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Gore's Plan Gets Another Push During Olympics
Al Gore came to Washington in July to issue a challenge to the country: create a new energy economy that will generate 100 percent of America's electricity from clean sources within 10 years. Now the former vice president’s advocacy group, the Alliance for Climate Protection, has launched a new TV ad to spread the message to Olympics viewers.
The group debuted "Switch" (subscription) on NBC during Monday's coverage of the Games; the spot will continue to air on NBC and USA Network through next week.
As in the group's first TV ad, actor William H. Macy narrates and soothing music creates an upbeat tone to promote the group's message: "Together we can solve the climate crisis." Americans from different walks of life are shown coming together to help each other turn on giant light switches -- one in the desert, one in a field, one at a factory and one in the middle of a city.
Macy lays out some of the vast challenges facing the country: "a weaker economy, soaring gas prices, growing dependence on foreign oil and a worsening climate crisis." But, he says, "there’s a bold new solution for all of these challenges." He presents Gore's plan to create clean electricity as a way to combat both economic and national security threats. "All we need is your help," he says, encouraging viewers to "join the more than one million people who are already demanding we switch on a brighter future."
“The Olympics are a time for all Americans to reflect on our nation’s achievements and what we as a people can do together," Alliance for Climate Protection CEO Cathy Zoi said in a press release announcing the ad. "Choosing the right path and re-powering our nation is something we can do, and something that will benefit us all.”
For all the money the group is pouring into its public outreach effort, however, recent polling data suggests that Americans' attention is not squarely focused on climate change issues. With the election and economic problems occupying the media spotlight, the number of Americans who say they consider global warming an important issue to them personally has fallen 5 percentage points since 2007 to 47 percent. Al Gore came to Washington in July to issue a challenge to the country: create a new energy economy that will generate 100 percent of ... more -
Darfur, Sudan, Oil, America and China
Make no mistake as to why Bush refuses to boycott the Bejing olympics. OIL is the key factor in this decision as it is in every decision by these oil and blood soaked criminals. The genocide in Darfur began as an environmental disaster (that continues) that has now evolved into a fight for its oil. Just like in Iraq and other places around the world, Darfur will now be a central point in a power struggle for the oil that lies below Sudan and Chad, coincidentally (?) where the genocide has taken place. Lots of land were cleared off in the burning of the towns and everything was lost by the inhabitiants there to clear the land for Chinese oil companies to come in and drill. Women have been raped, villagers terrorized and murdered, children starving, all for the sake of Chinese and American oil speculation.
If there was ever a reason to have a global climate treaty that gets this world OFF OIL it is this. To think of the inhumanities spawned by the greed of these people and that Bush will now use these Bejing olympics to make business deals rather than stand up for the human rights of millions around the world who have suffered and are suffering atrocities due to the insatiable greed for oil is unconscienable.
I am BOYCOTTING the Bejing olympics. I will not watch it, and I will no longer purchase any products from any sponsors of it if I do now. The human species will drown itself in its greed for oil as our planet balances itself precariously on the climate edge. How any world leaders can sit in Bejing and smile knowing what has transpired by the government of China and their own even against their own people shows they are no better. I as an American who believes in Human Rights and freedom denounce the Bejing olympics for what it really is to those in the Chinese government: propaganda to cover the tracks of monsters. Make no mistake as to why Bush refuses to boycott the Bejing olympics. OIL is the key factor in this decision as it is in every decisi... more -
2050 greenhouse goals will be too late: EPI head
Pitches to cut worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 are too leisurely and must be brought forward by decades, Lester Brown, president and founder of the Earth Policy Institute in Washington, said Friday at a symposium in Tokyo.
"We are going to have to move much, much faster. I think the game will be over long before 2050," the environment expert said at Sophia University.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is expected to release a new initiative on environmental preservation Monday in which Japan will propose reducing long-term its own greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent to 80 percent from current levels by 2050. The initiative will not touch on medium-term goals.
But with the pace of global warming and its link to food prices rising worldwide, the world must "cut carbon emission by 80 percent by 2020," Brown said. The environmentalist, who has headed the nonprofit group EPI since 2001, providing reports and visions for a sustainable economy and environmental preservation, was in Tokyo to speak at the Sophia symposium.
Brown said that while past rises in grain prices were driven by particular events, including droughts and extreme weather, today's food crisis was trend-driven and induced by multiple factors, including population growth and grain being used to make fuel.
In such circumstance each country must work to reconstruct its energy resources, he said, urging Japan to develop its solar- and wind-power technologies and become less dependent on fossil fuels. Pitches to cut worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050 are too leisurely and must be brought forward by decades, Lest... more -
Can the world run on water?
Thousands of successful water-conversions around the world are proof that this technology works and will soon catch on! From being used by this guy's torch, HHO gas can prove to be a means to fuel automobiles. The prospect of using HHO to fuel cars successfully almost seems like a dream come true. Thousands of successful water-conversions around the world are proof that this technology works and will soon catch on! From being u... more
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Americans curbing gas consumption
With the combination of a falling dollar and rising gas prices, Americans may finally be seeing the light regarding gas consumption. So while high gas prices are tough on working Americans, could high gas prices be a blessing in disguise to move people to more sustainable life choices and demanding cleaner choices at the pump? Are higher gas prices causing you to alter your current lifestyle? With the combination of a falling dollar and rising gas prices, Americans may finally be seeing the light regarding gas consumption. S... more
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Storm brews over the content of ethical funds
Surprised Al Gore's Generation Investment Management company was not mentioned in this article. However, it brings up a good point. What is considered to be "ethical" in terms of what companies want to invest in as opposed to what customers want or consider "ethical" regarding the environment can be two diffferent things. So where does that lead such investment companies? If funds invest in companies like say, BP, which is looking into cellulosic ethanol and yet is still in oil, is that company truly ethical by environmental standards of ethical investment funds? Is it truly about pure "ethical" and "green" investing, or is it still more about making money now in the hopes that some of these companies invest in funds that while not "pure" now will see more diversification in environmentally ethical alternatives once demand becomes greater? Is it possible to be purely green in investments and profitable? This is one area where investors can have great influence regarding truly sustainable investments that bring innovative alternatives to market quicker. And personally for me, funds that invest in oil, nuclear, or coal even though they may be slightly diversified elsewhere (such as in wind or solar) wouldn't cut it for me. But as long as they do for most investors, will we really ever then see the progress we need to see in market share to finally move on from these antiiquated energy sources to better cleaner alternatives? Surprised Al Gore's Generation Investment Management company was not mentioned in this article. However, it brings up a good poin... more
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Nuclear Donating Big To Obama and Clinton
And yet, we are to believe they are candidates of change? That they care about the environment? Nuclear energy is not "green." It is an antiquated dangerous form of energy that has seen its day. It is only because of the rise of concern over the climate crisis that certain lobbies have been trying to push it into the green column in order to make a profit from it. And Obama and Clinton are helping them in their quest to do so at the expense of this planet. Subsidies to the nuclear industry could be used to bring innovative and truly visionary alternate energies to the fore that would reduce our dependence on oil in much cleaner and safer ways. This is very discouraging to see and tells me that Obama, who talks about change in his glossy abstract speeches means only changing the person living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It doesn't mean changing the way business is done. Any candidate who truly believes in addressing climate change and in fighting terrorism is not for nuclear power, period. It is bad enough that Republicans push for nuclear energy and antiquated methods proven to be unproductive in progressing us towards the future. I expected better from Democrats, or at least, those who call themselves Democrats. And yet, we are to believe they are candidates of change? That they care about the environment? Nuclear energy is not "green.... more
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