Dear Al Gore:

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Who is your science advisor? Whoever they are, if anyone is, I hope you are not paying them. They are not worth it. But with your wealth that may not be an issue.

By the numbers.

1) Wind - a good thing. I was on the coast of OR last week and the wind was constant. Wind is good for OR. Except the noise pollution. Low frequency. Penetrating. Carries a long way. One reason wind farms are in out of the way places. Like offshore. And in deserts.

Then there is the visual pollution. I personally find them beautiful. Not everyone does. People sue their neighbors when they install a wind turbine.

2) Sun - a good thing. Active (photovoltaic) or passive (various) solar is a good thing -- if you have sun. Many places have lots of clouds lots of the time. Pittsburgh in the winter.

btw do you know how much pollution is made making photovoltaic devices?

3) Water - a good thing. Not evenly distributed either in space or time. Heaven knows GA is way too dry right now. And the ecologists would like to tear down dams to return rivers to their natural state. Al -- you're from TN. Can you spell snail darter? Little rascal shut down the Tellico dam.

So what we need is a reliable base line plant that just keeps on producing when the wind don't blow and the sun don't shine and its way too dry.

4) Nuclear - a good thing. If you remember to build plants with engineering and not emotion. How do you get the most expensive, least safe plant? Build them like the US has -- unique plans for each plant. For once the French are very smart. Get a set plans. Build every plant according to the same plans. Each one is cheaper than the last one. Ask Henry Ford about it.

5) Coal - a good thing if you have enough water to cleanup the air pollution they produce. And if you make sure you plant trees to offset the CO₂. Lots of trees. Not grass - trees.

6) Trees - yes trees - we can now make ethanol from cellulose! Nuff said. And see numbers 5 and 7 for bonus.

7) Conservation - a kilowatt saved is a kilowatt earned. See Ben Franklin. Plant trees to shade houses. Shutters to cool houses. Insulation. Sweaters in winter and shorts in summer. Fans in summer. Better house design. Brick on inside not outside. Don't cool/heat rooms not used. Cars that don't suck gas. Mine gets 25-30 m/g-- double previous van.

8) Oil - a bad thing. Not enough. Save it for energy needs that can't use the above. If you think $4/gallon is too high wait a year. But be sitting down. This is the beginning of the end.

9) Gas - a bad thing for boiler fuel. We need it for chemical feedstock. Think plastics.

Fine whine list.