Last night I found a full length video of Al Gore's challenge speech and listened to it while I followed along by reading a transcript. The thank you's take up the first two minutes, with the speech actually starting at 2:19:
Here is a full length transcript annotated by a science reporter at the NY Times. He indicates statements in Gore's speech that are perhaps more hyperbole than fact.
Well, what did you think?
This speech did really speak to me, and I hope that people will rise up to the challenge. I believe this "generational moment" is a call to my generation - not in relation to age, but to attitude - and that it is time for us to shake off the "complacency" of the old guard, the old way of thinking. Naysayers can "step aside" and keep their no-can-do attitude to themselves.
I ask myself, who are these naysayers? Gore states that our current economic, environmental and national security problems are all held together by the same string and can be solved by ending "our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels." Perhaps the naysayers are the very people that profit from the status quo, the war machine, and the desperate economy.
Gore calls for a mindset and push into bringing the cost of clean fuels down through increasing the scale of three energy sources: solar, wind, and geothermal. These technologies all exist and need refined and to be demanded by business and personal consumers.
Perhaps my favorite line is: "our democracy has become sclerotic at a time when the crises require boldness." The word sclerotic is related to the plant science term sclerenchyma, which is the lignified, or tough, tissues in a plant that makes it possible for the plant to stand up. These tissues are one obstacle to making biofuels.
The one alternative that he distinctly did not mention is biofuels. The biofuel concept is to use plants to harness the energy from the sun to convert carbon into either sugars, that can be converted into ethanol, or fatty acids, that can be converted into oils. This is still the old way of thinking - it is a carbon-based fuel. What do you think of the potential of biofuels?
The one concept missing from his speech were questions about and an impetus away from the environmental hazards in making solar panels, wind turbines, and digging for geothermal hotspots. I think these new technologies need to not create new problems. Of course, that can be easily outweighed by the decrease in oil drilling and the natural resources, such as metal ores. that go into getting oil out of the ground.
What if one of the American car companies converted their entire fleet to electric, and the electricity was made from solar and wind sources? Would that company then have any problems selling cars, or would they have problems keeping their cars on the lot, much like today's Prius and Hybrid Camry? I don't get why the auto manufacturers don't think this way? Are they so stuck, are they so vested in oil, are they joined at the hips to the oil companies?
I think this challenge can spark America's great ingenuity and innovation, traits that have lapsed since the times of the space race and the arms race. There is no red enemy now. The enemy now is ourselves, our bad habits, and our reliance on our leaders to do what is in our best interest. The race is a race against time.
To anyone who listens to the whole speech! Double bonus points to anyone who shares their (rationally and politely stated) thoughts, by clicking on the link below this post that says "comments." If you need to, you can create an account with Blogger. You won't get any junk mail or be sold out.
all statements in quotes are from Gore's speech
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, what did you think?
This speech did really speak to me, and I hope that people will rise up to the challenge. I believe this "generational moment" is a call to my generation - not in relation to age, but to attitude - and that it is time for us to shake off the "complacency" of the old guard, the old way of thinking. Naysayers can "step aside" and keep their no-can-do attitude to themselves.
I ask myself, who are these naysayers? Gore states that our current economic, environmental and national security problems are all held together by the same string and can be solved by ending "our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels." Perhaps the naysayers are the very people that profit from the status quo, the war machine, and the desperate economy.
Gore calls for a mindset and push into bringing the cost of clean fuels down through increasing the scale of three energy sources: solar, wind, and geothermal. These technologies all exist and need refined and to be demanded by business and personal consumers.
Perhaps my favorite line is: "our democracy has become sclerotic at a time when the crises require boldness." The word sclerotic is related to the plant science term sclerenchyma, which is the lignified, or tough, tissues in a plant that makes it possible for the plant to stand up. These tissues are one obstacle to making biofuels.
The one alternative that he distinctly did not mention is biofuels. The biofuel concept is to use plants to harness the energy from the sun to convert carbon into either sugars, that can be converted into ethanol, or fatty acids, that can be converted into oils. This is still the old way of thinking - it is a carbon-based fuel. What do you think of the potential of biofuels?
The one concept missing from his speech were questions about and an impetus away from the environmental hazards in making solar panels, wind turbines, and digging for geothermal hotspots. I think these new technologies need to not create new problems. Of course, that can be easily outweighed by the decrease in oil drilling and the natural resources, such as metal ores. that go into getting oil out of the ground.
What if one of the American car companies converted their entire fleet to electric, and the electricity was made from solar and wind sources? Would that company then have any problems selling cars, or would they have problems keeping their cars on the lot, much like today's Prius and Hybrid Camry? I don't get why the auto manufacturers don't think this way? Are they so stuck, are they so vested in oil, are they joined at the hips to the oil companies?
I think this challenge can spark America's great ingenuity and innovation, traits that have lapsed since the times of the space race and the arms race. There is no red enemy now. The enemy now is ourselves, our bad habits, and our reliance on our leaders to do what is in our best interest. The race is a race against time.
To anyone who listens to the whole speech! Double bonus points to anyone who shares their (rationally and politely stated) thoughts, by clicking on the link below this post that says "comments." If you need to, you can create an account with Blogger. You won't get any junk mail or be sold out.all statements in quotes are from Gore's speech
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