Al Gore: Ditch fossil fuels in one decade or else

Powerpoint junkie, opera inspirer and Nobel-winner Al Gore said on Thursday that Americans must abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade, because what America is doing now doesn't work.

“We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet,” Gore said. “Every bit of that’s got to change.”

Instead, he said, within 10 years America must "rely on the sun, the winds and other environmentally friendly sources of power, or risk losing their national security as well as their creature comforts," the New York Times reports. To make it happen, Gore called for "the kind of concerted national effort that enabled Americans to walk on the moon," the paper said.

Gore called for taxing carbon dioxide production, with an accompanying reduction in payroll taxes. “We should tax what we burn, not what we earn,” he said in his speech, which you can see here -- after he offers some odd shout-outs to the Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.I.Am. and Libertarian candidate Bob Barr:

--Craig Pittman

Comments

[Don in St. Pete]

The most inspiring and compelling speech I've ever heard. I wish Al Gore were running for President. I pray the other candidates are paying attention.

[Tino]

His plan would have us shut down "dirty" plants that are fully depreciated and costing about 2 cents a kWh, and replace them with new wind/solar that would run about 15-30 cents a kWh.

The man is either incredibly math-tarded, or he should be committed.

[Ronnie]

Al Gore is doing nothing buy making money pimping global warming. When people like him live what they preach, I will start to listen.

[Don in St. Pete]

Tino and Ronnie, Check out this website from another perspective, but it's basically headed in the right direction. We are bankrupting our country by continuing topay about $700 billion dollars a year for imported OIL. Imagine the effect on our economy if that $700 billion stays here in the US.

www.pickensplan.com

The plan from T. Boone Pickens, inconjunction with another based on solar by scientists in the SW, could reduce our need to use natural gas and fuel oil in power plants allowing the Nat. gas to be used as transportation fuel.