Click here to watch "Anthem."

Pundits are busy speculating about Al Gore's role in the increasingly cloudy Democratic primary race, but the former presidential candidate seems to have other things on his mind: namely, the environment.

Gore is launching a campaign, but not the one for president; rather, his green advocacy group, Alliance for Climate Protection, announced Monday that it will pour over $300 million into a grassroots effort aimed at mobilizing the public to force Washington to take action on climate change.

Grand in its ambitions, the "We Campaign" seeks to enlist 10 million volunteers to translate public will into political action. The Washington Post called the effort "one of the most ambitious and costly public advocacy campaigns in U.S. history." The first ad (subscription) released by the group, "Anthem," takes the historical long view on the issue of global warming.

Narrated by actor William H. Macy, the ad highlights a tradition of American leadership on tough challenges and suggests that climate change is just one in a succession of obstacles that have confronted the country. "We didn't wait for someone else to storm the beaches at Normandy," Macy says as footage of World War II plays onscreen. "We didn't wait for someone else to guarantee civil rights or put a man on the moon. And we can't wait for someone else to solve the global climate crisis."

The ad debuts this week on broadcast and cable channels, in an initial buy that will include expensive play on pop culture mainstays such as "American Idol" and "The Daily Show." Despite its serious message, the ad's celebrity voice-over and unusually high production values -- it was created by the Martin Group, producers of TV's ubiquitous Geico commercials -- could increase its appeal to a prime-time audience.

Future ads already in the works will feature such political odd couples as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.; and conservative preacher Pat Robertson and liberal Rev. Al Sharpton. The message is that climate change is an issue that trumps political loyalties and must be tackled in a bipartisan way.

So where is the $300 million coming from to fund this initiative? Gore is footing a sizable chunk of the bill himself, having donated all of his proceeds from his book-turned-documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," as well as the cash award from his Nobel Peace Prize and a matching sum, to the effort. The rest comes from Internet donations.