Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Gore's Carbon Footprint

Al Gore has responded to (without denying) this report that notes that just one of the former veep's mansions uses twice as much energy in a single month than the average American family does in an entire year.

Allow me to summarize by paraphrasing:
"I have enough money to make other people live with even LESS than zero net carbon output. I hate the greedy elitists who try to buy their way out of guilt, unless those people are me, and then they're noble oracles of disaster. Besides, I'm, like, really important. I NEED two mansions, and once I'm living with the resources I need, then my guilt is assuaged. Don't believe me? Doesn't matter - I have an Oscar that proves I'm right! Suckers!!!"
Again - if Gore honestly thought this was a crisis, carbon neutrality wouldn't be enough - he would aggressively be trying to have a net negative carbon footprint. Beware of politicians and activists who will in no way be negatively impacted by the draconian policies they propose.

By the way, same thing goes for the local yokels who think that by recycling their beer bottles and driving a Prius, they're "part of the solution." If this is truly a life-or-death crisis, every TV turned on, every website read, every microwave oven used, every trip taken to the movie theater, every meal eaten out, every CD bought, every A/C turned on, every heater used above 45 degrees, every mile in a car or product purchased not strictly required for survival is another unnecessary nail in the global warming coffin.

I buy none of it. Neither does anyone else, judging by their behavior.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Carbon neutral" - what a douchebag.

Juvenal said...

And as the Economist rightly pointed out -- investing in carbon offsets does nothing to reduce carbon levels, and may actually increase them. All that it does is afford hucksters like Gore the opportunity to feel virtuous and smug and to continue their hypocritical preaching

Juvenal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Juvenal said...

And not only are carbon offset investments counterproductive in general, Gore "invests" in these carbon offsets by putting money into a fund founded by, and run by (and the profits of which presumably go to), a certain Albert Gore. So not only is his "I invest in carbon offsets" doubly hypocritical, he has a vested interest in keeping the whole global warming, the earth is dying, we must do something movement at a rapid boil. So that more people invest in these carbon offsets, a healthy chunk of which will be invested through his firm, and result in a nice addition to the Gore bottom line, which can be used to build outdoor heated swimming pools and the private jets and other essential concommitants of the environmentally friendly lifestyle.