Clinton: The more tattooed people who advocate for clean energy, the more successful we will be

I'm tattooed and I'm already convinced. At the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton told a major truth with a bit of his trademark humor:

He pointed to all the construction workers he met in California working on building the 392-megawatt Ivanpah solar project'people of 'all races' with some of the 'best tattoos' he'd ever seen. Those construction workers are the people who are going to make the difference in moving the clean energy industry forward, said Clinton.

'Think about the tattoos. You win the tattoo vote, we'll have the damnedest environmental policy you ever saw.'

These days, of course, it's not just longshoreman, construction workers and sailors who wear tattoos. A few have made it into formerly staid board rooms and to offices on Capitol Hill. Lula Davis, the former floor manager of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, sported more than one tattoo.

But Clinton's message is clear. Which is that a lot of Americans who would immediately and directly benefit from a focus on clean, green energy aren't getting the message. In fact, they have been getting the wrong message. A bullshit message. It's not'as the propagandists for fossil fuels have managed with their buckets of cash to convince so many'some pie-in-the-sky impossible dream.

Renewable energy, not including long-standing hydroelectric facilities, is already generating more than 4 percent of the nation's electricity. A decade ago, it was generating less than half a percent. In Iowa, it's nearly 20 percent. Fifteen years ago in that state, it was zero percent. Four other states are now generating at least 10 percent of their electricity with wind power.

(Continue reading below the fold.)