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Gore Wants U.S. to Abandon Fossil Fuels by 2018

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Every time he mentions what we need to do, I want to ask him how much his electricity bill was this month....

Gore Wants U.S. to Abandon Fossil Fuels by 2018
By DAVID STOUT

WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Al Gore said on Thursday that Americans must abandon fossil fuels within a decade and rely on the sun, the winds and other environmentally friendly sources of electric power, or risk losing their national security as well as their creature comforts.

“The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,” Mr. Gore said in a speech to an energy conference here. “The future of human civilization is at stake.”

Mr. Gore called for the kind of concerted national effort that enabled Americans to walk on the moon 39 years ago this month, just eight years after President John F. Kennedy famously embraced that goal. He said the goal of producing all of the nation’s electricity from “renewable energy and truly clean, carbon-free sources” within 10 years is not some farfetched vision, although he said it would require fundamental changes in political thinking and personal expectations.

“This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative,” Mr. Gore said in remarks prepared for the conference. “It represents a challenge to all Americans, in every walk of life — to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen.”
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,941
13,135
Portland, OR
“The survival of the mansion I live in is at risk,” Mr. Gore said in a speech to an energy conference here. “The future of my awesome ranch is at stake.”
Fixed.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
i agree with what he's saying.
i don't agree it should be done by fiat.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,524
I don't see his fat ass fitting into one of these and making a trip to Europe or across the states...

 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
i agree with what he's saying.
i don't agree it should be done by fiat.
he's not calling for fiat, he's calling for a unifying vision and a sense of urgency. He's the wrong person to do it, but the race to the moon is the right example.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
he's not calling for fiat, he's calling for a unifying vision and a sense of urgency. He's the wrong person to do it, but the race to the moon is the right example.
You're right. I don't disagree with the message, just the messenger.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
he's not calling for fiat, he's calling for a unifying vision and a sense of urgency.
so a few choice quotes from the context of his speech @ dar last night:
- The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk.
- the future of human civilization is at stake.
- I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously.
- Our economy is in terrible shape and getting worse, gasoline prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates.
- Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble.
- Banks, automobile companies and other institutions we depend upon are under growing pressure.
- Distinguished senior business leaders are telling us that this is just the beginning

and so on for another 6 pages, all the while calling for restructuring tax structures & expansion of gov't involvement, which has the same effect of fiat, since you take issue w/ my (poorly chosen) word. sure would be nice to have as deep a pocket - and therefore as much flexibility - as he
 

ohio

The Fresno Kid
Nov 26, 2001
6,649
23
SF, CA
all the while calling for restructuring tax structures & expansion of gov't involvement, which has the same effect of fiat, since you take issue w/ my (poorly chosen) word. sure would be nice to have as deep a pocket - and therefore as much flexibility - as he
Those two things alone are still not enough to make me thing this is some kind of tyrannical coup attempt.

Restructuring taxes - I don't know how drastic his proposals are, but absolutely we need to properly tax consumption of resources to reflect true costs to the American public (in resources, safety, etc.).

Government involvement - increased oversight and enforcement is needed, unless we come up with programs where self-policing is mutually beneficial. Government is absolutely essential in developing international agreements so we don't create corporate flight as we ramp up regulations and change policies.

I DO believe this calls for a fully funded "Project" in the tradition of the Manhattan Project.
 

Stray_cat

Monkey
Nov 13, 2007
460
0
Providence
well, he is carbon-neutral, because he buys carbon credits to offset his usage, and uses green technology wherever possible.
I'm not too keen on simply calling someone carbon-neutral, simply because they can afford to offset their impact via carbon credits. Carbon credits don't put things back into the system, they just lessen the impact elsewhere. It kinda reminds me of the catholic church selling 'sin tokins' (they had much better name for it, but I can't remember it.'
 

Samirol

Turbo Monkey
Jun 23, 2008
1,437
0
I'm not too keen on simply calling someone carbon-neutral, simply because they can afford to offset their impact via carbon credits. Carbon credits don't put things back into the system, they just lessen the impact elsewhere. It kinda reminds me of the catholic church selling 'sin tokins' (they had much better name for it, but I can't remember it.'
well, what it does is encourage companies to reduce their emissions.

