Gore sets 'moon shot' goal on climate change

[cal04]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080717/ap_on_el_ge/gore_electricity

Just as John F. Kennedy set his sights on the moon, Al Gore is challenging the nation to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years, an audacious goal he hopes the next president will embrace.

The Nobel Prize-winning former vice president said fellow Democrat Barack Obama and Republican rival John McCain are "way ahead" of most politicians in the fight against global climate change.

Rising fuel costs, climate change and the national security threats posed by U.S. dependence on foreign oil are conspiring to create "a new political environment" that Gore said will sustain bold and expensive steps to wean the nation off fossil fuels.

"I have never seen an opportunity for the country like the one that's emerging now," Gore told The Associated Press in an interview previewing a speech on global warming he was to deliver Thursday in Washington.

[DS1]

1. The coal people are going to scream

but, tough. Just like the steam engine, its time has passed.

[ryanmuegge]

2. An opportunity for what? To finally get rid of those annoying poor people once and for all?

I see no REALISTIC opportunity for anything good.

Gore's goal is great. I don't see either candidate truly having the guts to embrace the goal (though Obama is more likely; there's no way McCain will). This would be hard enough (probably impossible) with full support from Wshington and big business (not that there's any difference between the two), but it's not possible with the bunch of spineless pussies we have on one side and greedy sociopaths we have on the other.

[pscot]

3. This has Democrats in their usual funk

Terrified that Republicons are going to somehow use it against us.

[stuntcat]

4. I went to see him speak today!!

I saw him on Earth Day too but that was outside and the crowd was huge. This was at Constitution Hall, they let me in with a free computer print-out ticket.

It was great what he said, very good stuff about what's possible with energy and very bad stuff about the oil industry. I got 2 short parts of it on video but they weren't the best parts and I couldn't keep taping because I wanted to clap! I can post the videos but there's probably a way to see the whole thing somewhere online anyway.

Here's a picture


yay :D

[jpak]

5. his thoughts on nuclear...

<snip>

To meet his 10-year goal, Gore said nuclear energy output would continue at current levels while the nation dramatically increases its use of solar, wind, geothermal and so-called clean coal energy. Huge investments must also be made in technologies that reduce energy waste and link existing grids, he said.

<snip>

[phantom power]

6. Gore is drinking the "clean-coal" kool-aid? Seriously, I thought better of him.