Al Gore's Speech At NYU was Inspiring

[RestoreGore]

I must preface this by stating that what Al Gore did at NYU this past Monday was nothing short of heroic. And whether you agree with his proposals or not it cannot be denied that to come out and suggest solutions perceived as radical to the status quo way is absolutely refreshing and much needed in our national dialogue.

I also admit that at first when I heard of his proposal to eliminate all payroll taxes and substitute them with a carbon tax I was not for it or against it, and that is because there are still many questions that need to be answered regarding this idea.

Just one example: I understand (or think I understand) that if you are a plant that produces a great amount of CO2 you would then pay a higher carbon tax unless you install sequestration equipment or employ some other method to cap your carbon emissions. That's fine. However, what if you are a small or moderate sized cab company with a small cadre of employees? You might wind up paying more in carbon tax than you did in payroll tax based on your pollution, and what if your business isn't bringing in enough revenue for you to afford a fleet of hybrid cabs? Would you then have to go out of business? I think this is a valid example in that it might wind up that some poorer and smaller businesses because of the business they are in would be hit harder than other larger companies that have high priced attorneys to work loopholes in for them.

Now, if this plan would wind up in actually holding polluters accountable to the point where they would change their ways, and at the same time reward consumers who practice responsible Earth stewardship by not having the cost of such changes passed down to them (and I do have questions regarding carbon sequestration regarding cost and possible groundwater contamination,) it is a very feasible idea. I too want companies that pollute and refuse to make changes for the betterment of society to be penalized for it. However, I also see much potential fraud coming out of this as big plants may work to fudge their numbers regarding carbon output in order to be able to pay less tax without having to employ changes.

Therefore, that is why I am concerned as to how this would be regulated and how much that regulation would cost. Wouldn't there need to be an oversight department within the government to in essence "audit" businesses and make sure that those putting out larger amounts of CO2 are either making the changes necessary to bring them down or paying the proper tax? And how could you possibly measure that once it is in the atmosphere? Also, what happens once the country should "go green?" Do we go back to payroll taxes?

Again, many questions, but that does not detract from the boldness of the idea and hopefully the Democratic dialogue and questions it will bring forth. The overriding principle to this speech was that unless business, religion, and the grassroots really join together in this all the way for the right reasons, the status quo will remain and as Mr. Gore also stated in his speech, without spiritual and moral will it won't happen. And to me that is the key ingredient to success with this.

That stated, I had written a while back that the position doesn't make the man, nor does it make a man a leader just to have the word "President" in front of his name. And Al Gore proves that maxim with every speech he makes. And for me, this speech was so radical and profound regarding the sweeping changes it asks for from a political, business, and moral standpoint, that it would never be the speech of any political candidate or someone looking to be a political candidate in this current system. It was the speech of an environmental visionary who sees that we must now seek radical change from outside the confines of the political world in order to bring it along with us. We must now be the leader, and it must be our moral will and ingenuity that lights the way for the rest of the world to follow and it must be done now, because the glaciers of Greenland are not going to wait for us to get our act together.

His proposals to some I am sure sound like grand romantic schemes and maybe even political manipulation, but as Mr. Gore pointed out regarding the Civil Rights Movement, and as I believe with the Women's Suffrage Movement and especially the way this country pulled together during the Great Depression under FDR, we proved as Americans that we once had what it took to come together for a common moral purpose and be victorious. This now is one of those times, and if you got nothing else from this speech you should have gotten that. Here are some other comments I have regarding his speech, and may I also state that regardless of whether I agree with all of the points he brought out in it or not, he has my undying respect for being a true visionary.

Excerpt from Mr. Gore's speech:

"Scientific American introduces the lead article in its special issue this month with the following sentence: "The debate on global warming is over."

Many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to several "tipping points" that could - within as little as 10 years - make it impossible for us to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet's habitability for human civilization. In this regard, just a few weeks ago, another group of scientists reported on the unexpectedly rapid increases in the release of carbon and methane emissions from frozen tundra in Siberia, now beginning to thaw because of human caused increases in global temperature. The scientists tell us that the tundra in danger of thawing contains an amount of additional global warming pollution that is equal to the total amount that is already in the earth's atmosphere.

Similarly, earlier this year, yet another team of scientists reported that the previous twelve months saw 32 glacial earthquakes on Greenland between 4.6 and 5.1 on the Richter scale - a disturbing sign that a massive destabilization may now be underway deep within the second largest accumulation of ice on the planet, enough ice to raise sea level 20 feet worldwide if it broke up and slipped into the sea. Each passing day brings yet more evidence that we are now facing a planetary emergency - a climate crisis that demands immediate action to sharply reduce carbon dioxide emissions worldwide in order to turn down the earth's thermostat and avert catastrophe.

