If you don’t want to read my whole blow-by-blow of Gore’s testimony to the House, here’s a summary of his ten legislative recommendations.

  1. An immediate "carbon freeze" that would cap U.S. CO2 emissions at current levels, followed by a program to generate 90% reductions by 2050.
  2. Start a long-term tax shift to reduce payroll taxes and increase taxes on CO2 emissions.
  3. Put aside a portion of carbon tax revenues to help low-income people make the transition.
  4. Create a strong international treaty by working toward "de facto compliance with Kyoto" and moving up the start date for Kyoto’s successor from 2012 to 2010.
  5. Implement a moratorium on construction of new coal-fired power plants that are not compatible with carbon capture and sequestration.
  6. Create an "ELECTRANET" — a smart electricity grid that allows individuals and businesses to feed power back in at prevailing market rates.
  7. Raise CAFE standards.
  8. Set a date for a ban on incandescent light bulbs.
  9. Create "Connie Mae," a carbon-neutral mortgage association, to help defray the upfront costs of energy-efficient building.
  10. Have the SEC require disclosure of carbon emissions in corporate reporting, as a relevant "material risk."

There’s a lot to chew over here. My initial reaction is that Gore is going for the whole enchilada. He’s pushing the envelope. These are radical proposals.

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To me, that indicates almost beyond reasonable doubt that Gore is not running for president.

As a bonus, here’s video of Gore’s opening statement:

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