The world must embrace a "carbon-neutral lifestyle." To do otherwise, he says, will result in a cataclysmic catastrophe. "Humanity is sitting on a ticking time bomb," warns the website for his film, An Inconvenient Truth. "We have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tailspin."
Public records reveal that as Gore lectures Americans on excessive consumption, he and his wife Tipper live in two properties: a 10,000-square-foot, 20-room, eight-bathroom home in Nashville, and a 4,000-square-foot home in Arlington, Va. (He also has a third home in Carthage,Tenn.)
Then there is the troubling matter of his energy use. In the Washington, D.C., area, utility companies offer wind energy as an alternative to traditional energy. In Nashville, similar programs exist. Utility customers must simply pay a few extra pennies per kilowatt hour, and they can continue living their carbon-neutral lifestyles knowing that they are supporting wind energy.
But according to public records, there is no evidence that Gore has signed up to use green energy in either of his large residences. When contacted Wednesday, Gore's office confirmed as much but said the Gores were looking into making the switch at both homes.
As executor of his family's trust, over the years Gore has controlled hundreds of thousands of dollars in Oxy stock. Oxy has been mired in controversy over oil drilling in ecologically sensitive areas.
Gore receives $20,000 a year in royalties from Pasminco Zinc, which operates a zinc concession on his property. Tennessee has cited the company for adding large quantities of barium, iron and zinc to the nearby Caney Fork River.
The issue here is not simply Gore's hypocrisy; it's a question of credibility. If he genuinely believes the apocalyptic vision he has put forth and calls for radical changes in the way other people live, why hasn't he made any radical change in his life? Giving up the zinc mine or one of his homes is not asking much, given that he wants the rest of us to radically change our lives.
Al, you made me a believer. Now convince me that you are!
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7 comments:
whether or not he is a hypocrite, it is still worth doing what each of us can
but really, the timebomb we are sitting on is overpopulation...
btw--good to see you on the blogs again and, i assume, in california although i think we'll not cross paths in person this weekend....
I think it is all about how you look at it.
Almost everyone COULD do more than they do to help improve the environment.
But so many people do nothing at all, or worse....
Finger pointing at individuals is useless--our culture is sooo geared toward consumerism, wastefulness, dependence on fossil fuels...
Unless our entire culture can be changed dramatically, I think the results of the "ticking time bomb" are inevitable.
And with so many other problems vying for the public's attention (ie the war, the economy, etc.), environmental issues will continue to take a back seat. Therefore, it seems unlikely that there will be any kind of widespread change any time soon.
Unfortunately, I think environmental problems will have to get a lot worse, even to the point where humanity is forced to either change or die as a species, before necessary steps are taken.
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Still, people should continue to try to do their own small part in an effort to change. We do ours and we applaud otheres who do theirs, and truly admire the ones who do more...
PAB you are absolutely correct.
I found this and am looking into purchasing one to at least make my driving carbon neutral.
TerraPass
Your TerraPass purchase supports clean energy projects. When you buy a TerraPass, you sponsor a guaranteed reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
For example:
* An entrepreneurial wind farmer receives funds to expand his plant.
* A small dairy farmer gets capital to install digesters on his farm to control methane emissions.
Using financial instruments such as carbon credits, your funds result in guaranteed reductions.
Funny, I just saw "the movie" this past weekend as well. I think it is gettinjg out ther right message, but just like all of us putting it in to action requires $$$$ and effort. Sometimes thosw things are hard to come by in the good ol' USofA. Although I would be willing to bet that W had little to do with the greening of DC. "Even the Bush administration is using green energy for some federal office buildings, as are thousands of area residents." But the bottom line is someone is. Oh yeah Al didn't invent the internet either, but I thought he did a good job "acting" in the movie.
Your logic is really silly - the I am not doing anything because person X is supposedly not doing anything - you could justify any action by this logic, and you got quite a few of your *facts* wrong as well by repeating stuff you or someone else heard in hate radio.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2006-08-16-gore-letters_x.htm
Your logic is really silly - the I am not doing anything because person X is supposedly not doing anything
Where did I say this? Read what I wrote and don't make illogical and inaccurate inferences. I said, "I will do my best to change" and "Al, you made me a believer."
There is no doubt in my mind that we are destroying the planet. I am changing to help. I ride my bike everywhere...probably put more miles on it than my car. But, I do drive (mostly to bike races and work which I cannot bike to), so I bought a TerraPass to offset my vehicle's destructive emissions. And, I bought one for my wife's company car. And, I am going to try to get my wife's company to buy one for all of their cars. If they don't...maybe I will buy them myself!
We invest in green funds, though not as profitable personally, I support companies that look out for our future.
you got quite a few of your *facts* wrong as well by repeating stuff you or someone else heard in hate radio.
The article I linked to was written by Peter Schweizer and is from the opinion page at USAToday. I admit he tends to be conservatively biased but there are always two sides to every story. You cannot get the whole truth from any one source. Some of his statements may have been dated. But, the article you link to as proof of my inaccuracy is itself an opinion page from the very same paper. And specifically, the opinion you trust as "proof" that the prior article was inaccurate, was written by Kalee Kreider, communications director for the Office of Al Gore and Tipper Gore. So, I am sure she is right and has no vested interest in spin. Oh, and she only counters the one statement about Oxy. What about the others? They must be true then, right?
Learn to recognize and appreciate sarcasm. Think for yourself...not for me. Read what is written, take the press with a grain of salt, research for yourself, do what YOU know is right!
Are you living a carbon neutral lifestyle?
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