I saw this at Taylor Marsh's site this morning. It was a pitiful attempt by Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn to corner Al Gore into saying that his work on protecting the environment for 30 years was for "personal benefit." Here's the clip from C-SPAN:
Al Gore called her on the carpet. And Marsha Blackburn looked like a fool.
Republicans haven't figured out how to score points gracefully and with whom after their big loss last November. Marsha Blackburn, who is from Al Gore's home state, obviously doesn't understand how to pick a bone with a Nobel Laureate.
Ed Markey was correct that Al Gore hasn't changed his tune or practices about global warming and Gore is a great patriot in wanting to save our planet. I don't care if Al Gore personally made some money from it, but he says it goes into a non-profit and I believe him.
With permission, I am supplying BW readers with a fantastic diary by TomP that appeared today on the Daily Kos. It's great news...our unions are thinking green and now acting on it too. ------------
This is big.
Great news for all of us who seek a Blue/Green Alliance! The Teamsters today left the ANWR coalition, a group in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Jim Hoffa has just announced that the Teamsters are pulling out of the coalition supporting drilling in ANWR and are shifting their support to efforts to build coalitions with green groups to create a sustainable energy economy around sources like solar, wind and geothermal.
"We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing—not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. "We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power."
Jim Hoffa announced the union’s withdrawal from the ANWR coalition, citing the need to build a green economy that fosters the development of alternative energy sources and creates good union jobs—instead of lining the pockets of big oil tycoons.
"Our economy is in shambles. Gas is climbing to $5 a gallon. The dollar has collapsed. Inflation is on the rise. Americans are seeing their paychecks shrink. Their family health care is being slashed," Hoffa said. "Finding a long-term solution has a tremendous upside. It will be environmentally friendly and will serve as a much-needed boost to our sagging economy."
Hoffa also thanked labor’s partners in the environmental movement, who are currently working to reduce emissions from port trucks. He urged the strengthening of the alliance, known as the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports, to achieve a common goal: Good jobs and clean air.
"If we are to prosper as a nation, our future lies in a green economy," he said. "But it’s up to us to help define the rules of that new green economy. A green economy means we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it means creating good union jobs in America’s growing industries."
This is the core of the Blue/Greeen alliance that will rebuild and remake a just America:
"A green economy means we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it means creating good union jobs in America’s growing industries."
Both.
The Sierra Club praised the Teamnsters for this move.
"The Sierra Club and the environmental movement applaud your announcement and look forward to building a powerful movement together—a movement that helps workers, protects the environment, prevents global warming and rebuilds our economy with good, green jobs," said Greg Haegele, The Sierra Club’s Director of Conservation. "We are proud to stand here today, as allies and friends of the Teamsters."
Hoffa and the Teamsters are joining with Al Gore and Barack Obama in working to build a Green economy and all realize that we cannot drill our way out of this mess. We need alternative energy.
Barack Obama last week:
"For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat. I strongly agree with Vice President Gore that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels, and those are the investments I will make as President. It’s a strategy that will create millions of new jobs that pay well and cannot be outsourced, and one that will leave our children a world that is cleaner and safer."
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.
But if we grab hold of that common thread and pull it hard, all of these complex problems begin to unravel and we will find that we're holding the answer to all of them right in our hand.
The answer is to end our reliance on carbon-based fuels.
In my search for genuinely effective answers to the climate crisis, I have held a series of "solutions summits" with engineers, scientists, and CEOs. In those discussions, one thing has become abundantly clear: when you connect the dots, it turns out that the real solutions to the climate crisis are the very same measures needed to renew our economy and escape the trap of ever-rising energy prices. Moreover, they are also the very same solutions we need to guarantee our national security without having to go to war in the Persian Gulf.
What if we could use fuels that are not expensive, don't cause pollution and are abundantly available right here at home?
"We are not going to drill our way out of the energy problems we are facing—not here and not in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Hoffa told labor and environmental activists at an Oakland, Calif., summit on good jobs and clean air. "We must find a long-term approach that breaks our dependence on foreign oil by investing in the development of alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power."
Working together with labor, environmentalists and Democratic candidates, we can change America, solve our energy crisis, rebuild a greeen economy with good union jobs, and address global warming.
Jim Hoffa at Yearly Kos in 2007.
(personal note: TomP and I sat together as we heard Hoffa's talk at YearlyKos 2007; John Edwards had just spoken to him about a union agenda)
We need to work with the Teanmsters and other unions to rebuild a Green America. Thank you Mr. Hoffa and all Teamsters! Solidarity!
Update. From Change to Win in the comments. Grist has a good write up on this:
For years, the Teamsters have supported opening the Arctic Refuge and other protected areas to oil drilling; they ran ads bashing John Kerry on it in 2004. So it is a Very Big Deal that the Teamsters have just come out and rejected drilling as a solution to the energy crisis.
At an event in Oakland, Calif., Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said that drilling won't do anything to help; he announced that the Teamsters are withdrawing from the coalition pushing for Arctic drilling; and he stressed that pushing for "alternate energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power" will revitalize the economy and create jobs.
It looks like reality is finally starting to bite in American politics.
UPDATE: Kate called up Teamsters spokeswoman Leigh Strope for more on the move.
"Americans are suffering in this difficult economy," said Strope. "[President Hoffa] really realized, like a lot of people have, that there needs to be a long-term energy solution. Like he said, we can't drill our way out of this problem ... We need a comprehensive energy policy to deal with this crisis."
