Al Gore is a master of dishonesty. Karl Rove should pay attention, since he may want to tell big lies to Congress soon, too.
In two and a half hours of testimony before a near-idolizing Senate hearing, Al Gore said very little. He profusely thanked Republicans and Democrats alike, and answered every question in the same condescending drone -- even as he told the world he didn't understand "trigonometry" and "calculus" and complicated mathematical things like that.
All of a sudden, about an hour into the proceedings, he was peppered by Republicans blaming him for legislation leading to the demise of nuclear power in America, and demanding to know if he supports nuclear energy OR NOT.
Al Gore was ready.
"It's likely to be a small part. I don't think it will be a large part" he says, without defining "small" or "large."
He states the he "assumes" that we will "solve the waste problem."
He feels that we'll solve the problem of operator errors. We're not Russia so we could never make the same mistakes THEY made at Chernobyl.
He agreed with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) who said Three Mile Island proved we're "GOOD" (because it didn't completely melt down and destroy Pennsylvania).
He laments that nuclear power plants "only come in large." He looks forward to the next generation of nuclear power plants, which (he feels) will solve all the problems of the previous three generations.
He's "less sure than he once was" about the usefulness of nuclear power. "So I think it will play a small role in some areas, I don't think it will be a big part" he says again.
"The waste problem may be solved" he reiterates hopefully. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) admits "Yeah, we still have problems ... waste management..." He did not identify any other problems. Chairperson Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) told Al Gore: "I'll give you 60 seconds to respond to that speech about nuclear energy [by Senator Larry Craig]."
Gore used his minute to reiterate that he DIDN'T say nuclear power "wasn't a factor" in his proposed solution to the problem of global warming.
Numerous speakers on both sides of the aisle kept saying nukes are clean, often immediately explaining that they mean they don't release significant amounts of CO2 during operation. No one talked about fission products. No one talked about the energy-intensive "nuclear fuel cycle," let alone, the threat from terrorism at every step. No one talked about cancer. No one talked about how much water nuclear power plants use, which would conflict with other uses in a global-warming-induced global water shortage.
No one even talked about renewable energy much. Al Gore stated -- correctly, I believe -- that small-scale energy producers need to be able to sell electricity to the grid. But his main solution to the problem of global warming -- aside from "conservation" (aka "energy efficiency") and the "small" role nuclear power will play was: Clean coal.
Whatever THAT is!
Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he had been thinking about these issues for "about three years" and tells Al Gore: "I hope you'll think about nuclear more." Senator Alexander claimed that the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) was about to complete a new nuclear power plant "on time and under budget." In fact, Watts Bar Unit II has been "approved for construction" to begin again this year. The original construction project was stopped in 1988. The plant is far from completed, and already 20 years behind schedule! It undoubtedly will cost far more than the original estimates, so its unclear to this writer what failure Senator Alexander is misrepresenting as a victory.
Nuclear power is not the answer I agree. On top of that the supply is limited. Does not make much sense spending all the money they do in building next generation nukplants for a limited supply. Of course there is the waste issue, although they could use the waste to make their own dirty nukbombs and strap them to missiles. To me that is not positive. Infact we should be working toward dismantling.
Al Gore made a good movie and an award, but fell very short in providing answers. I think that is why no one takes him serious, because those very people have no idea either.
I think I have the answer and nobody knows I exist. Anyone can go visit my website: http://www.sugarcitycane.com this is a remarkable plan, and I know it will work. Not only does it provide transportation fuel we also produce charcoal from the bagrasse. And the supply is not limited. It is safe clean energy that does not pollute the air, the ground water, or uses fertilizers and pesticides distributed on land.
It has no waste product. Also it will give Ethanol its own distinction in the market in not being connected to the other commodites that are grown to make ethanol. Starch grown from corn and cellulosic debris is more expensive to grow and process, forcing rising prices to food and building materials such as plywood. Sugarcane grown on land also has the same characterisitcs, in that it pollutes the land and water from fertilizer and pesticides, and the growing region is limited. Growing on land sugarcane is mainly used for sugar production and they burn the fields first causing air pollution in order to harvest the canes easier. Sugarcane only grows well in hot climates. Not many acres of hot regions in the USA.
People think I am crazy growing this on the ocean. How can growing on the ocean be less expensive than on land? Because although money is used to build the supporting Aquatic rafts, they last for many years. Sugarcane is planted one time every 5-7 years depending on the variety and strain. Hydroponic solution is piped to the site from land, or hard bricks are made and thrown into the aquatic rafts where it dissolves from the abundance of rainwater that falls on the equator. No hurricanes, cyclones, or typhoons, materialize. It is safer there than on the mainland. Just think no crop insurance.
The Ocean is my story. This plan would create millions of jobs. I should run for President! I don't because people like killing more than living.
Hope we see the light. Funny I have the idea but no exposure like Al Gore. The planet is getting hotter, and colder. But the cold is not where it should be. The Artic is melting, Mt. Everest Snow cap is melting, and we go on with a stupid war in Iraq for oil in order to burn more of it in wrecking our atmosphere. What a terrible set of circumstances we have. President Bush will be calling me someday, and that day is getting to be a bit to late, on his part.
I just hope people study this and realize that God made this planet a certain way, and it is up us to realize the potentials for its use in sustainability. Winning elections over limited supplies of energy while destroying the planet is no winner in my mind. They are big time losers.
by
Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 930 comments)
on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 6:16:54 AM
1 comments
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