Finding a simple and trivial reason to stick your head in the sand is essentially the problem with this country.
global warming isn't trivial
 

N8 v2.0

Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Oct 18, 2002
11,003
149
The Cleft of Venus
global warming isn't controllable by algore's green tags and carbon credits business
fixed


nor is global warming responsible for hurricanes...

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20080519/ai_n25464937

Global warming isn't to blame for the recent jump in hurricanes in the Atlantic, concludes a study by a prominent federal scientist whose position has shifted on the subject.

Not only that, warmer temperatures will actually reduce the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic and those making landfall, research meteorologist Tom Knutson reported in a study released Sunday.
 
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Defenestrated

Turbo Monkey
Mar 28, 2007
1,657
0
Earth
what I meant is if he wants to be a leader in environmental matters and green energy, it would be way more effective to lead by example.

I still think green regarding a lot of things, but al gore looses authority by not always practicing what he preaches.

From a rhetorical standpoint at least.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
What I meant was, discounting Gore's ideas because of his electrical bill is idiotic.
Well, I agree, but if Jesse Jackson ever got caught using "the n-word" people would think he was a hypocrite, and he'd lose all credibility.
 

DirtyDog

Gang probed by the Golden Banana
Aug 2, 2005
6,598
0
We have a much more urgent, important issue here than what you think of Al Gore. Do you believe in urgent energy reform or not? If so, get behind it, discuss it in a meaningful way, and forget about the messenger. If Pat Buchanan said the same thing, it would still be just as important even though he is the embodiment of ignorant ****.

what I meant is if he wants to be a leader in environmental matters and green energy, it would be way more effective to lead by example.

I still think green regarding a lot of things, but al gore looses authority by not always practicing what he preaches.

From a rhetorical standpoint at least.
 

Stray_cat

Monkey
Nov 13, 2007
460
0
Providence
I give up.
fu·tile /ˈfyutl, ˈfyutaɪl/ Pronunciation[fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl]
–adjective

1. incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not successful: Attempting to force-feed the sick horse was futile.

2. The discussion of politcs on ridemonkey.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
people that care about the environment are appreciative that he is getting out the message, so basically liberals.

I'm appreciative of his efforts, but frustrated by the fact that he is the figurehead for this whole 'movement.' I figure half the conservative opposition to the whole Global Warming theory comes from the fact that Gore promotes it. Of course, the other half comes from an unwillingness to believe anyone other than Rush Limbaugh or Jerry Falwell, and a total lack of foresight.

But seriously, if a historical account of Jesus came out that had him on film, at the scene soliciting prostitutes, killing a pimp and snorting coke off the corpse, there'd probably be a few people who didn't take his teachings as seriously anymore. If there were a consistent, non partisan leader, things would move along a lot quicker.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,016
Sleazattle
I'm appreciative of his efforts, but frustrated by the fact that he is the figurehead for this whole 'movement.' I figure half the conservative opposition to the whole Global Warming theory comes from the fact that Gore promotes it. Of course, the other half comes from an unwillingness to believe anyone other than Rush Limbaugh or Jerry Falwell, and a total lack of foresight.

But seriously, if a historical account of Jesus came out that had him on film, at the scene soliciting prostitutes, killing a pimp and snorting coke off the corpse, there'd probably be a few people who didn't take his teachings as seriously anymore. If there were a consistent, non partisan leader, things would move along a lot quicker.

There is a gap in the history of Jesus' life.
 

BurlyShirley

Rex Grossman Will Rise Again
Jul 4, 2002
19,180
17
TN
I wish Carl Sagan were still around. Stephen Hawking or that black astronomer dude that's always on The Science Channel should take this **** over. Im tired of Gore's ugly mug making things more difficult than they already are. Could there possibly be a more divisive choice than a liberal politician in a country of church-going redneck conservatives?
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
...and so you post a cartoon...which consistently both derides & lauds liberal family values.

i'm trying to see what you did there