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Energy crisis threatens U.S. survival, Gore says
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by Mon-Mage | July 17, 2008 at 09:23 am
10909 views | 14 Recommendations | 25 comments
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States should be making all of its electricity with renewable and carbon-free energy in 10 years, former Vice President Al Gore said Thursday.
America's security, environmental and economic crises are all related, Al Gore said Thursday.
"The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk," Gore said.
In a speech at Washington's Constitution Hall, Gore touched on an array of the nation's current woes, saying the economic, environmental and national security crises are all related.
"I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously," Gore said.
To begin to fix all the problems, Gore said, "the answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels."
Gore called on the country to produce all of its electricity from renewable and carbon-free sources in 10 years, a goal he compared to President Kennedy's challenge for the country to put a man on the moon in the 1960s.
Gore chastised those who have proposed opening new areas for oil drilling as a solution to U.S. energy problems.
"It is only a truly dysfunctional system that would buy into the perverse logic that the short-term answer to high gasoline prices is drilling for more oil 10 years from now," Gore said.
New demand from places like China means oil supplies won't be able to meet increasing demand, Gore said.
"The way to bring gas prices down is to end our dependence on oil and use the renewable sources that can give us the equivalent of $1 a gallon gasoline," the former vice president and Nobel laureate said. Read Gore's full speech
After losing the presidential election to then-Texas Gov. George Bush in 2000, Gore returned to the nation's political main stage with "An Inconvenient Truth," a documentary film detailing global warming's effects on the planet, in 2006. The widely acclaimed film went on to win an Academy Award for best documentary in 2007.
In the movie, Gore explains how the levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have grown exponentially in the last few decades and how that has lead to changes in the Earth's climate, such as shrinking polar ice caps and an increase in the number of hurricanes and other violent storms.
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To counteract the effects of global warming, Gore has pushed for polices that would reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, such as greater energy conservation and the development of alternative energy sources like wind and solar energy. Gore has also advocated for governments to tax the emission of carbon dioxide.
Gore and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for increasing awareness of the climate change issue and for advocating for policies that could potentially offset the effects of global warming.
Gore's return to the political arena has drawn increased scrutiny, particularly of his energy use. In 2007, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research chastised Gore for "extravagant energy use" at his Nashville, Tennessee, mansion.
Gore subsequently has installed solar panels, compact fluorescent light bulbs and other energy-saving technologies in his home.
After his documentary, an inconvenient truth Al Gore has now released a statement that the survival of the U.S. is at hand. It is difficult to expect that our politicians would pay any attention to this or his ultimatum of using renewable fuels within ten years.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (25)
at 09:57 on July 17th, 2008
Mon-Mage, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 11:12 on July 17th, 2008
Just how big is Gore's home?
at 13:30 on July 17th, 2008
"I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously," Gore said.
I gues the dumbass doesnt remember the great depression, or the world wars, or civil war, or the revolutionary wars. Of course all your sheeple lefty nimrods think it sounds good. Communism sounds great on paper as well
at 13:37 on July 17th, 2008
Well he wasn't alive then - maybe that's what he meant.
at 13:41 on July 17th, 2008
you are the dumbass. You can't even spell guess, not gues, The way the sentence is structured it implies " within his memory", not the memory of all time. By your logic he also should mention the great flood, the black plague etc. etc. He assumes, incorrectly, that you have brains enough to figure that out, don't project, reflect.
at 13:57 on July 17th, 2008
Kabpopeye, don't make excuses for Gore, "I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously," is a just a bit over the top. He did grew up during the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the Energy Crisis of the 70's. I'm not saying he is wrong. He is just overstating the his opinion. Sort of like Neo-Cons comparing Saddam Hussein to Hitler. Also, don't tell a guy he is stupid because of a typo. Its an over generalization and just being a prick at the same time.
at 14:02 on July 17th, 2008
I left some typos for you to enjoy.
