Here are some excerpts (video):
Two major studies from military intelligence experts have warned our leaders about the
dangerous national security implications of the climate crisis, including the possibility of
hundreds of millions of climate refugees destabilizing nations around the world.
Just two days ago, 27 senior statesmen and retired military leaders warned of the national
security threat from an “energy tsunami” that would be triggered by a loss of our access
to foreign oil. Meanwhile, the war in Iraq continues, and now the war in Afghanistan
appears to be getting worse.
.....
I’m convinced that one reason we’ve seemed paralyzed in the face of these crises is our
tendency to offer old solutions to each crisis separately – without taking the others into
account. And these outdated proposals have not only been ineffective – they almost
always make the other crises even worse.
Yet when we look at all three of these seemingly intractable challenges at the same time,
we can see the common thread running through them, deeply ironic in its simplicity: our
dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels is at the core of all three of these
challenges – the economic, environmental and national security crises.
We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways
that destroy the planet. Every bit of that’s got to change.
....
What if we could use fuels that are not expensive, don't cause pollution and are
abundantly available right here at home?
We have such fuels. Scientists have confirmed that enough solar energy falls on the
surface of the earth every 40 minutes to meet 100 percent of the entire world’s energy
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needs for a full year. Tapping just a small portion of this solar energy could provide all of
the electricity America uses.
And enough wind power blows through the Midwest corridor every day to also meet 100
percent of US electricity demand. Geothermal energy, similarly, is capable of providing
enormous supplies of electricity for America.
.....
Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from
renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.
This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative. It represents a challenge to all
Americans – in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators,
engineers, and to every citizen.
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