One can never be really sure with Algore, but, to me, 'carbon-neutral' lifestyle implies being dead.
A Taliban existence. That's why Al grew the beard. I don't know why he shaved it off, though.
(Reminder. Be very careful if the clerk asks, "Paper or plastic?" when you get to the cash register at the jewelry store. )
"carbon-neutral lifestyle"
The big global-warming fear comes from dumping huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere as a result of burning carbon-based chemicals (oil primarily, wood & coal also) to obtain cheap energy (i.e.: drive, cook, etc.). This produces lots of CO & CO2 which in turn allegedly, in large enough quantities, cause global warming (which of course means various mind-bogglingly awful horrible things). Gore is finally realizing that he personally is contributing to this horror (esp. with things like burning a half-million pounds of jet fuel to attend a global-warming conference) and thinks he should take some personal responsibility to clean up after himself (a laudable goal - good friggin' luck).
A "carbon-neutral lifestyle" means that for every pound of waste carbon one dumps into the atmosphere, one actively seeks to do something to balance out that pound (or to avoid creating that pound of carbon waste in the first place). This is a warm-fuzzy goal, with visions of planting trees to turn CO2 into pretty woods and O2, reducing emissions elsewhere (like making cars more efficient), avoiding causing CO2 emissions (walking instead of driving), etc.
The reality is: he's silly & selfish. Fact is, when the next global-warming conference arrives, he'll be jetting off with his entorauge (sp?!) burning thousands of gallons of fuel and dumping tons more carbon waste into the atmosphere - for which he will justify with paper agreements whereby third-world countries will get paid trinkets in exchange for their "carbon budgets", i.e. "here's $1 if you agree to not travel, cook, or manufacture X amount."
It's actually a nifty idea if taken seriously. Then one comes back to reality and carries on as before.
In reality, Gore claiming a "carbon-neutral lifestyle" is about as laughable as Barbara Streisand telling people to conserve electricity by turning off air conditioners and line-drying clothes, while utterly failing to do so herself and using electricity on a massive scale. Unless Gore actually takes to growing & eating raw veggies by himself, and doing little else, he won't meet his goal - and will likely continue out-carbon-produce most people by orders of magnitude (but he'll make it look good on paper).
I'm not really sure, but for starters we'll quit mowing the grass:^)