Gore issues challenge on energy
Al Gore, one of the leaders of the Democratic Party, was noticeably nonpartisan in challenging the nation to wean itself entirely from fossil fuels and move to alternative energy to produce all electricity within 10 years.
Gore not only said he had had substantive conversations about global warming with Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, he also made a point of opening his speech in Washington by thanking Bob Barr, a former Republican congressman who is the Libertarian Party's presidential nominee.
"I appreciate your open mind and serious approach," said Gore, Bill Clinton's vice president for eight years, the 2000 Democratic nominee, and the Nobel Peace Prize winner last year for his work on global warming.
Gore's politically ecumenical approach is intentional. He said to solve such a huge, complex issue as climate change, US leaders must get outside the normal partisan framework.
"The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk," Gore declared. "....The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels."
Instead, Gore called for vastly expanding the use of wind and solar power and other renewable sources to generate 100 percent of US electricity needs. "This goal is achievable," he said.
But he acknowledged the hurdles in an interview with the Associated Press previewing his speech, which he described as the latest and most important phase in his effort to build public opinion in favor of alternative fuels.
The Alliance for Climate Protection, a bipartisan group he leads, estimates the cost of transforming the US to clean electricity sources at $1.5 trillion to $3 trillion over 30 years in public and private money. But he says it would cost about as much to build greenhouse gas-polluting coal plants to satisfy current demand.
"This is an investment that will pay itself back many times over," Gore told the AP. "It's an expensive investment but not compared to the rising cost of continuing to invest in fossil fuels."
UPDATE: Obama issued this statement through his campaign: “For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It’s a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer.”
McCain is also calling for reducing dependence on foreign oil, but his plan includes an expansion of nuclear power as well as wind and solar.
this from a man that uses enough energy at his compound to power
200 homes for a year. the do as i say not as i do keeps coming out of the mouths of all the elites in the world
I dont know who is more stupid, Al Gore of the stupid people who buy his BS
Is this the same Al Gore whose house uses 20 times the average home's energy?
Nuclear energy is the inevitable future because renewable sources just can't produce enough to meet the need. The Republicans hate nuclear power because they're beholden to the entrenched oil companies. The Democrats hate nuclear power because they're beholden to the environmentalist ideology of their constituents. But in the end, nuclear energy is the only way unless you want to go back to living like our ancestors (no thanks). I'll also predict right now that Barack Obama will be the one to lead the way towards nuclear energy - because delaying any longer will be catastrophic to the US economy. I can hear the chorus of liberals chanting "Chernobyl" already, but anyone who pulls the natural fibers from over their eyes can see that nuclear power is just as inevitable as worldwide population control laws - it's just a matter of time. I would bet most scientists agree with me. As a side benefit, development of nuclear energy will have the effect of eventually reducing the Middle East to zero importance in terms of world affairs, which is where it should be.
It is long past time to move to clean energy. Sweden and Iceland have grown their economies dramatically since moving to clean energy.
We can replace petroleum with oil from algae within five years and not only does it burn cleanly it takes lots of CO2 out of the air....and it's cheaper than conventional gasoline.
These old dirty energy companies are destroying our environment and destroying our economy. The price of petroleum is killing the automobile industry.
It's long past time to change.
For anyone to call Al Gore's appeal "nonpartisan" is laughable. His claims about the effects of global warming and its causes are highly suspect, some outright wrong.
Has anyone in the press had a thought to examine his ownership of carbon trading companies and how he stands to profit from causing undue alarm about global warming? Has anyone in the press thought to ask if man made emission of CO2 is the cause of global warming then why is TRADING carbon emissions a "solution" instead of REDUCING them? Has anyone in the press thought to investigate the impact of the most abundant greenhouse gas - WATER VAPOR - which is 30 times more plentiful in the atmosphere than CO2?
The press is falling down on the job on this issue. I thought you were supposed to question conventional "wisdom" and seek the truth instead of regurgitating what you are spoon fed by politicians.
It's about time! When the US was totally surprised by the USSR's launch of Sputnik, the late JFK pronounced that the US would place a man on the moon by the end of the decade. When the Eagle landed, it was a triumph for all mankind.
We need the same type vision from each of our presidential candidates: Obama and McCain
The money-centered, anti-global warming, fearmongering, security-phobic folk know all too well that their sources of wealth (war and fear machines) will be dried up if there is a NATIONAL MOVEMENT WITH TEETH to cut the cord from petroleum and move to alternate sources of energy.
For all those who out of work right now, start going back to school and learn everything you can about alternate sources of energy. You WILL find good paying work that will be both satisfying for your & family and to this beloved country of ours and to the world at large in which we live.
