Gore Calls For 100% Clean Energy by 2018, Keeps Straight Face

July 18, 2008

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Al Gore challenged America to make its electricity production completely carbon-free in 10 years, The Washington Post reports.

“We are borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that
destroy the planet,” said Gore.

Gore’s proposal would require Americans to scrap coal-fired power plants and create a new energy infrastructure that retains nuclear power at its current level, 20 percent of electricity generation, and expand the less than 3 percent of electricity currently produced by renewable sources.

He admits that the plan will initially drive energy prices higher, but is proposing a payroll tax cut to offset the higher prices for fuel and electricity.

Gore’s speech was well received by both presidential candidates in the New York Times. While many energy experts greeted the challenge with skepticism in the Washington Post and were quoted as saying the challenge is a “superstretch goal,” because renewable energy equipment manufacturers would have a hard time supplying enough equipment to meet the challenge.

However Washington Post Open-Ed Columnist, E. J. Dionne Jr., writes that the challenge is pointing America in the right direction.

Over at CNET, Neal Dikeman has an interesting take on Gore’s challenge to produce 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and “truly clean carbon-free sources” within 10 years:

That statement is about like challenging your 2 year old to finish college by the time she is 12. Not exactly practical, more than a little crazy, and likely to be either ignored, or if you push it, to cause lots of therapy sessions by the time she is 8. I will, however, credit him with getting almost every renewable energy platitude I’ve ever heard into one succinct speech.

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Reader Comments

Al is at it again. His ideas are half-baked, pie in the sky, totally devoid of reality fantasies. Of course we need to explore and develop alternate energy sources. We do not need to further burden taxpayers with higher energy costs on alternatives without a proven track record. As for payroll tax relief, HA! In a pig’s eye. They’ll just jack up the taxes elsewhere. Al’s ego is growing as fast as his body size. If the government buys into this nonsense it will be to no one’s benefit. Except for Al and those invested in green schemes. While he’s raking it in from his carbon trading scams others will be suffering the consequences of his misguided and reckless actions.

Glennis | July 18th, 2008

While we’re at it in the next 10 years let’s get the phaser pistol (set to stun of course) finished to replace the handgun and the transporter to replace cars on the highways. After all if we say we can than we can, right? As long as Gore is on the topic of science fiction I figured we might as well go all the way.

Robert Porter | July 18th, 2008

I missed the point of the cynicism in the title… “keeps straight face.” If you don’t think climate change needs this kind of direct and immediate action – then you are naive or misinformed.

Phil Berry | July 18th, 2008

I am naturally inclined towards bold, audacious goals that can spur new growth around disruptive technologies, but think that Al Gore is missing an opportunity here- the greening of hydrocarbons and utilization of carbon as a feedstock for recycling CO2 into usuable forms of energy in biofuels and hydrogen. We might get much further by rethinking the existing energy paradigm, than simply stating unrealistic goals of growing renewables.

http://www.memebox.com/futureblogger/show/709-dear-al-gore-did-you-forget-about-harvesting-carbon-for-bioenergy-

Garry Golden | July 18th, 2008

Gore has presented the kind of challenge that has been needed in the climate change debate and the ten year timeline is exactly what we need to be considering. Rapid transition is necessary and possible.

Indeed, our goal should be a carbon-free, nuclear-free energy policy. There are two books that lay out a plan for a carbon-free, nuclear-free energy policy. Lester Brown’s Plan B 3.0, http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/index.htmm and Arjun Makhijani’s Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free, http://www.ieer.org/carbonfree.

Kevin Zeese | July 18th, 2008

Lets exam Al’s record on actual achievement.

As vice president he did…nothing.

He has spent the last year trying to improve the efficiency of his home. Just one house. With nearly unlimited funding he has accomplished…the opposite, increased energy useage.

I think we know where the hot air is coming from.

rick g | July 19th, 2008

How much more of a fantasy is Al Gore’s proposal to manufacture all of our electricity from renewables than “winning” the war in Iraq and “drilling” our way to oil independence. If we as a nation really want to, we could invest in building the facilities to manufacture solar panels, wind turbines, etc. This would eventually create millions of good jobs here at home instead of importing the renewbles technologies from China, Japan, Germany, and Denmark. If we only achieve half the goal, we’re still better off than letting the current “big energy” boys try to solve the problem for us. They’re the ones with their heads in the sand!

mike manetas | July 20th, 2008