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Town Official Defends Al Gore's Energy Inefficient House [Zoning rules prevented solar panels....]
Fox News ^

Posted on 03/20/2007 1:13:26 PM PDT by Sub-Driver

Town Official Defends Al Gore's Energy Inefficient House

Tuesday , March 20, 2007

AP BELLE MEADE, Tenn. — Zoning rules in Al Gore's upscale Tennessee neighborhood have prevented the former vice president and environmental activist from installing solar panels on his roof.

Gore bought his multimillion dollar home in 2002 in Belle Meade, an exclusive city encircled by metropolitan Nashville, and he has embarked on an ambitious renovation. But his contractors ran into a legal barrier last summer when they sought to apply for a permit to install solar panels on the roof.

Terry Franklin, Belle Meade's building officer, said the town only allows power generating equipment to be placed on the ground level. "Solar panels are generators," Franklin said.

"We told them they couldn't do it," he said. "They wanted to try anyway, but we convinced them it was something the board wouldn't allow."

A conservative group that disputes the findings about global warming criticized Gore last month, complaining that his home uses too much electricity.

Belle Meade, the nation's fifth-richest town according to the 2000 Census, developed the zoning rules because many of its homes have backup electric generators. The area has several tall trees and residents have discouraged Nashville Electric Service crews from pruning those near power lines. Power outages from falling branches have forced several residents to purchase backup generators.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: energy
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jokers all.
1 posted on 03/20/2007 1:13:28 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
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To: Sub-Driver

Well what would have prevented him from living in a 3,000 square foot house?


2 posted on 03/20/2007 1:14:45 PM PDT by Tarpon
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To: Sub-Driver

"The government forced him to live in an energy inefficient house! There's only one solution: More government!"


3 posted on 03/20/2007 1:17:17 PM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Enoch Powell was right.)
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To: Tarpon

The scorn of his peers.


4 posted on 03/20/2007 1:17:53 PM PDT by Brian Mosely (A government is a body of people -- usually notably ungoverned)
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To: Sub-Driver

I am quite certain that if Al Gore insisted on solar panels all over his house and yard he would have no problem getting them, zoning restrictions or not.


5 posted on 03/20/2007 1:19:01 PM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: Sub-Driver

So Al lied. I thought he said he had installed solar panels?


6 posted on 03/20/2007 1:20:21 PM PDT by CobraJet
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What zoning law could possibly exist that would prevent a home owner from installing solar panels on the roof?

Not in defense of Gore, it just seems stupid to me.


7 posted on 03/20/2007 1:20:41 PM PDT by wastedyears ("These colours don't run, from cold bloody war." - Steve Harris, Bruce Dickinson)
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To: P-40

Solar panels NO. Zinc Mine YES. Makes perfect sense.


8 posted on 03/20/2007 1:20:59 PM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Sub-Driver

New tagline, dedicated to Algore...


9 posted on 03/20/2007 1:21:42 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (If you want your eco-sins forgiven, just buy Carbon Indulgences...)
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To: Sub-Driver

Notice the label "environmental activist". The label is false. It should be changed to "opportunist making money scaring people over climate change".


10 posted on 03/20/2007 1:21:45 PM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged
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To: Sub-Driver

That's classic. `Power generating equipment' may not be placed except on the ground level.

Windows admit sunlight. You could think of a window as a power generating device.

No windows except flat to the ground?

Solar panels are not diesel generators. There is no reason they ought not be on a roof, and very good reasons they should be. Kafka couldn't have made this up.


11 posted on 03/20/2007 1:21:50 PM PDT by lostlakehiker (Not So Fast There)
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To: Tarpon
Well what would have prevented him from living in a 3,000 square foot house?

Wouldn't have met his standard of living, of course. He's much too important to live with such small quarters. He expects the sheople to give up their creature comforts instead.

12 posted on 03/20/2007 1:21:59 PM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Father of a 2nd BCT 10th Mountain Soldier fighting the terrorists in Iraq)
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To: Sub-Driver

I don't consider this story a defense for Al Gore. He is hypocritical to the nth degree.


13 posted on 03/20/2007 1:22:12 PM PDT by marvlus
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To: Sub-Driver

Solar panels are not genarators, they are either power converters, or heat exchangers. They either convert light energy to electricity, or exchange infrared heat to a fluid or air. A generator is either a magnetic device to generator or a fancy name for a boiler or steam generator.


14 posted on 03/20/2007 1:23:49 PM PDT by ItsTheMediaStupid
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To: wastedyears
What zoning law could possibly exist that would prevent a home owner from installing solar panels on the roof?

The roof, OK. But have you seen some of these monstrosities that are popping up in wealthy neighborhoods. The look like shiny billboards on hinges. For the first time in my life I'm looking at living in an Association, and I'll tell you what, that ban will be the first item on MY agenda.

15 posted on 03/20/2007 1:24:20 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan (When toilet paper is a luxury, you have achieved communism.)
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To: Sub-Driver

Well, if he's going to walk the walk, he'll just have to move then - to a smaller dwelling that doesn't suck up tons of energy ( and that doesn't incude the bloviating coming from his big leftist mouth! Even I can figure that one out!


16 posted on 03/20/2007 1:25:37 PM PDT by Bitsy
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To: wastedyears

Actually they are banned in many communities, but not for the reasons mentioned. They are often banned because the residents think of them as tacky. Rich people don't need them.


17 posted on 03/20/2007 1:26:01 PM PDT by ItsTheMediaStupid
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To: Tarpon

Only his big fat ego.


18 posted on 03/20/2007 1:26:55 PM PDT by 3niner (War is one game where the home team always loses.)
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To: ItsTheMediaStupid
...and tacky they are.

If you pay a couple hundred thousand to have a couple of acres tastefully landscaped, the last thing you want is this crap looming from your neighbor's yard.

19 posted on 03/20/2007 1:27:34 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan (When toilet paper is a luxury, you have achieved communism.)
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To: wastedyears
Not in defense of Gore, it just seems stupid to me.

It is stupid, but there are lots of stupid zoning laws.

20 posted on 03/20/2007 1:28:08 PM PDT by 3niner (War is one game where the home team always loses.)
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