Last week Al Gore issued a challenge to the U.S. to transition completely to renewable sources of energy within the next decade. Not surprisingly Gore was only scratching the surface when he first spoke and appeared on Meet the Press for the first time in eight years this past weekend to elaborate further on his plan to rid America of it's dependency on fossil fuels.

Among the highlights of Gore's discussion, moderated by Tom Brokaw, the former vice president said politicians needed to wake up and smell the warming temperatures and stop with the "baby steps" and "gimmicks" currently being taken to solve the problem of rising energy costs. He believes that a complete shift away from fossil fuels to renewably energy is the only real solution. Gore says to do so would be comparable in cost to those of fossil fuels but that the investment would be well worth it and would "be paid back many times over." He also that taxes should be focused on the fossil fuel industry rather than citizens, saying "Congress needs to tax what we burn, not what we earn."

Al also had some things to say about T. Boone Pickens' plan to convert the country to renewable energy, such as wind power.

You can watch Gore's entire appearance in the clips below and tell us what you think about his proposed plan.

» MSNBC Environment