the Nobel committee described as “probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted,” according to The Washington Post.

Responses to the award were predictably mixed. Democrats and environmentalists voiced enthusiastic support, while the White House had a “more measured” response and conservatives who responded at all were largely scornful.

In a statement which truly highlighted this partisan segregation of responses, former White House official and current member of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center Peter Wehner said, “If you either lost to Bush or are highly critical of Bush, I think your odds of winning the Nobel Peace Prize increase exponentially.”

According to The Post, Gore was surprised by the announcement. “Gore watched the Nobel announcement live at 2 a.m. Pacific time…. (H)e realized he had won only when he heard the name ‘Gore’ coming through from the Norwegian official.”

In a brief statement to reporters, Gore said, “We have to quickly find a way to change the world’s consciousness about exactly what we’re facing.” Gore plans to use the monetary prize to continue to raise awareness for the urgency of the global warming cause.

Senator John Kerry, recalling the minimal amount of interest which early global warming hearings generated, said, “This is a very important statement of transition on a global level. It's not only a tribute to Al's work but a wake-up call to the administration and the U.S., who has been the global delayer on this.”

Gaithersburg High School senior Andy Hood agrees, saying, “Global warming deserved this much awareness…. (Gore) deserved the (the Prize).