U.S. Vice-President turned eco-activist Al Gore has been a major player in the fight against global warming in the past few years, and according to him the tides are about to turn in our favor. At a speech last Monday at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, Gore indicated that this year will be monumental for environmentalists asserting the importance of their cause, and compared the year’s importance to the battle of Gettysburg in terms of turning the tides of battle.

“We are radically changing the relationship between the human species and the rest of the Earth,” he said. “This year, 2009, is the Gettysburg for the environment. It is the time we have the opportunity to change.”

“The one thing that is going to allow us to win this is that thing that is inside these award winners,” Gore said. “Remember what we have to do, this year.”

Gore is no newcomer to environmentalism — it is an issue he has explored many times on the lecture circuit and in his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, and his efforts with the matter helped earn him the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. This time, Gore addressed this issue as part of his keynote presentation of this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize.

Photo via Flickr!

In observance of Earth Day, Wednesday’s episode of the CBS game show will feature environmentally friendly products including cell phones made of recycled materials, solar charging equipment and a recycling cabinet.

Environmentalist and actor Ed Begley Jr. will introduce a showcase that includes an electric bike, golf cart and Toyota Prius hybrid car. Trips offered during the show will be paired with donations to offset carbon emissions.

Whenever something green is going on in Los Angeles, you can bet that celebrity eco-warrior Ed Begley Jr. isn’t far behind! Executives at CBS understand just how much power celebrity can have, and express the goals they hope to achieve by bringing an environmental spin to the popular game show.

“More than ever there are things that we can do that are really simple to do,” said Barbara Bloom, senior vice president of daytime for CBS. “We can do that as people who supply entertainment. We are a powerful tool for messaging. I just wanted to remind people that it’s very easy to keep this in your consciousness as you go through your life.”

This episode of The Price is Right! will air on Wednesday, April 22nd — Earth Day!