Gore has held these apocalyptic views about the environment for some time. So why, then, didn't Gore dump his family's large stock holdings in Occidental (Oxy) Petroleum? 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.
Living carbon-neutral apparently doesn't mean living oil-stock free. Nor does it necessarily mean giving up a mining royalty either.
Humanity might be "sitting on a ticking time bomb," but Gore's home in Carthage is sitting on a zinc mine. Gore receives $20,000 a year in royalties from Pasminco Zinc, which operates a zinc concession on his property. Tennessee has cited the company for adding large quantities of barium, iron and zinc to the nearby Caney Fork River.
The issue here is not simply Gore's hypocrisy; it's a question of credibility. If he genuinely believes the apocalyptic vision he has put forth and calls for radical changes in the way other people live, why hasn't he made any radical change in his life? Giving up the zinc mine or one of his homes is not asking much, given that he wants the rest of us to radically change our lives.
Buying carbon offsets. Thats great slight off hand for bean counters, but in the real world he's an absolute A$.....uhhh...hypocrite, yeah, hypocrite thats the word.
Weren't there a couple of issues concerning the Clinton Administration and Occidental Petroleum near the end of Clinton's second term? I seem to recall something about the wells in California related to the strategic reserve begin ceded to Oxy and something about protecting an Oxy pipeline in Columbia, but I'm not sure of the details. Can anyone fill in the blanks?