at 14:44 on July 17th, 2008
You might find this link of interest: http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/government/a/al_gore_energy.htm Although the email writen of in this link is obviously anti Gore, the content - as discussed in the link - is correct. I believe that if Gore is so extremely concerned that the earth is in peril, he should be DOING something about it, not spending money in the form of carbon 'credits' to make himself and the rest of the liberal crowd feel better without solving the problem. Long after the movie debut and the spotlight turned on him, he decided to get a little more energy efficient - not before or even while the movie was being made. His excuse ? Why, he gave money to things that STILL don't help the situation which - according to Mr. Gore - have us on the brink of extinction unless we act NOW. Typical liberal - take money from something they deem 'not good' and give it to something they annoint as 'good' so they don't have to actually let their actions show their true lack of concern about the environment. I propose Mr. Gore give ME the carbon credit money and I will go completely 'carbon neutral' - sell my car, heat my home with gas from cow droppings and generate my own electricity. Then he will have actually REDUCED total carbon emmisions instead of paying somebody hush money to cover his own lack of action.
at 15:23 on July 17th, 2008
Bells will be ringing
the sad sad news
albert has got the ecology blues
at 15:51 on July 17th, 2008
Hey fark--there was no USA during the revolutionary way. That's what we got when we won.
at 17:09 on July 17th, 2008
Mon-Mage, I like this story. It's good stuff. This planet is facing a crisis, but most of us would rather not think about it. I find statements coming from Mr. Gore a case of "Do as I say, not as I do." Carbon offsets or credits do nothing to reduce the carbon load. They just shift the guilt. Please don't call each other names. You all have valuable insights to contribute.
at 17:30 on July 17th, 2008
Hypocrite Gore - owner of oil stock, seller and profiteer in carbon credits, and movie millionaire! My "footprint" will never catch up to his. Did he ever come clean on the hundred -to-two-hundred taxpayer-funded trips West to campaign for President the whole time he was Veep?
I'll give him credit for courage, though - he made a powerpoint and called it a Best Picture of the Year without Hollywood making a peep about it!
at 17:33 on July 17th, 2008
Anyone but a child has been througt this stuff before. The only difference is that there are more ignorant people now. There are probably more who will do any stupid scam for a buck. That is Al!
Global warming is great but we have no idea what the next cycle will be. CO2 is wonderful! Trees love it. You probably shouldn't put it up your nose.
See a page about all the climate change scares in the last 100 years. http://www.businessandmedia.org/specialreports/2006/fireandice/fireandice.asp
My comment better expressed. http://www.edge.org/q2003/q03_dutton.html
See a News Week article on climate change. http://www.denisdutton.com/cooling_world.htm
at 18:17 on July 17th, 2008
Oh you mean building 100 new pebble nuclear reactors? Cool, glad you are on board!!!
at 21:40 on July 17th, 2008
Mon-Mage, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Well, he is correct, yet I am not sure if he realises how right he actually is!
at 23:47 on July 17th, 2008
Hi, Denis. You should sign up and post your views here, instead of hiding behind an anonymous name like BAH. I think you probably have good views, from just a quick perusal.
at 06:14 on July 18th, 2008
AlGore said: "I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously," Gore said.
Al, try thinking back to the late 1970's. I believe Jimmy Carter was President.
P.S. I finally sent my old cardigan sweater to Goodwill! Good riddance!
Drill here, drill now, and it won't take 10 years to get any new-found oil to market. Try asking someone in the oil-prodction industry. They will tell you 1-2 years.
at 06:38 on July 18th, 2008
After the embarrassment over how much energy his house consumes, Al Gore conducted a high-profile retrofit, installing all kinds of new (and expensive) energy saving technologies. The result? Energy usage went up another 10%!
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Such serves as the perfect example of the results of the liberal plan for our country and economy; they’re going to force us to spend a large fortune to address a problem that mostly does not exist, and in the end we’re just going to make the problem worse.
at 07:32 on July 18th, 2008
Mon-Mage, I like this story. It's good stuff.
“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.”
–Democratic candidate Barack Obama in response to Al Gore.
at 07:49 on July 18th, 2008
I guess VP Gore doesn't remember the Carter years of 20% mortgage (not credit card, mortgage), 14% unemployment (not 5%) and high (over 10%?) inflation. He can't remember the "Misery Index". He can't rememebr a real (ie not a mental one) recession, hint we are not in one now..... He can't rememebr a bunch of punks like Iran taking our embassy hostage for 444 days.... or our arch enemy invading Afghanistan and we just stood by becasue we were too weak..... he doesn't even rememebr Vietnam (where he served, as a reporter but he served) or Nixon...
