Al Gore just won an Academy Award for his documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth", a piece warning us all about the coming planetary distaster if we do not reduce our carbon emissions.
It has just now been revealed that just one of Gore's homes (he has several...this one is in the Belle Meade area of Nashville) consumes roughly twenty times the energy of a normal home.
"Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh - guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore's average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.
Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
Gore's extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore's mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year."
But before you get all huffy about how a guy who constantly travels by air, heats and cools at least three large homes, and probably has more personal vehicles than you can browbeat you into reducing your carbon emissions you need to read Mr. Gore's response:
Responding, Vice President Gore's office told ThinkProgress:
1) Gore's family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.
2) Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family's carbon footprint - a concept the right-wing fails to understand.
A few things stick out. Perhaps an electrical engineer can help me out with this but how can one purchase 100% green power from a power grid? I know that a grid can have some of its power supplied by "green" sources but you can't just take from a grid power that is "green", can you?
Also, isn't it kind of amazing that Mr. Gore's energy consumption is so high even after installing solar panels, flourescent bulbs and other energy-saving technologies?
There can only be one plausible explanation for both Mr. Gore's public policies and his level of energy consumption.
He has a huge weed farm in his basement.
3 Comments
"He has a huge weed farm in his basement."
The film was proof enough of that fact. :-)
Environmentalism is a religion, just like any other. Hypocracy and zealous resolve are part of the territory.
All Hail Lord Gore, the Earl of Kilowatt.
Funniest thing you've ever posted... one of the better postings on this site, period. Kudos.
I think the idea of "Carbon Offsets" is the most troubling. Basically, he is saying "I'm going to use as much as I want to, and to make things balance out I'm going to pay somebody else not to use as much, forever."
It's just like a feudal system of Carbon Servitude.
All Hail Lord Gore, the Earl of Kilowatt.