Gore Urges Change to Dodge an Energy Crisis

[groovedaddy]

WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Al Gore on Thursday urged the United States to wean the nation from its entire electricity grid to carbon-free energy within 10 years, warning that drastic steps were needed to avoid a global economic and ecological cataclysm.

Like a modern Jeremiah, Mr. Gore called down thunder to justify the spending of trillions of dollars to remake the American power system, a plan fraught with technological and political challenges that goes far beyond the changes recently debated in Congress and by world leaders.

“The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,” he said in a midday speech to a friendly crowd of mostly young supporters in Washington. “And even more — if more should be required — the future of human civilization is at stake.”

Mr. Gore, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his environmental advocacy, said in an interview that he hoped to raise the alarm so that the next president, whether Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain, could rally Congress and the nation to action. He disavowed any interest in returning to elective office.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/washington/18gore.html?th&emc=th

[Cronopio]

1. Mr. Gore, if you were VP you could do a whole lot more than just urge others to do the right thing.

This country needs something better than just rousing speeches.

[Uncle Joe]

2. They put up a firewall, but the editorial missed a couple of very important points

regarding Al Gore's proposed energy policy to help offset changes to the coal miners as their livelihoods would be altered and to help the auto industry adapt to more efficient automobiles.

I would strongly suggest for anyone to read the entire transcript of the speech and not to depend on editorials slanted more toward fear mongering and or casting doubt, especially as courage, vision and political will are in such short supply especially with the corporate media.

But I'll kick and recommend this anyway as the editorial in general is at least decent.

Thanks for the thread, groovedaddy.

[MasonJar]

3. Quite the contrary is true. Al Gore can and has done more as a

private citizen of the world than any politician living....for good that is. Of course W has done more to scar the world and its environment than any politician in history. He has been a powerful scourge!