Don't be a wuss like those weaklings mentioned above who say that security is necessary as long as it is not their children that participate in theaters of combat.
Do you want to be patriotic? Fight the weaklings whose only weapon is money...you and I, on the other hand, will have the spirit to win this challenge to preserve this way of life and not the way of life of the selfish.
Can we wait another minute: Start by not trashing that empty plastic bottle of water and stow it in a recycle bin.
Start NOW!!!
How about Al Gore starting by cutting his massive energy consumption. What fraud.
Al Who?
The guy that invented the Internet?
The guy that invented Global Warming?
How can you miss him if he won't go away?
What we need is a Manhattan Project effort to develop an automobile that will run without hydrocarbons. Either battery or fuel cell or both. The majority of the oil used in this country is used in transportation. Why can't we have a government type Apollo project to develop such a vehicle? We have the brain power, we have the resources. Why not?
These other things that Al Gore is propsing are excellent recommendations but we have to get rid of our dependence on foreign oil. Most of our electricity usage comes from coal or nuclear, not oil. The biggest expenditure of oil is from transportation. This has to be a 2 front effort. Clean energy for home use from renewable sources like solar, wind, clean coal burning, etc and a transportation system that runs on fuel cells and/or batteries.
Ok , Al, that's fine, but solar power won't run my car. How will I get to work so I can, oh, I don't know, pay rent, to have somewhere to live? And I admit, I am addicted to food, and I don't think I can ever give it up. But as far as powering cities, there is one alternative that has been available for decades, that would break our foreign dependence, is more efficient, and generates many times the power, can you guess what that is? Think about it.
Alternative Energy is one part of the puzzle. Too bad it relies on subsidy and the true believers to make it more than it is capable of being. There is nothing more evil than burning food sources when we have people going hungry. There is nothing more foolish than denying people access to affordable energy due to political dogma. Telling people that they should suck it up when they have to choose between eating and staying warm is criminal.
Any politician who because of their leftist dogma starves US citizens should be tried and hung in the public square. Build nuke plants, more gas and oil refineries, build wind farms, lay solar panels,...DRILL HERE AND NOW.
Leave to the Globe to suggest that Gore is non-partisan. What a jokme of a paper this has become. Goes along well with a complete and total joke of a state.
What are we going to do while awaiting the arrival of alternative energy sources? Also, what do we use for power when the wind isn't bowing and the sun isn't shinning? We will have to have either nuclear plants and/or fossil fuels to back up the periods when energy isn't being generated by the sun or the wind. I agree we need alternative sources, but I think it is crazy to think we will not be using oil and coal in addition to other sources to run our economy in 2018. I'm hesitant to turn over energy policy to people like Gore who have spent their entire lives in government jobs and NGOs.
Fossil fuels are called that for a reason... They won't last forever. Mine as well be proactive and wean ourselves off before supplies become limited. Besides, prices have only been increasing, and there's no reason to believe that won't continue. And, while no one truly knows what emitting 27 billion metric tons of CO2 world-wide annually and exponentially increasing (according to US DOE as quoted in USA today article by quick google search), the *potential* for some serious and long-term harm is there, and I personally don't want to take that gamble if we don't have to...
GO AL!
For those of you who continue to throw stones at Mr. Gore claiming he is a hypocrite because he doesn’t practice what he preaches when it comes to this personal energy consumption here’s a reality check.
The sheer premise of these claims is ridiculous. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. How many of you “typical” citizens operate a multi-national business complete with offices, staff, security, IT infrastructure, etc. out of your home like the Gore’s do? Try replicating their set up and watch your electric bill skyrocket. Do you buy clean power and carbon offsets to compensate for your energy consumption like the Gore’s do?
Who are the real hypocrites? Think twice before picking up another rock.
Unfortunately, the folks that criticize Al Gore also believe that Saddam Hussein was behind 911, that the war in Iraq was a good idea, that the Republican party is for the "regular guy", that the oil men presently in the white house care one twit about gas prices (duh! they reap the profits, fellas).
Need I go on?Drilling won't bring more oil online for years. Oil that is drilled in America will be sold to the highest bidder - like overseas - like China. How will that bring our gas prices down? Yes, solar energy can power your car. Check out the technology.
Energy independence in 10 years can be done. If we went to the moon using slide rules, (for you Al Gore bashers, that's what mathematicians used before computers were widely available) we can learn how to power our cars without petroleum. Or do you nay sayers believe that Americans are too stupid, too witless, too incompetant to succeed in this endeavor.?
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