The serious debate over the climate crisis has now moved on to the question of how we can craft emergency solutions in order to avoid this catastrophic damage."

I absolutely 100% agree with all of this. The evidence is in and it is overwhelming. However, for me, the debate has moved on to not only crafting solutions to this problem, it has also moved on to crafting solutions that will not place an unfair burden on the world's poor who do not contribute to this crisis as much as others do. And unfortunately in places around the world that is already happening.

In regards to Mr. Gore's remarks about politicians needing to do better and people needing to use their ingenuity and demanding political honesty I couldn't agree more. Unfortunately, in recent polls 50% of Americans still believe Saddam Hussein planned 9.11, and I don't see them insisting for anything. And after what we have experienced the last six years and even years before that in this political system, I truly wish I could share Mr. Gore's optimism regarding the American people and this system as a whole, but I currently don't.

Sixty five million Americans thought Bush was still the better choice in 2004, and I could believe that if he ran again people would still vote for him despite the lies and manipulations. That is what makes it so hard now to tell truth with reason in a time when that reason has been so severely emaciated in the political debate by fear thus stifling moral will, and that is what we must change before moral will can be found and decisions that benefit the whole can be made. However, I'm willing to have hope that honesty will be found along with that will and that my mind will be changed.

I then believe the Kyoto Treaty is a great start on that path, but I too believe that we do need a tougher treaty with Asian countries signing on as well. Although again, the glaciers of the Arctic and Greenland are not going to wait until China agrees to any treaty, which is why I also understand why we must be the leader on this regardless. However, again, how is it justified now in the long run with China growing economically stronger, becoming more industrialized, and engaging in building coal burning plants and putting more automobiles on its roads that stand to negate our progress?

Perhaps then, any American companies that do business in China or any country that doesn't sign onto a tougher treaty should then be penalized for it on top of any "carbon tax." Although, I say good luck trying to pass anything in this Congress that actually penalizes corporations, which brings us right back to square one. This also brings us back to moral will and human nature, which are the two things that cannot be legislated by any Congress. It is imperative we have the will and we need ideas. Will it take a succession of Hurricane Katrinas or half of Greenland falling into the ocean after the one huge glacial earthquake that sends it there to bring us there? I sure hope not. We the American people need to put our heads together to suggest anything no matter how small it may seem that could lift us up to that transcendence Al Gore spoke about at the end of his speech.

We need to see a "Moore's Law" as Mr. Gore referred to in his speech regarding streamlining automobiles that are lighter but stronger. They would get better mileage while costing less to produce. The savings could then be passed on in corporations that produce such vehicles by working towards carbon caps, or passing it on to the consumer. And we absolutely need plug-in hybrid cars and even solar photovoltaic cars, and cars that get 80 miles or more to the gallon which scientists have claimed we have the capacity to produce, until other sustainable methods are available. For me solar energy is the wave of the future, and we have not even scratched the surface of what we could do with it.

I was also thinking of an idea that many might not find Earth shattering, but I recall that every time I have my federal tax return filled out, I am asked if I want to contribute a dollar to a Presidential fund. Since that fund is now said to be dwindling and not used by candidates, why not change that to asking the person if they would be willing to donate from one up to five dollars to a carbon fund? It would be voluntary, and you might actually get more people to do that. Although again, simply throwing money at this problem while we continue to spew CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere isn't going to solve it. Carbon freezes are a good idea, and I think we as individuals need to do as much "freezing" of our carbon as possible as well as speaking out against deforrestation that is also contributing to the droughts being felt in almost 40% of our world.

As for Mr. Gore's bold suggestions, I don't dismiss anything out of hand that is brought forth with the intent to effect positive change. I absolutely respect Mr. Gore and his conviction regarding this issue, and I look forward to the dialogue he hopes to spark on an issue that does transcend any office and seeks to stare down our very souls. Do we have what it takes as those before us to be victorious? Is it too late? It is never too late when you are armed with knowledge and truth. Therefore, for the sake of our world and those to come, please, regardless of your feelings towards Mr. Gore, see beyond the pettiness and look to the horizon for the answers to those questions in seeking out that knowledge and truth and turning it into action.



For that is also the way to transcendence.

Again, Mr. Gore, thank you.

[jayctravis]

1. Publicans are so much for tax cuts that they should embrace this!

[RestoreGore]

4. And isn't it a shame...

That you have to force people to do the right thing by using the dollar bill as a carrot stick, when they should know it is moral already without that incentive?

[halobeam]

2. His speech was incredible. He is a visionary

and quite the moral man. So unlike the people we have running this country. You are correct in your summation, if one thing is taken from this, it must be the call for unity devoid of politics for the sole purpose of human survival.

[RestoreGore]

3. Yes, because as hard as it might be for some to believe...

There are things that are more important than politics.