100% renewable, carbon-free energy within 10 years

Corporations have long history of perpetuating deadly products and activities by promoting "scientific uncertainty". Some of our most brilliant and persuasive science journalists have succumbed to this atmosphere of suffocating uncertainty and written off entire fields of research. Each new uncertainty campaign further degrades our faith in science and softens us up for the next one. The doubt-mongers tend to divide and proliferate. Skepticism breeds more skepticism, but who's zooming who on this one?

For the most part people are now getting to experience the actual effect of global warming in their own back yards all around the world. The science can tell us, in more detail, the what and why of it but reality of experience debunks the skeptics. Even so, there is always that whole in the sand for the head.

I don't agree on Gore about this.

Carbon is not the enemy.

WHERE the carbon comes from is the enemy.

Fossil fuels dug up or pumped out of the ground put NEW carbon into the atmosphere when burned. They produce greenhouse gas.

Biofuels produce CO2 when they are burned. However, that CO2 was FIRST removed from the atmosphere by the plants that biofuels were made from. Burning biofuels is a cycle--CO2 out, CO2 in. It is the natural carbon cycle taking place everyday, everywhere. We can burn as much biofuel as we want----it is recycled and does not produce a net CO2 increase in the atmosphere.

Wind and solar power I agree with---those should be our new focus.

We'll always need back up generation capacity. Although natural gas is a fossil fuel, I think we should use it for backup to wind and solar. It is clean, and provides energy quickly and is far less damaging than coal. And the main advantage, as we get more biomethane available---it can be mixed directly with natural gas in any proportion and perform exactly the same. Methane is methane---we could simply shift the source of our methane production, none of the equipment that uses it would have to change.

Climate change would be a more accurate name than global warming. So as to not confuse people when it snows. Where is Glacier National Park? It melted! Why are we having tornados, and hurricanes in unusual places? Why are we having floods all over the place? Why are there long periods of drought? Because of climate change, just like Al Gore and any scientist not bribed by the oil industry has warned us of.

Storm systems and weather patterns are the visible signs of the movement of heat through the atmosphere. The greater the amount of heat available, the greater the amount of activity and intensity of weather systems.

We aren't going to be able to get rid of fossil fuels overnight. Biofuels do anything that petroleum fuels do, and do not produce net greenhouse gas, and comletely fit into our current infrastructure and ways of doing things. Biofuels are carbon based, to demonize carbon is wrong in that it masks the true source of the problem. That is WHERE the carbon that we burn comes from, not the carbon itself.
We can use all the biofuels we need or want without contributing to greenhouse gas. And we can do it as long as we want. And there are many economic, social, and political values to switching to biofuels as well as environmental. Those reasons are perhaps even more critical and compelling than environmental reasons. And the time scale for the non environmental reasons to switch is even shorter than the environmental reasons.

From a technical aspect as far as biofuels are concerned, it would take far less than ten years to make the switch. With a concentrated effort, biodiesel and ethanol could easily replace petroleum by 50-75% within 3-4 years. And the cost would be about 1/2 of the cost of petroleum fuels. Would anyone like to have $2/gallon gas back?

LOL, and switching to biofuels will be very easy. All we have to do is give away free Huckleberry Hound or Yogi and Boo Boo Bear glasses with every fill up. Or maybe a Hot Wheels Race Set.

wetdog, One of my biggest concerns with biofuels (and I am sure you have heard many say this) is that it takes water to grow those crops for fuel and we already are having major crop damage due to Climate Change. Also, shouldn't we dedicating any of the limited growing area we have to feed the hungry people before we feed our transportation needs? And,,, one more thing... remaining on a fuel based energy industry would continue the risk of corporate greed holding control of the production and distribution of that fuel.

The Long View:
Decentralize the power plant and ownership of energy distribution. Literally put the power back into the hand of the people. There are countless ways this can be done and many of them can be found in threads here on Current. Biofuels are a better idea but NOT BEST. I advocate we go for best solutions.

woot

-----"wetdog, One of my biggest concerns with biofuels (and I am sure you have heard many say this) is that it takes water to grow those crops for fuel and we already are having major crop damage due to Climate Change"--------

