The best-documentary win for "An Inconvenient Truth" was a triumph for Al Gore, who has kept a sense of humor about his loss in the 2000 election that was decided in George W. Bush's favor by a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

"I am Al Gore. I used to be the next president of the United States of America," Gore says in the film.

Yesterday, Gore used the Oscar win not to further his political career but to boost his campaign to find solutions for global warming.

"We need to solve the climate crisis," Gore said. "It's not a political issue, it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started with the possible will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

Earlier, Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio unveiled efforts the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences took to make this year's awards more eco-friendly.

Pressed by DiCaprio about any other announcement he might like to make, the former vice president pulled out a statement.

"I'm going to take this opportunity right here and now, to formally announce my intentions to. ..." Gore said before the orchestra broke in and he walked off, laughing, with DiCaprio.