Gore Responds to Charges His House Uses Too Much Electricity

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[Sub-Driver]

Gore Responds to Charges His House Uses Too Much Electricity

Tuesday , February 27, 2007

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Al Gore responded to charges that his house consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, with the new Oscar winner saying he has taken many steps to reduce the carbon footprint in his home.

The former vice president and former presidential candidate told Thinkprogress.org that he has signed up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installed solar panels and uses compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy-saving technology. He said he also buys carbon offsets — a service that tries to reduce the net carbon emissions of individuals or organizations indirectly, through proxies that reduce their emissions and/or increase their absorption of greenhouse gases.

"What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible," said Thinkprogress.org. "Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gores do, to bring their footprint down to zero."

Gore was responding to a report issued by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, which, citing figured from the Nashville Electric Service, said that since last August, Gore burned through 22,619 kilowatt-hours at his house — more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. His average monthly electric bill topped $1,359, the report said.

[GOPJ]

What about the carbon footprint Gore's wife's jewelry creates?

Or the footprint of his many possessions? Just because Gore doesn't see the smokey pumps running above gold mines doesn't mean they're not there. "Carbon footprints" are correlated with total money spend.

Gore spends a lot.

Gore's idea of not consuming is like the fat woman eating like a bird at the table and gorging herself in front of the fridge at midnight. Sorry Gore, but it all counts...

[The Great RJ]

Using a few compact fluorescent bulbs and planting some trees hardly offsets Gore's enormous carbon footprint. Perhaps St. Algore should sell of his mansion and live in a small energy efficient 3 bedroom home, powered exclusively by windmills and solar cells and with a waterless composting toilet. He should also give up flying on private jets and demand hybrid cars rather than limos on his speaking engagements. Then he could lecture the rest of us about carbon footprints without being a hypocrite.

[kittymyrib]

Gore-Master of Double Speak...the universal language of the hypocrit

[bboop]

Texican, it is EXACTLY that -- indulgences. hahah. Very perceptive.

[dfwgator]

Yep, Communism for the masses, while the elites hide away in their nice dachas.

[Dixie Yooper]

I have a good feeling that GWB's house puts anyone's personal residence serving the country on Capital Hill to shame. The simple fact that it's only 4,000 square feet (large for a private residence, but no where near the square footage of a mansion) tells me that GWB is modest man. His house makes use of rainwater and gray water recycling which is way ahead of most "green" houses. I expect that if a LEEDS certified engineer were to take a close look at it, GWB's house would earn at least a Silver rating.

[HarmlessLovableFuzzball]

If allowed to become mainstream it will be the biggest scam in history.

Second biggest. Can't beat the global warming scam.

[Moonman62]

The former vice president and former presidential candidate told Thinkprogress.org that he has signed up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installed solar panels and uses compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy-saving technology. He said he also buys carbon offsets — a service that tries to reduce the net carbon emissions of individuals or organizations indirectly, through proxies that reduce their emissions and/or increase their absorption of greenhouse gases.

I want to see the dated invoices for all that stuff. And I suspect carbon offsets don't do squat anyway.

[Albertafriend]

In the new religion these would be called "indulgences."

[Mygirlsmom]

Just heard this on the radio - ROFLMAO! My new tagline!!!

[dfwgator]

This whole thing is a new industry, in and of itself. Follow the $$$, there are entrepreneurs who are in this racket expecting to make a killing, and they will soon have very powerful lobbyists working for them in Washington, DC.

[N. Theknow]

His average monthly electric bill topped $1,359, the report said.

This can't be the result of electrically heating the house.

With global warming there is no need for heating.

[westmichman]

Al, all your offsets are belong to us.

[ErieGeno]

more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year.

Hypocrite!!!!

[Kirkwood]

"What is this "offsets" thing? As I understand it - Gore can use as much fossil fuel as he wants - as long as some poor jerk in the third world doesn't use any - that averages him out to low use? Is that what that means? What a crock!"

Liberals scamming other liberals. Republicans should get in on this.

[Joe 6-pack]

"What is this "offsets" thing?"

I started making carbon offsets at home in my spare time. I got a bunch of 'em stored in my shed. Like to buy some?

[Elyse]

Here is a better link for the earthday quiz, I think.

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp

My footprint isn't quite as big as yours. I only need 7.7 planets. I really don't know how they can tell just from the general answers on this quiz though. It looks like a bunch of hippie boloney to me.

[Joe 6-pack]

Yep...the carbon offset/indulgence parallel is just one more indication that these people view Gaia as their god, environmentalism as their religion and consumption as mortal sin.

[Leisler]

Rich three mansions, private jet, SUV fleet, yacht owning liberals can buy fake, hokum 'carbon offsets', which are nothing but indulgences from the Church of The New Environment.

Now shut up you peasant bastards about our Pope, the Right Reverend Gore, one time divinity school flunk out.

Who, you dirty, conservative, tree hating, bunny killing, diesel breathed, 'rain forest' raping bastards....do you think you are?

</rant>

[relictele]

You are the first person that I have seen other than me to use Stalin as a point of comparison when talking about these people. I believe we should hammer this terminology home until it's accepted in general usage.

I freely admit that I am about a 1 or 2 on a scale of 10 with regard to my knowledge of Uncle Joe but I do know that the language used by the Greenies to promote - no, make that enforce - their agenda sounds very much like communism's greatest hits: fines, bans, prohibitions, restrictions, rationing, informing on one's neighbors, imprisonment. Not very "progressive" ways of convincing the public, are they?