JFK Calls for an Energy Revolution

May 4th, 2012 by Zachary Shahan

Just a fun Friday share for you:

I didn’t see this when it came up, before the time I was obsessively writing about green energy. Given that it was created by Greenpeace, and has over 150,000 views on the YouTube page, I imagine it got around a bit and some of you have already seen it, but as relevant today as it was back in… 2008.

Thanks to a reader for dropping it in a comment recently.

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Tags: jf energy revolution, JFK, jfk energy revolution speech, jfk revolution, jfk revolution speech, quickies, videos

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

Breath on the Wind

There are many ways to use what JFK said in his speeches. Some may find inspiration in a dubbed voice overlaying a video of JFK seeming to speak of the Moon landing and Climate Change in the past tense. To some who can’t remember the “initial moon landing,” peak oil in the US or fuel shortages in the 70’s it may all seem to blend into WWII and the middle ages. Then what is more pathetic the lack of historical knowledge or the abuse of that failure in education.

The video is anacronistic and debases the historical and current significance of JFK to our times as he is posthuously made to dance like some zombie to the will of present adjenda. Certainly it is wise to take inspiration from the past and I have done so with JFK in articles: Cleantechnica.com/2012/03/08/offshore-wind-the21st-century-frontier/ But I have stopped short of showing a picture of the fallen president and putting my words in his mouth.
David VanCompernolle

Perhaps even more relevant today are these remarks made by Robert F.
Kennedy in a speech to students at the University of Kansas on March 16, 1968.

“… even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction – purpose and dignity – that afflicts us all. Too much and for too long we seemed to have sacrificed personal excellence and community values for the mere accumulation of material things”.

David VanCompernolle
- http://cleantechnica.com/ Zachary Shahan
  
  yes, an excellent one.