Is there any reason not to try... not to just "go for it?"

[npts2020]

Captain Panic; I agree the challenge can and ought to be reached. This would be a far better investment than any bailout of corporations "too big to fail". IMO the main reason it isn't being done already, is that many renewable forms of energy production are not easily controlable by a centralized entity.

[CaptainPanic]

Captain Panic; I agree the challenge can and ought to be reached. This would be a far better investment than any bailout of corporations "too big to fail". IMO the main reason it isn't being done already, is that many renewable forms of energy production are not easily controlable by a centralized entity.

 

Indeed. You can build a lot of new companies, and in fact a whole new industry, if you'd spend the trillion dollars that the US government has now spent on bailing out companies. It's a shame that the world does not have the courage to reform quickly...

 

And I always point at the 5 years that WWII has lasted to show that the world can reform really fast, if you want to. It was obviously not a good time in our history (no matter which side you were on - Allied, or Axis)... but it was a time where major changes were achieved in just a few years. And in a single decade that followed, entire countries and the whole continent of Europe were re-built.

 

From that I conclude that it must be possible to achieve Al Gore's target. So, the main question is not: "Can we achieve it?" (Answer: "Yes we can")... but it's "How bad do we want it?"

[npts2020]

If there were no vested interests involved, the plan would have already been completed or at least be substantially underway. I advocate automating the roadways and powering the whole system with solar and wind energy. That alone would convert about 1/4 of Americas energy use (almost all petroleum at that) to renewables.

[CaptainPanic]

I advocate construction of a couple of dedicated dams for storage of lots of water, which should create a storage for electricity. Electricity storage is one of those common arguments against clean energy, and it is actually no argument, since the problem was solved 100 years ago.

 

I also advocate that states nationalize energy companies. Those energy companies were privatized at the worst possible moment, just when the time had come for a transition to sustainable energy.

 

As I wrote before, I fear that the market will not solve the problem by itself. Therefore I am happy to hear Americans, (the ultimate capitalists) and specifically Gore and also Obama state that they want to stimulate an energy independent America. It's brilliant. I hope they'll commit themselves and the country.

[DrP]

...... they want to stimulate an energy independent America. It's brilliant. I hope they'll commit themselves and the country.

 

 

That would be lovely. - Perhaps you could run a cable accross the atlantic at the same time - The UK is quite small and I'm sure you wouldn't notice TOO much of a power drain from us. We could probably pay you as well, possibly with some shares in our banks or something like that.

[npts2020]

CaptainPanic; We are in total agreement about the technical feasibility of conversion to renewable energy (and probably most other aspects) but the political reality is those vested interests I referred to above are going to be very resistant to the change, especially when we can get by with slogans like "drill baby drill" rather than critical thinking on the matter.

Also, energy nationalization is the only way I can see that will result in investment on scale and with enough speed to keep prices reasonably steady over the long term. This, however, is a very tough sell in a country that seems to have an aversion to government controlled anything, even when it is obviously a better way of doing it. I just hope "the ultimate capitalists" can finally realize there is a future beyond the next financial quarter or election that needs planning for if it is to be better than today.

 

DrP; No problem, what's a few terrawatts between friends, eh? You can just crank up your money machine to pay us.

[rueberry]

It's my hope that president elect Obama will use Al Gore as his front man to begin a serious dialoge with the American public on global climate change. I also hope that Mr. Obama will, on this issue, ignore the politicians who are owned by special interest. We as a global leader can make this happen. But, we will have to insist that all countries get on board. I don't believe that mankind is the main problem to climate change but, I do believe that we are attributing more than our fair share to it. inow's pale blue dot had an inpact on me and, it brings the message home like few others can. The earth belongs to us all and, therefore, we are all responsible for taken care of it. But, we have to be willing to change. Not just talk. Frankly, I hope that the next time we go to war, it's not for oil. I hope it's over forcing those countries who are short sighted, including my own, to live up to their reponsibillity in keeping this world of ours something we can proudly pass on to our children. A healthy world where we are truly its care taker and not its mortal enemy. But, again, we will have to change, perhaps suffer a little but change nonetheless.

[iNow]

Submit this form and send a note to your congress person. Let's make a serious effort to be on 100% renewable energy sources within 10 years.

 

http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/repowerrecovery

 

 

They said we'd never make it to the moon, but we did.

[inuhbad]

The challenge with the salt water idea is that it still takes energy to power the radio wave generator. I'm not sure how they're factoring that into the mix.

That pretty much sums it up. Unless it's a self-sustaining reaction in which the energy generated is enough to power the radio wave generator, and also produce a surplus of additional energy that is sufficient to power other things... Then they might have something worthwhile...

 

Al Gore shouldn't talk to us about becoming energy efficient & energy independent when his several inefficient mansions burn more fossil fuels in any given day than my house could consume.

 

Talk is cheap. Show us that you're making a strong effort to do the same.

 

In the meantime, those same democrats working in our local Planning & Zoning departments that are telling us to likewise become energy independent are the same ones telling us we can't add solar panels or small residential windmills to our homes & properties because they are not 'Aesthetically Pleasing' or because the windmills could fall on children.

 

It's all fine & dandy in Theory, but in Practice, it's less than practical, and certainly not all that 'renewable'.

[iNow]

Al Gore shouldn't talk to us about becoming energy efficient & energy independent when his several inefficient mansions burn more fossil fuels in any given day than my house could consume.

 

Talk is cheap. Show us that you're making a strong effort to do the same.

Well, he has.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3980795n

 

 

Also, AGW is about far more than just Al Gore, and I'm inclined to cut him some slack for working so hard to keep this issue at the fore of public attention and drive action, all while getting hammered repeatedly by deniers and those who just like making fun of democrats instead of finding consensus based methods to move our population forward into this new millenium.

[Baby Astronaut]

Submit this form and send a note to your congress person. Let's make a serious effort to be on 100% renewable energy sources within 10 years.

 

http://www.repoweramerica.org/page/s/repowerrecovery

 

 

They said we'd never make it to the moon, but we did.

Yeah, but landing on the moon didn't threaten any industries who'll fight tooth and nail to keep it from happening, and fabricate negative campaigns against people like Al Gore who try bringing such change.

 

However, raising our voice is always worth a shot, especially as we have a more renewables-friendly government now.