Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore Wednesday asked Australian leaders to step up their efforts in the fight against global climate change.
Gore, who won an Academy Award for his climate change documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," said Australia could hold the key to persuading the United States to joining the fight against greenhouse gas emissions, The (Australia) Courier & Mail said.
Gore said that by ratifying the Kyoto agreement on emissions, Australia could put U.S. officials under pressure to do the same.
"I said it in Australia before and I will say it again, if Australia ratifies Kyoto, it is like Australia and the United States are Bonnie and Clyde in the world of environment," Gore said -- referring to two notorious Depression-era U.S. gangsters.
"And if Clyde is isolated and Bonnie has gone straight," he added, "Clyde won't really be able to resist any more."
The newspaper said Australian Prime Minister John Howard had previously said it was not in his nation's best interests to sign on to the Kyoto agreement.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International