PetroSun has a biodiesel plant in operation right now growing saltwater algae that produce oil. It produces 4.4 million gallons of oil per year capacity from 1180 acres of saltwater holding ponds. It uses sea water from the Gulf of Mexico. We have plenty of sea water. It also produces 55 million tons of biomass per year.(the leftover algae after the oil is removed). This could be made into ethanol. The current production numbers for ethanol from biomass is about 70 gallons per ton. This biomass could also be used as feed for fish or shrimp---it would be no different than a cattle rancher raising hay to feed his cattle. In fact, the facility started out as a shrimp farm for breeding captive shrimp.
There is also an ethanol facility under construction in Soperton GA, that will have the capacity to produce 100 million gallons per year of ethanol from local logging and millwork woodwaste. It uses the Fischer-Tropsch method(developed in 1924 and used by Germany to supply all their energy needs in WW2--an old and well proven process). It uses heat and catalysts to break down and synthesize the cellulose into ethanol and other carbon base compounds. It uses no water, is a closed system(no atmospheric pollution) and the end product is ash---a natural fertilizer. Rangeline Fuels of Bloomfield CO is building the plant. Cull timber from managed lots is a HUGE resource(around 2,000-3,000 tons per acre) that is currently simply piled up and burned now. We are growing trees and havesting them now---why not make use of the waste to power our vehicles?

-----" Also, shouldn't we dedicating any of the limited growing area we have to feed the hungry people before we feed our transportation needs? "--------

Saltwater algae does not compete with food crop production. It does best in desert areas where abundant sunlight and heat cause the algae to grow at many times the rate it would at in its normal environment, the sea. In fact, even the partial use of the waste biomass as feed for aquaculture based farming would enhance food production and relieve the oceans already stressed from overfishing.

In order to have farm products of any kind, you have to have farmers. In order to have farmers, it has to be profitable to farm. The more products we can derive from farm crops creating usable commodity markets, the more profitabe it is to farm. Whether it is ethanol from corn, or biodiesel from soybeans--anything that can be made from farm commodities will assure a continued supply of those commodities. People who say making ethanol from corn will cause mass starvation are missing one basic point---corn ain't free---farmers have to make enough to grow the corn and stay in business or they go bankrupt. Then there is NO corn for anyone.
THAT is why we have ethanol now---a direct result of the overproduction crisis of the 1970's and early 80's. Remember Farm Aid? It worked before, and it will work again. The reason for rising prices is inflation of the $ caused by deficit spending on a war over oil resources and a trade deficit of $1 Trillion per year to pay for imported oil. Replace imported oil with biofuels, and you reverse the trends causing inflation on the $----and there is no reason whatever for us to even be in the Middle East let alone fighting a war with no need for oil.

----" And,,, one more thing... remaining on a fuel based energy industry would continue the risk of corporate greed holding control of the production and distribution of that fuel."-------

This is the MAJOR reason for using biofuels. Biofuels can be produced anywhere, from a wide range of raw materials, using low grade technology that is available even to small communities or individuals---there is no way to monopolize biofuels. There is simply no way to "corner the market" on raw materials since almost anything can be used. The technology has been in use for over 1.000 years---you cann't claim proprieterary or prohbitively expensive technology to lock people out. Anyone, anywhere can make vegetable oil or ethanol in their garage if they want to. THAT is why there is SO much lying and deciet being bandied about concerning biofuels. It means the end of energy monopoly for the oil companies. If they want to stay in business, they will have to compete again. They will have to make money the old fashioned way, they'll have to earn it. BIG OIL monopolies don't want to have to go back to EARNING their money.
And biofuels are sustainable and renewable, they will never run out.

-----" The Long View:
Decentralize the power plant and ownership of energy distribution. Literally put the power back into the hand of the people. There are countless ways this can be done and many of them can be found in threads here on Current. Biofuels are a better idea but NOT BEST. I advocate we go for best solutions. "-----

Biofuels do that. Biofuels fit the current infrastructure. Biofuels do not pollute. Biofuels are here, right now, and can be implemented quickly and seamlessly. Biofuels are sustainable and renewable. There is NO other technology that answers every single problem we are having as well as biofuels, Biofuels are not only the best solution, in the final analysis, they are the ONLY solution.

Wind and solar energy are the same, and I think that in a grid tie system, answer every need we have. Grid tie wind and solar are my choice of prefered technology for the electrical supply.

We need back up generation for wind and solar. I prefer natural gas. It is a fossil fuel. However, it is clean, efficient, and a perfect choice to get rid of coal. And the big advantage to NG is that it can be mixed with biomethane in any proportion with no modification. As more biomethane becomes available, we simply decrease our need for NG.

He did said less than 10 Years. That means we need to start now! Opsss, actually we should had started Yesterday already and we need to do this as a people united on a common goal! The goal it is to stop pollution, being that fossil fuel or noise and to stop the polluters as well. That is the Mission!

i see many people on the "other side of the argument". its hard for people to realize our everyday reliance's are slowly eating away at our home. its easy to look the other way. even if global warming isnt as real as we think it is.. why would we take a chance? people who say this is gores publicity stunt... why take the chance of it.. why not do something about anyways. as far as 10 years goes... that will most likely become 50 to 60 years.. or even longer. his prediction is really unlikely. although i respect the hope he puts in his country. i just dont see it happening this suddenly. :/