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[Pertinax]

This from “The Age” on 1/3/07.

Gore’s Inconvenient Truth: a whopping power bill

By Ed Pilkington

Al Gore stood alongside fellow eco-warrior Leonardo DiCaprio on Sunday night in front of the world’s cameras and proclaimed the ceremony the first in Academy Awards’ history to be run on “environmentally intelligent” lines.
Twenty-four hours later, Mr. Gore found himself back in the eye of the storm.
A little known group based in his home state, the Tennessee Centre for Policy Research, looked up Mr. Gore’s energy bills for his large home in Nashville to see whether he practiced what he preached.
The headline figures, released under federal freedom of information rules, were striking. Last year the Gore household consumed 221,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity – more than 20 times the national annual average.  His household’s consumption of energy rose between 2005 and 2006 from 16,200 kWh a month to 18,400 kWh last year. In addition, he averaged $US 1080 ($A1362) a month on natural gas. Combined, his electricity and gas bills reached $US30,000.

Oh dear. Enviro-nazis please form an orderly queue and kiss my arse.

Al Gore is an outrageous hypocrit who has gained enormously from the publicity generated from his new green stance and all the while he's not just as bad as anyone else in the US, he's 20 time worse.

Mr. Gore, you sir, are a cad.

[.]

hypocrisy.

maybe he's 'carbon neutral' 

[.]

oh. and what's his electricity source? is it solar/wind?

[Pertinax]

oh. and what's his electricity source? is it solar/wind?

I'd say that is completely irrelevant. He's running around the world telling us all that the end of the world is nigh and to buy more energy efficient appliances, and all the time he is not only using an inordinate, disproportionate amount of energy, but his energy consumption is actually increasing at a rate of about 13.6%.

[Lord Biscuit©]

Ha, good one Pert! I assume you did your research on the "Tennessee Centre for Policy Research" crowd? 

There was a good skit on the article on The Colbert Report.

[.]

it's not irrelevant. if he's using a power source that's environmentally friendly, what hurt is it doing? 

[Pertinax]

it's not irrelevant. if he's using a power source that's environmentally friendly, what hurt is it doing? 

Absoutely none what-so-ever really. I'd say its perfectly OK for Mr. Gore to espouse a course of action for all humanity and then do the exact opposite thing himself.

[Fritz]

it's not irrelevant. if he's using a power source that's environmentally friendly, what hurt is it doing? 

What is envrionmentally friendly? Energy companies were running around selling this green energy shit when the electricity they were selling was not actually produced by the enviro friendly process. How do you know if you are using it? When you turn the light on, does it have a shade of green?

[DiddlySquat]

You'll find that there's a heap of journalistic largesse in there. It's not just Mr and Mrs Al and their 1.8 kiddies in there; he's running a business in there too.

However the general thrust is true. Sure Big Al is bringing a much-needed message but I doubt that he's living and breathing the stuff.

A few months ago the UN did a big thing on the dire condition of the environment. It was in a huge venue full of people and technology: everyone had laptops, there were huge projection screens everywhere, it was in a massive building requiring heaps of AC, and hundreds of people flew from far and wide to be present. Sadly that imagery is lost on most people.

[.]

Absoutely none what-so-ever really. I'd say its perfectly OK for Mr. Gore to espouse a course of action for all humanity and then do the exact opposite thing himself.

You're missing the point, aren't you sunshine?

Let's say Gore uses "Baked Beans R Us" wind energy company.
Let's say he's researched the company and it's 100% environmentally friendly.
Why would he need to decrease his energy bills if his energy use is not affecting the environment?
I'm sure Gore would have no problem with people using energy-sucking appliances if they were using environmentally friendly energy sources.

What is envrionmentally friendly? Energy companies were running around selling this green energy shit when the electricity they were selling was not actually produced by the enviro friendly process. How do you know if you are using it? When you turn the light on, does it have a shade of green?

I know that in the Sydney region there are options where you can get part green/part normal energy supply. Or you can get full green power.

I would assume that if they're marketing a product as "environmentally friendly" and it's not, then they are breaking the law. Surely there are government watchdogs in place to check this kind of thing? Or *gasp* you could even investigate it yourself!

Anyway...I'm not defending Gore here. He may well be a hypocrite who is using dodgy power sources to fuel his lifestyle (like most rich fatcats). I'm merely questioning the validity of your claim like any good bunny would do 

[Fritz]

I think we need to look at the definition of 'green energy", which I don't have and then look even further to see, one that it is in place and two even it is is, are the companies actually selling non-green energy produced some time ago even though they may be producing green energy.

Are we then suggesting that Al Gore has solar panels that would cover the opera house on his home?

[Lord Biscuit©]

I think we need to look at the definition of 'green energy", which I don't have and then look even further to see, one that it is in place and two even it is is, are the companies actually selling non-green energy produced some time ago even though they may be producing green energy.

Are we then suggesting that Al Gore has solar panels that would cover the opera house on his home?

I looked up Green Energy only only got references to The Incredible Hulk. 

[Fritz]

I looked up Green Energy only only got references to The Incredible Hulk. 

 

[Pertinax]

You're missing the point, aren't you sunshine?

No.

Let's say Gore uses "Baked Beans R Us" wind energy company.
Let's say he's researched the company and it's 100% environmentally friendly.

OK, lets.

Why would he need to decrease his energy bills if his energy use is not affecting the environment?

Because that's exactly the course of action he is espousing for everyone else. That they switch to or develop "green" energy systems for mass power generation AND that the general population use more energy efficient appliances and cut their overall energy consumption.

I'm sure Gore would have no problem with people using energy-sucking appliances if they were using environmentally friendly energy sources.

That's a matter of pure conjecture and is not smething anyone is ever likely to know... unless you pay $1450 (plus GST) to hear him speak and are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ask.

I know that in the Sydney region there are options where you can get part green/part normal energy supply. Or you can get full green power.

The power companies buy energy from "green energy sources" and then add it to their grid. Its then supplied to you along with all the other dirty brown energy.

I would assume that if they're marketing a product as "environmentally friendly" and it's not, then they are breaking the law. Surely there are government watchdogs in place to check this kind of thing? Or *gasp* you could even investigate it yourself!

Anyway...I'm not defending Gore here. He may well be a hypocrite who is using dodgy power sources to fuel his lifestyle (like most rich fatcats). I'm merely questioning the validity of your claim like any good bunny would do 

Fair enough.

[.]

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