"It's important to our members," Strope continued. "There's an opportunity to really explore the whole issue of green jobs, and that would obviously benefit Teamsters and all Americans."
I have to hand it to Gina Cooper and Markos for keeping Al Gore's visit a mystery until a few minutes before it broke in the media via Twitter. Here's the video of the surprise and the standing O Gore got., courtesy of Goodboydc:
Aparently when he went in, when raising Nancy Pelosi's hand in unity, he said he was very much at home with the group already. I was totally unaware of any of the news since I was with company.
Last night, I awoke around 1:30, flipped on C-SPAN, and there was Al Gore, speaking to the Netroots Nation bloggers. I was impressed. Here is another YT of his remarks to the group, courtesy of fellow Edwards supporter Mooncat.
Part 1
Part 2
Nancy Pelosi is another story. She was well spoken at the Conference, but I still find her demeanor disingenuous. Authenicity matters, and I think that's why I'm still an Edwards supporter, but an Al Gore one too. If only...well, maybe Edwards will find Gore to be a good model for his poverty work.
Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. ~ Albert Einstein
I suspect John Edwards will be the man who will work to eradicate poverty. Watch this wonderful video by thewinch, to the music of Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man (h/t scooterpi at JREG):
As about half of the United States and Europe know by now, Al Gore and an UN agency, ICCP, are being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, for their work on raising awareness about global warming. VP Gore has done much in bringing more research to this cause, as it is a serious problem. How it connects to peace is that he brought people together via a movie, appearances at various places, and a global concert back in July. He did so with his own passion and ability to do it with mainly private monies. This is true citizen activism at its best.
John Edwards was the first political candidate to send his congratulations publicly about the award:
Congratulations to Al Gore. The Nobel Peace Prize rewards three decades of Vice President Gore’s prescient and compelling – and often lonely – advocacy for the future of the Earth. His leadership stands in stunning contrast to the failure of the current administration to pursue policies that would reduce the harm of global warming.
“The Nobel Committee's recognition of Vice President Gore shines a bright light on the most inconvenient truth of all – the selection of George Bush as president has endangered the peace and prosperity of the entire planet.
“Two terms later, Americans are ready for bold change, ready to be patriotic about something other than war and ready to take action to stop global warming before it's too late. The stakes are sky-high – as Al Gore predicted, our Earth is in the balance.
Happy Friday, Al. I don't envy all of the bloggers, artists, politicians, and reporters who are clamoring to speak to you on your special day. And to Senator Jim Inhofe, even you cannot deny that Al Gore is on to something.
Update: Here's a class act, Nobel Recipient, Al Gore:
And the most classy of all of the Republican Party, its leader, GWB, who won't even call Gore to congratulate him, as an American statesman/citizen, personally.
At the White House, Mr Bush’s spokesman insisted, possibly through gritted teeth, that the President shared Mr Gore’s joy — but had no plans to speak to him. “
Enjoy Al Gore's fellow Oscar winner Melissa Etheridge from Live Earth:
Tomorrow is July 7th, a Saturday. OK, that's obvious, except when this blog continues to get older, it will be nice to know what day of week July 7, 2007, was on.
Just think: at 7 minutes and 7 seconds after 7am on July 7th, the clocks will be immortal (for my lifetime) in this century or even millennium: 07/07/07/07/07
Many BW readers may know that I am a librarian by profession. This year, I missed an opportunity to see Al Gore speak at the Special Libraries Association, and by all accounts, he was a smash with the librarians.
A few snippets from the SLA blog:
Al Gore gave an impassioned and engaging talk at this evening’s opening general session. He really tailored his talk to our group by specifically mentioning the role of libraries and information technology/info mgmt in regards to the environment, government, politics, etc. He called himself a “recovering politician” and of course he was asked the big question about running for President. (Basically said that he hasn’t ruled it out and emphasized that with our current political structure that he can do more good outside of public office.) He really gave a great presentation and worked in the kinds of things important to special librarians (freedom of information, saving libraries, etc.) He received standing ovations and smatterings of applause throughout his speech. It was like a librarian revival meeting. He talked about Iraq, personal stories, anecdotes and kept information technology/information management as the important link to addressing critical issues like the climate crisis and government issues.
And this I got through an e-mail:
Speaking before a full room of some 4,000 information professionals Gore said, "What you're doing (as info pros) is so crucial to the future of our country."
Gore concluded his inspirational, and often humorous, presentation by urging audience members to become deeply involved in helping countries around the world with navigating matters of information access. He asked that they continue to participate with SLA in shaping sensible information policies involving the Internet, including issues of net neutrality and free access. Speaking about the future of information, Gore said America's strength and competitiveness in the 21st century will depend largely upon a free flow of information that will ensure the best policy choices possible. At the conclusion of his talk, Gore received a standing ovation from the audience.
I had looked forward to seeing Elizabeth Edwards speak at ALA on Monday, but the campaign switched her schedule. It's too bad. She would have been a good speaker and her appearance had been publicized for months as well as in this month's American Libraries. I guess I'll be seeing her on Jay Leno instead.
This is really neat. Gore is following John Edwards' lead in speaking with bloggers first then going on prime time to discuss his new book, "The Assault on Reason". Taylor Marsh was one of those invited (I think nearly all on MyDD were invited to call).
This blog is for my friends and acquaintances who were formerly with the John Edwards campaign, which had the most progressive agenda. I am a progressive liberal, musing about politics and life.
