Al Gore Defends Against Critics of His Al Jazeera Deal st SXSW

Former U.S. vice-president and environmental activist Al Gore has faced harsh criticism recently for selling Current TV to Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based news network funded largely by oil money

He defended his choice again Saturday at a South by Southwest panel in Austin. Watch Gore's full answer in the video, above

"I knew when I made that decision...my principle obligation was to do business in a way that makes the world a better place," he told NowThis News.

"You have heard me be very critical of American television journalism. I think that the addition of a very high-quality, 24-7 honest-to-goodness news channel that covers international news as well as national — that covers climate, that covers poverty, that cover issues that are ignored today — has the potential to be disruptive in a creative and positive way, and raise the game for television journalism here in the United State of America."