The challenge for America's leaders

Al Gore

THE survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more — if more should be required — the future of human civilisation is at stake. I don't remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously. Our economy is in terrible shape and getting worse, petrol prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates. Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble. Banks, car companies and other institutions we depend upon are under growing pressure.

The climate crisis, in particular, is getting a lot worse — much more quickly than predicted.

I'm convinced that one reason we've seemed paralysed in the face of these crises is our tendency to offer old solutions to each crisis separately — without taking the others into account.

I have held a series of "solutions summits" with engineers, scientists, and CEOs. In those discussions, one thing has become abundantly clear: when you connect the dots, it turns out that the real solutions to the climate crisis are the very same measures needed to renew our economy and escape the trap of ever-rising energy prices. Moreover, they are also the very same solutions we need to guarantee our national security without having to go to war in the Persian Gulf.

Scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100% of the entire world's energy needs for a full year.

And enough wind power blows through the Midwest corridor every day to also meet 100% of US electricity demand. Geothermal energy, similarly, is capable of providing enormous supplies of electricity for America.

The quickest, cheapest and best way to start using all this renewable energy is in the production of electricity.

That's why I'm proposing today a strategic initiative designed to free us from the crises that are holding us down and to regain control of our own destiny. It's not the only thing we need to do.

But this strategic challenge is the linchpin of a bold new strategy needed to repower America.

Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100% of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.

This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative. It represents a challenge to all Americans in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers and to every citizen.

To those who argue that we do not yet have the technology to accomplish these results with renewable energy: I ask them to come with me to meet the entrepreneurs who will drive this revolution. I've seen what they are doing and I have no doubt that we can meet this challenge.

To those who say the costs are still too high: I ask them to consider whether the costs of oil and coal will ever stop increasing if we keep relying on quickly depleting energy sources to feed a rapidly growing demand all around the world. When demand for oil and coal increases, their price goes up. When demand for solar cells increases, the price often comes down.

When we send money to foreign countries to buy nearly 70% of the oil we use every day, they build new skyscrapers and we lose jobs. When we spend that money building solar arrays and windmills, we build competitive industries and gain jobs here at home.

I do not believe our country can withstand 10 more years of the status quo. Our families cannot stand 10 more years of petrol price increases. Our workers cannot stand 10 more years of job losses and outsourcing of factories. Our economy cannot stand 10 more years of sending $US2 billion every 24 hours to foreign countries for oil. And our soldiers and their families cannot take another 10 years of repeated troop deployments to dangerous regions that just happen to have large oil supplies.

To foster international co-operation, it is also essential that the United States rejoin the global community and lead efforts to secure an international treaty at Copenhagen in December of next year that includes a cap on carbon dioxide emissions and a global partnership that recognises the necessity of addressing the threats of extreme poverty and disease as part of the world's agenda for solving the climate crisis.

It is a great error to say that the US must wait for others to join us in this matter. We must move first, because that is the key to getting others to follow; and because moving first is in our own national interest.

So I ask you to join with me to call on every candidate, at every level, to accept this challenge — for America to be running on 100% zero-carbon electricity in 10 years. It's time for us to move beyond empty rhetoric. We need to act now.

Al Gore is a former vice-president of the United States. This is an edited text of a speech delivered in Washington yesterday.

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