Mike Allen includes some quotes from an upcoming Al Gore article in Rolling Stone.
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FIRST LOOK - AL GORE in Rolling Stone, "THE TURNING POINT": "In the struggle to solve the climate crisis, a powerful, largely unnoticed shift is taking place. The forward journey for human civilization will be difficult and dangerous, but it is now clear that we will ultimately prevail. The only question is how quickly we can accelerate and complete the transition to a low-carbon civilization. There will be many times in the decades ahead when we will have to take care to guard against despair, lest it become another form of denial, paralyzing action. It is true that we have waited too long to avoid some serious damage to the planetary ecosystem - some of it, unfortunately, irreversible. Yet the truly catastrophic damages that have the potential for ending civilization as we know it can still - almost certainly - be avoided.
"Moreover, the pace of the changes already set in motion can still be moderated significantly. There is surprising - even shocking - good news: Our ability to convert sunshine into usable energy has become much cheaper far more rapidly than anyone had predicted. The cost of electricity from photovoltaic, or PV, solar cells is now equal to or less than the cost of electricity from other sources powering electric grids in at least 79 countries. By 2020 ... more than 80 percent of the world's people will live in regions where solar will be competitive with electricity from other sources. ...
"Pressure for meaningful reform in democratic capitalism is beginning to build powerfully. The progressive introduction of Internet-based communication - social media, blogs, digital journalism - is laying the foundation for the renewal of individual participation in democracy, and the re-elevation of reason over wealth and power as the basis for collective decision-making. And the growing levels of inequality worldwide, combined with growing structural unemployment and more frequent market disruptions (like the Great Recession), are building support for reforms in capitalism. Both waves of reform are still at an early stage, but ... Churchill's words inspire: 'If you're going through hell, keep going.'
"And that is why it is all the more important to fully appreciate the incredible opportunity for salvation that is now within our grasp. As ... The Onion recently noted: ... 'Scientists Politely Remind World That Clean Energy Technology Ready to Go Whenever.' We have the policy tools that can dramatically accelerate the transition to clean energy that market forces will eventually produce at a slower pace. The most important has long since been identified: We have to put a price on carbon in our markets, and we need to eliminate the massive subsidies that fuel the profligate emissions of global-warming pollution. ...
"Is there enough time? Yes. Damage has been done, and the period of consequences will continue for some time to come, but there is still time to avoid the catastrophes that most threaten our future. Each of the trends described above - in technology, business, economics and politics - represents a break from the past. Taken together, they add up to genuine and realistic hope that we are finally putting ourselves on a path to solve the climate crisis." Posts soon rollingstone.com |
