Al Gore is optimistic about solar energy and it seems pretty accurate, too. “A technology called concentrating solar thermal is now becoming very competitive,” Gore said at a Jan. 28, 2009, hearing. He also pointed out that if we took an area of the Southwestern desert 100 miles on a side, that would be enough, in and of itself, to provide 100 percent of all the electricity needs for the United States of America in a full year.” Now if you read the Scientific American article you will have to do a little math.

Some nay sayers basically said this is not true. Mark Fischetti of Scientific American says well, the calculations you can have the mix of photovoltaics and solar thermal but essentially we are talking about 46 to 49,000 square miles.

Now mind you this figure of square miles is projected need by 2050. PolitiFact.com said that Gores statement was true.

© 2009, The Brass Monkey Blog . Net. All rights reserved. Feel free to use any or all of this post in your blog. However a link back to us would be appreciated =)