Did any of you actually listen to Al Gore’s recent speech on renewable energy? I folded laundry to it today, and let me tell you, it is some powerful stuff (the speech, not my laundry, although my laundry is also powerful). I know that in this soundbite age, it is rare for any of us to listen to a whole speech from start to finish, but I really recommend it in this case. Some highlights:

“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…”

“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 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.”

“When we send money to foreign countries to buy nearly 70 percent of the oil we use every day, they build new skyscrapers and we lose jobs. When we spend that money building solar arrays and windmills, we build competitive industries and gain jobs here at home.”

“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.”

But listen to it yourself. The whole thing. Fold laundry to it. I recommend. Go to www.wecansolveit.org to hear the whole speech. Then sign the petition. And try not to spend too much time wondering how the last eight years might have turned out differently. If only… That way lies madness.