Gore proposes that the U.S. develop technologies that favor renewable energy sources (solar, wind) and to do so within the next ten years. Despite the urgency of this plan, and the clear folly in pursuing the present energy policy (perpetual wars in the middle east to establish military bases there to help control the flow of oil, ratcheting up military antagonism of Russia, the world's leading exporter of energy, begging the Saudi's to increase production, offshore drilling in the U.S. and ANWAR) only 3% of the week's media's news coverage was devoted to energy and global warning.
Much of that 3% focus was "contributed" by the likes of Fox News which has continually dismissed the threat of global warming, been a cheer leader for the Bush administration's war mongering energy policies, and a snarky derider of all things Clintonian (including Al Gore, a Clintonian stand-in by virtue of having been the Vice President).
The Alterman / Zornick article concludes:
The crucial point here is not about Al Gore or even about America’s energy crisis or its environmental crisis; it is about our ability as a nation to discuss, and ultimately come to terms with, the problems we face as a society. It’s true that Gore laid out a daunting challenge, but those who disagree with his prognosis have an obligation to put forth an alternative—one that is based on evidence and is consistent with the scale of the problem. Instead, all we get is mindless chatter—a combination of content-less happy talk and ideologically driven fundamentalism.
The threat will not disappear because we choose to ignore it and mock those who take it seriously. This response is the equivalent of unilateral disarmament against a foe as deadly as any this country has faced since the end of fascism. But to most of the mainstream media, it’s just another cause to smirk and snark and congratulate themselves for their own cleverness.
