Newsweek has named its Philanthropy All-Star Team. They list fifteen people who, “to be blunt [are] the no-brainers. In some cases, their very names have become synonymous with a cause.” The list is mostly unobjectionable but this one raised my eyebrow a bit:
Al Gore Environmentalism
His hit film has done more in a month for green awareness than his 20 years in D.C. Derided for pushing the issue as veep, his box office ($7 million so far) is sweet vindication.
While I think he’s over-the-top on this whole thing, I admire Gore’s passion for his cause. I’m not sure, however, that political activism is the same as “philanthropy.” Indeed, Gore was criticized for his rather paltry (given his sizable inheritance) charitable giving during the 2000 campaign. And, frankly, $7 million in box office receipts isn’t exactly something to write home about. Even crappy movies make tens of millions.
