Gore to young advocates: Battle industry lobbyists to turn the tide on climate
By Ben Geman - 04/15/11 09:10 PM ET
Al Gore told young green energy advocates Friday that progress on global warming must come from a strong grassroots movement that can counter the oil and coal lobbies, which he alleged have paralyzed governments.
Gore who compared action on global warming to the Civil Rights movement was the keynote speaker at Power Shift 2011, a Washington, D.C. conference attended largely by college students.
Its true that governments by and large have been politically paralyzed because the energy companies, the coal companies, the oil companies, the coal-burning utilities, they have spent enormous amounts of money and they have succeeded in many countries in paralyzing the political process, the former vice president said.
There are four anti-climate lobbyists on Capitol Hill in this city for every single member of the House and every single member of the Senate, Gore said Friday night at the opening of the April 15-18 conference.
What is the answer for this?" Gore asked. "It has to come from you. It has to come at the grassroots level. It has to come from young people, and I believe that you are up to it and that you can do it.
He lauded the work of the young advocates but said they need to build a more powerful political movement, which is largely the aim of the conference, which includes scores of workshops and training events.
The answer will be you, Gore said. All we need is political will, but political will is a renewable resource. ... Lets get to work."
The speech and the conference come at a time when climate advocates have been thrown on the defensive politically.
A sweeping cap-and-trade and energy bill collapsed in the Senate last year, and emissions caps are dead on Capitol Hill for now.
Advocates are instead fighting to preserve the Environmental Protection Agencys power to regulate greenhouse gases.
GOP-led legislation that strips EPAs power recently passed the House. It currently lacks the 60 Senate votes to pass, but alternative measures are in play aimed at delaying or limiting the rules.
Gore to young advocates: Battle industry lobbyists to turn the tide on climate - The Hill's E2-Wire
Moral of the story???
By Ben Geman - 04/15/11 09:10 PM ET
Al Gore told young green energy advocates Friday that progress on global warming must come from a strong grassroots movement that can counter the oil and coal lobbies, which he alleged have paralyzed governments.
Gore who compared action on global warming to the Civil Rights movement was the keynote speaker at Power Shift 2011, a Washington, D.C. conference attended largely by college students.
Its true that governments by and large have been politically paralyzed because the energy companies, the coal companies, the oil companies, the coal-burning utilities, they have spent enormous amounts of money and they have succeeded in many countries in paralyzing the political process, the former vice president said.
There are four anti-climate lobbyists on Capitol Hill in this city for every single member of the House and every single member of the Senate, Gore said Friday night at the opening of the April 15-18 conference.
What is the answer for this?" Gore asked. "It has to come from you. It has to come at the grassroots level. It has to come from young people, and I believe that you are up to it and that you can do it.
He lauded the work of the young advocates but said they need to build a more powerful political movement, which is largely the aim of the conference, which includes scores of workshops and training events.
The answer will be you, Gore said. All we need is political will, but political will is a renewable resource. ... Lets get to work."
The speech and the conference come at a time when climate advocates have been thrown on the defensive politically.
A sweeping cap-and-trade and energy bill collapsed in the Senate last year, and emissions caps are dead on Capitol Hill for now.
Advocates are instead fighting to preserve the Environmental Protection Agencys power to regulate greenhouse gases.
GOP-led legislation that strips EPAs power recently passed the House. It currently lacks the 60 Senate votes to pass, but alternative measures are in play aimed at delaying or limiting the rules.
Gore to young advocates: Battle industry lobbyists to turn the tide on climate - The Hill's E2-Wire
Moral of the story???
