Al Gore for president
In advance of the upcoming Live Earth concerts, Al Gore contributes an op-ed to The New York Times - Moving Beyond Kyoto. Some short excerpts:
This is not a political issue. This is a moral issue, one that affects the survival of human civilization. It is not a question of left versus right; it is a question of right versus wrong. Put simply, it is wrong to destroy the habitability of our planet and ruin the prospects of every generation that follows ours....
The concentrations of CO2 — having never risen above 300 parts per million for at least a million years — have been driven from 280 parts per million at the beginning of the coal boom to 383 parts per million this year.
As a direct result, many scientists are now warning that we are moving closer to several "tipping points" that could — within 10 years — make it impossible for us to avoid irretrievable damage to the planet's habitability for human civilization.
...
If by the beginning of 2009, the United States already has in place a domestic regime to reduce global warming pollution, I have no doubt that when we give industry a goal and the tools and flexibility to sharply reduce carbon emissions, we can complete and ratify a new treaty quickly. It is, after all, a planetary emergency.
...
Once again, Americans must come together and direct our government to take on a global challenge. American leadership is a precondition for success.
Comments
Thanks for posting! I've also blogged about the OpEd piece: http://goreforpresidentnow.com/2007/07/moving-beyond-kyoto.html
--Dana
Posted by: Dana | July 2, 2007 1:32 PM