Washington
17 July 2008
Former Vice President Al Gore is challenging the United States toproduce all of its electricity through wind power, solar power andother environmentally friendly sources within 10 years. Gore said thetransition would not only help resolve America's current energy andeconomic problems, but would also improve U.S. national security byreducing dependence on foreign oil. VOA Correspondent Cindy Sainereports from Washington.
Al Gore received a rock star welcome at an energy conference in Washington, where he issued a challenge to the country.
"Sotoday I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of ourelectricity from renewable energy and truly clean, carbon-free sourceswithin 10 years," he said.
Called an alarmist by some critics,Gore has made global climate change his signature issue, and hisefforts won him a Nobel Prize. He admitted that weaning Americans offfossil fuels would require placing a carbon tax on burning oil andcoal, which his plan would offset with a reduction in payroll taxes. But Gore said soaring gasoline prices and the current economic turmoilhave created a new political environment where Americans are hungry forchange.
"I do not remember a time in our country when so manythings seem to be going so wrong simultaneously," he said. "Our economyis in terrible shape and getting worse, people are hurting. Gasolineprices are increasing dramatically and so are electricity rates. Jobsare being outsourced, home mortgages are in trouble. Banks, automobilecompanies, other institutions we depend upon are under growingpressure."
Gore called on all Americans to pull together,citing the kind of national effort that made it possible for NeilArmstrong to walk on the moon just eight years after former PresidentJohn F. Kennedy issued that challenge. He said both presidentialcandidates, his fellow Democrat Barack Obama and the presumptiveRepublican nominee John McCain are way ahead of most politicians in thefight against global climate change.
But Gore did criticize President Bush's proposal to resume offshore oil drilling as a way to address the current energy crisis.
"Itis only a truly dysfunctional system that would buy into the perverselogic that the short-term answer to high gasoline prices is drillingfor oil 10 years from now in areas that should be protected," he said.
Thepresumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama issued astatement after the speech, saying he strongly agrees with Gore thatthe U.S. cannot drill its way to energy independence, but must boostinvestments in renewable sources of energy. Obama said it is astrategy that will create millions of new jobs and leave Americanchildren with a cleaner and safer world.