Energy Efficiency - What Can You Do?

Al Gore was never one for understatement. In a speech he gave in Washington yesterday former Vice President Gore said that:

"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 civilization is at stake"

Pretty strong stuff! He also said that:

"I see my role as enlarging the political space in which Senator Obama or Senator McCain can confront this issue as president next year".

Mr. Gore gave an overview of the problems he sees ahead for the United States and the rest of the World:

"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, gasoline prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates. Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble. Banks, automobile companies and other institutions we depend upon are under growing pressure. Distinguished senior business leaders are telling us that this is just the beginning unless we find the courage to make some major changes quickly".

Mr. Gore then suggested a solution to these apparently overwhelming problems. Most commentators view it as a ludicrously ambitious target but Al Gore disagrees. His solution - Move from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy as quickly as possible:

"Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent 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".

Picking up the gauntlet thrown down by Mr. Gore the prospective presidential candidates felt compelled to comment.

Barack Obama said that:

"For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as president".

John McCain's spokesman Tucker Bounds said that:

"John McCain has been a leader in the fight against global climate change, working with Democrats on this issue since 2003, but no one has more successfully recruited Americans into this effort than Al Gore. This is a key issue, and John McCain has put solutions over partisanship to pursue meaningful, market-driven cap and trade legislation aimed at drastically reducing harmful carbon emissions."

Whilst Obama and McCain joust over their respective environmental credentials, you may be wondering what you can personally do about this issue, apart from simply deciding which one to vote for.

It was hidden in the small print of his speech, but Mr. Gore did mention some things that we as individuals can do if we believe even a fraction of the hype about the "climate change crisis" that has now evolved into an economic crisis.

Consider our own personal energy efficiency and energy use.

In the words of Al Gore:

"Billions of dollars of new investment are flowing into the development of concentrated solar thermal, photovoltaics, windmills, geothermal plants, and a variety of ingenious new ways to improve our efficiency and conserve presently wasted energy."

"We need to greatly improve our commitment to efficiency and conservation. That's the best investment we can make"