http://www.planetaryexploration.net/patriot/stamps2/al_gore_stamps.html
Posted on 02/28/2007 7:30:06 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Gore Attacked For High Electricity Bills
Conservative Group That Disputes Global Warming Says Ex-Vice President Isn't "Walking The Walk"
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2007
(AP) Al Gore, a leading voice against global warming, is being criticized by a conservative group that claims his Nashville mansion uses too much electricity.
A spokeswoman for Gore said the former vice president invests in enough renewable energy to make up for the home's power consumption.
Gore's documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth," which chronicled his campaign against global warming, won an Academy Award on Sunday.
The next day, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research put out a news release saying Gore was not doing enough to reduce his own consumption of electricity. The group disputes whether global warming is a serious problem.
"We wanted to see if he was living by his own recommendations and walking the walk," said Drew Johnson, president of the think tank, which pushes for conservative economic issues.
Utility records show the Gore family paid an average monthly electric bill of about $1,200 last year for its 10,000-square-foot home.
The Gores used about 191,000 kilowatt hours in 2006, according to bills reviewed by The Associated Press spanning the period from Feb. 3, 2006, to Jan. 5. That is far more than the typical Nashville household, which uses about 15,600 kilowatt-hours per year.
His Nashville home is more than four times larger than the average new American home built last year — about 2,400 square feet, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
A spokeswoman for Gore said he purchases enough "green power" — renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and methane gas — to balance 100 percent of his electricity costs.
"Sometimes when people don't like the message, in this case that global warming is real, it's convenient to attack the messenger," Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said.
Gore participates in a utility program that sells blocks of "green power" for an extra $4 a month. Gore purchases 108 such blocks every month, covering 16,200 kilowatt-hours and helping subsidize renewable energy sources.
Johnson said it's unclear whether global warming is caused by humans, and he said the threat outlined in Gore's documentary is exaggerated.
The think tank said that Gore used nearly 221,000 kilowatt hours last year and that his average monthly electric bill was $1,359. Johnson said his group got its figures from Nashville Electric Service.
But electric company spokeswoman Laurie Parker said the utility never got a request from the policy center and never provided them with any information.
Parker said Gore has been purchasing the "green power" for $432 a month since November. The Gore home is also under renovation to add solar panels, Kreider said.
Gore also owns homes in Carthage, Tenn., and in the Washington area.
Gore has said he leads a "carbon-neutral lifestyle." To balance out other carbon emissions, the Gores invest money in projects to reduce energy consumption around the globe, Kreider said.
"For every ton of carbon they emit, he offsets that by doing investments in renewable energy sources," Kreider said.
Johnson said those efforts were unconvincing.
"In general, I applaud his efforts to reduce energy consumption, but if he is going to be a spokesman for global warming, he has to be willing to make the same sacrifices," Johnson said.
Johnson said Gore's home has gas lamps lining the driveway, a heated pool and an electric gate, all of which would be easy to do without.
Kreider confirmed that Gore's home has a heated pool and an electric gate, but noted that the gate is important for security and that the driveway has only one gas lamp.
Focusing on Gore's personal electricity consumption misses the point of "An Inconvenient Truth," Kreider said, which is that governments and the public can work together to reduce emissions.
They are busy leading peons to Utopia. No need for worrying about such extra burden.
Mr. Gore, please donate your mansion to me, 'an unprogressive one.' I can make good use out of your mansion without breaking my principles.:-)
Yes, 'progressive elites' are immune to upholding all principles, even the ones they espouse.
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Of course - the generic liberal double standard. Massive hypocrisy.
He's untouchable, now that he's won an Oscar.
That's pretty good! Your a heck of a lot greener than Al is.
What a scam.
Money offsets climate change.
What this says is one can produce as much carbon emissions as one likes as long as one has enough money to purchase green power. So all you millionaires out there fire up that fleet of SUVs.
My electric bill is usually around $100 per month. Gore's is $1300 per month. Gore is preaching against people who waste resources too much. Obviously he must think that people with $1300/month electric bills are just fine, so he must believe that less than $1300/month is even better. By his measurement I figure I'm a saint! It's all you people with $2000/month electric bills who are ruining the planet!
No doubt when summer gets here, my bill will be a bit higher. Hopefully it won't be gawd awful hot, and I can keep this place relatively cool with the windows open.
Gore should like as Unabomber did before his capture. Unabomber may be a total nut, but he is nearly 100% green.
Correction:
Gore should like live as Unabomber did before his capture.
http://www.planetaryexploration.net/patriot/stamps2/al_gore_stamps.html
Twas funny, indeed, to watch his mugging and grinning with Leo at the Oscars even as theirs (& those of many, many others) were burning carbs aplenty!
How many times can CBS mention the word "conservative"? FU lame brain mediatards. Good riddance when you're gone.
I'll have to take your word for it.
;-)
The difference between 191 K and 15 k isn't "far more", it is twelve times. For Dems the MSM it is whispering understatement, for Republicans hyperventilating hyperboble.
That's the goofiest thing I have ever heard of?????? With logic like that, I guess, if Big Al turns in three bank robbers he's allowed to rob the next bank?????
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