[UPDATE: This news item is a joke. Happy April Fools’ Day!]

You might want to sit down for this: Al Gore will announce his candidacy for president this week, knowledgeable sources tell Grist. There’s an inconvenient truth for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Gore believes the two Democrats and Republican John McCain aren’t giving climate change the urgent attention it deserves, so he’s decided to go for the job himself, say Gore advisors who requested anonymity as they aren’t authorized to speak to the press. A lifelong Democrat, Gore will run as an independent this time around, aiming to show the American people that climate change is not a partisan issue. He is expected to tap New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also an independent, as his running mate. On Monday of this week, Gore’s nonpartisan Alliance for Climate Protection launched a new public education campaign aimed at convincing Americans that climate change is both urgent and solvable. We’re guessing that will be the thrust of Gore’s presidential campaign as well.

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