City Paper: Do you see The Climate Project and An Inconvenient Truth as an entree back into the political spotlight?

Tipper Gore: I know a lot of people are speculating about that, but no, it's not a vehicle for that or designed for that in any way. And Al, I think, has answered everybody's doubts and he's not intending to be a candidate. He's not doing anything that anybody would do if they were going to be running for president.

CP: Supposing your husband doesn't run, who do you see conveying a similar message on the '08 ticket?

TG: I don't know at this point, because I'm not sure who's going to emerge as the candidates for president. … There's got to be more of a grassroots movement than there is now so that politicians and candidates in office will respond to this issue. And obviously it would be great if you had leadership from the top, but at times when we don't, it's really important for people to wake up, as Melissa Etheridge sings, to wake up and to take action.

CP: Do you see any of that in Hillary Clinton or others who appear to be making bids?

TG: I'm not sure. Hillary Clinton is running for re-election to the Senate and that's what she's doing right now. I would encourage people to ask anybody who's running what their position … is and what they are going to do about the environment. It's got to be part of the conversation. It's beyond partisan politics.