Al Gore could be giving the same talk, word for word, as George Bush gave at Johnson Controls in Milwaukee. The President ticks off the complete list of alternative energy technologies with the message that America needs to develop them as quickly as possible. He paints pictures of hybrid cars with next generation batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, so city dwellers will not need gasoline to get to work. His description of the wonders of ethanol may have been written by a Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation lobbyist.
Props go out to nuclear, solar, wind and water and even coal gets consideration if we can only find a way to clean up the dirty stuff. Admittedly, Al Gore would not have included the throw away lines about keeping taxes low, and he would have probably thanked Congresswoman Gwen Moore for her extra special contributions to the Milwaukee vote totals. Behind the feel good, technology will save the American lifestyle pep talk, however, there is a distinct undertone of unease about the energy threat to our way of life.
Advanced Energy Initiative: I want to talk to you about the fact that I think we're in an important moment in history, and that we have a chance to transform the way we power our economy and how we lead our lives.If everything is just hunky-dory there is no reason to embrace the chance to change with such zeal. The Bush administration is not filled with save the planet nature nuts, so you have to think that there are real concerns about supply coming from the oil industry.
