Gore’s green challenge
July 20, 2008 Posted by: Paul Lucas
Former Vice President of the United States Al Gore has laid down a challenge he compares to John F Kennedy’s plans to put a man on the moon - he wants America to shift its entire electricity sector to carbon-free wind, solar and geothermal power within 10 years.
Gore believes that this power can then be used to fuel a new fleet of electric vehicles. Unquestionably ambitious, many energy experts have stated that his target is ‘unrealistic’ but Gore himself remains unshaken.
“This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative,” he said in a speech at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington. “It represents a challenge to all Americans in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers and to every citizen.”
Gore has already received strong backing from Presidential candidate Barack Obama who has stated that the efforts “would leave children a world that is cleaner and safer” while creating millions of jobs. Republican candidate John McCain meanwhile has also offered support for the goals stating that “if the vice president says it’s doable, I believe it’s doable.”
However, energy experts believe the plans while commendable are flawed. Jim Owen from the Edison Electric Institute commented that the job “cannot be done with renewables and energy efficiency alone”. He believes a more balanced energy portfolio is required, including nuclear power.
Gore admitted there are barriers in front of his plans, particularly as the national grid is not developed enough to move solar and wind power efficiently. However, he believes there could be a massive knock-on effect for the US automotive industry through the manufacture of electric cars that can be plugged in overnight, saving consumers money and reducing air pollution.
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Filed under: Electric cars, Green cars, Latest news | Tags: Al Gore, Electric cars, Green cars |
