The measures we’re taking to protect the environment from global warming aren’t drastic enough, says Al Gore. He’s got a goal he thinks President-elect Barack Obama should set for the nation.

"I think the president-elect should announce a national goal of getting 100 percent of our electricity from renewable and non-carbon sources within 10 years," said Gore, while speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. "We can do it."

Gore started his presentation by reflecting on the election. "What a week!," Gore said.

"It couldn’t have happened without the world wide web and the internet — and the fundraising dimension was only part of it. What happened with the election opens up a range of a possibilities. Now is the time to move quickly to exploit them."

"The internet has democratized information again . . . The electrifying redemption of America’s revolutionary principal, that all human beings are created equal, would not have been possible without the additional empowerment of individuals to use knowledge as a source of power that has come with the internet."

We’re assuming that it’s for that reason that Gore believes in little regulation of the web. Asked about what sort of role the government should play in regulating the internet, Gore answered "as little as possible."

"There are some unavoidable traffic cop roles, but as little as possible," he said.

Photo: Flickr/SeraphimC