Today, Al Gore issued a clear, simple, and precise challenge to America: 100% zero-carbon electricity in the next decade. If there ever was a time to issue such a bold challenge, it is now. Never before has it been clear to more people just how important it is for us to not only achieve energy independence, but also to end our reliance on the technologies which cause global warming.
There was a time when Gore's challenge would have been roundly attacked as an assault on America's way of life. That was when environmental concerns were used as a wedge, and even a challenge to one's patriotism. There's no doubt the Sean Hannitys of the world will try to do it again, saying Al Gore is a crazy liberal and wants to take away everything that makes America great. But the truth is that the Hannitys of the world are the ones who threaten our way of living.
We cannot continue to live as we do if we continue to rely on carbon-fuels from across the world. In this sense, what Al Gore is proposing is actually just about as conservative as it gets: if we want to to maintain our way of life, if we want to sustain the traditions that have made America what it is, then we're going to have to figure out a different way to generate the energy that powers our society.
It might not be glamorous, it might just be a boring technical problem, but it really is the only way for us to continue living as we do now. It's time that conservatives understand that we're not pursuing some crazy vision that will require people to turn out their lights after 8pm at night, or to set their air conditioners at 95 degrees. We're just trying to find a sustainable way to keep on doing the same things we're doing now. It doesn't get any more conservative than that.
© Jed Lewison