In 1961, John F. Kennedy called the U.S to send a man to the moon in 10 years. Everyone thought he was crazy, that it couldn't be done. It happened in eight years and two months. In regards to climate change, clean energy advocates have been calling for an Apollo-like challenge that would propel this country to shift gears and mobilize clean energy deployment with the utmost cooperation and urgency.

Al Gore's call for 100 percent clean energy by 2018 last week was just that; the challenge the US that has been waiting for to bring this movement to the forefront and bring people together towards a unified goal.

Last Friday, in a conference-call that Gore set up with environmental and energy advocates, he outlined some of his reasoning, answered some important questions, and mustered support among the activist community.

During the conference call, Gore called for an overhauled national smart grid to support a renewable energy centric electricity infrastructure. He pointed out that the current regional grid system needs to be replaced anyway, as its unreliability and repairs continue to cost American's $120 billion per year.

He described a switch to plug in hybrid cars which would cut our dependence on foreign oil and switch our transportation energy source to the electric grid powered by renewable energy which could bring automotive fuel costs down to levels equivalent to $1 a gallon.

The climate crisis, he said, is intertwined with our economic woes and weakened national security. We're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf, to burn it in ways that destroy the environment. Why continue on this path when we can meet our energy needs with renewable sources of energy tapped right here at home, providing American jobs in the process?

The 10-year goal, he explained, is because it is tangible and leaders can be held accountable politically. It's easy for politicians to make goals for 2050 knowing that they won't actually be around for their implementation. A 10-year goal like the Apollo Challenge set out by JFK and the Marshall Plan after WWII where nations joined efforts to rebuild Europe rapidly, were also ten year goals.

The biggest challenge, Gore said, is to win back government from special interests. How we may ask? The grassroots, Gore says. The mobilization of people is what will drive change and motivate industry leaders and policymakers more than anything else.

Gore asked those on the call to do three things to help make this a reality.

1. Tell people about the challenge. 100 percent renewables and truly clean non-fossil fuel energy sources by 2018. Tell as many people as you can.

2. Tell people to join the We Campaign.

3. Take action in your community

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wa.) was on the call in support of Gore's challenge, calling it the best economic stimulus plan we could possibly ask for.

Gore said the campaign would be listing companies and corporate partners that are involved in the solution on the website to inform consumers but also to help motivate companies that are not aligned with the challenge, to do so.

While critics say the challenge is too high with too short a time frame and wonder if it's at all realistic, we ask a different question. Why, if we currently have the technology to cut our energy usage in half and power the world with abundant renewable resources haven't we done so yet? The answer is the sluggish political system unable to move with so many ties and such institutional inertia. The question is not can we achieve this, but rather what choice do we have than to pour all our effort into making it a reality?

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