Why should he remember those things? After all, we can't expect a man who was a US Congressman at that time to notice little details like that, now can we?
at 03:14 on July 19th, 2008
Mmmmmmmmmmm lemme see, the fraudster himself travels in a huge jet and has his family sitting in a idling Chevy Suburban while he gives a speech about how he has changed the light bulbs in his house to counter global warming. Anyone who takes what this man and for that matter anything that the socialist dems have to say as fact is either downright stupid or too ignorant to check facts. When you get to the bottom line on global warming it is all about additional ways to get more of your hard earned money. Take a page from history. When the vikings discovered GREENLAND it was a green and hospitable place. It is now glacier and snow covered. Same with North America which was called VINELAND. Grapes cannot grow in colder climates as they were in Nova Scotia back in 1000a.d. Betcha it was the native americans industry and carbon fueled vehicles that was causing it ! Please America do a littile research before you let this fraud take your money, and if you have any common sense check on Obama's background, his lack of production as a representative in both state and federal capacity. Please discover who he has bedded down with to further his political dreams. Scary.
at 14:23 on July 28th, 2008
I am a Geologist for a reputable exploration company in the DFW area and i can say as an expert its not 10 years to production of new domestic oil its 6 months to a year for the Bakken formation in ND and 1-2 years for deep water Gulf of Mexico. OCS oil is 1-2 years if floating production platforms are used instead of seafloor pipelines the backlog will be drillships there is a 3 year backlog as the industry ramps up for a repeat of the late 1980's of massive new production world wide. It really is amazing how $100+ oil can stimulate an industry to seek new sources, and make a few of us former starving Geologists very very wealthy no more teaching community college for 45K a year the going rate is 150K for a Master in Geophysics. If one is willing to relocate to Canda or the Middle East 300 a year is not uncommon for 10 years of tenure.
at 14:25 on March 6th, 2009
Excuse me but isnt this the jerk who wrote the book ASSUALT ON REASON? then he is running around acting like he is stupid? THAT BECUASE AL GORE IS STUPID
at 18:33 on August 2nd, 2009
Hi guys.
Late getting here. I can't believe no one has talked about our situation since March
2009. Anyway, it's time we put away our petty bullsh.t on who has been driving the biggest gas guzzler. If you are patriotic and care one iota about the thousands of people who are going to die because of our greedy lifestyle then, you'll use whatever power you have available to pull the strings necessary to get the job done!
I will be checking on how Gore is doing, so come to http://www.ae2009.info and http://www.wecansolveit.org and join us!
at 01:42 on August 3rd, 2009
Global warming is a hot issue. Are we indeed the ones that destroy the Earth with our CO2 gas emission and whatever sins we commit? Don’t worry it is hype, political motivated and carried on by activist that anyhow have to protest against whatsoever. There is no direct evidence that links global warming with greenhouse gases. Since the early 90s global warming has created a whole industry of profitable businesses subsidized by our governments from our tax money. The millions of people working or related to these enterprises advocate the spread of this believe by applying fear on the populace, otherwise they would lose their jobs.
Going nuclear is the option to avoid CO2 emission in the atmosphere. As long coal power plants are used nothing will improve. Nuclear energy will keep the money in the country and create millions of jobs. Once going nuclear it is economical to make synthetic diesel fuel from coal that is available in abundance. Energy that is cheaper and more environmental sound!
The truth is that, people’s CO2 emission is so tiny, -0,05% of the total - its ability to warm the planet is virtual zero, if CO2 emission indeed are the culprit of global warming as repeatedly is said, which not even is supported by scientific evidence.
The main question is whether all those emitted gases in the atmosphere cause Global-Warming as the media do us believe? In previous postings and comments, I referred to the film "The Great Global Warming Swindle" on which a number of request to provide more information were received. Further I may refer to my recent posting on the subject to judge how right Al Gore really is, and watch the video how Gore's arguments are analyzed by scientific experts.