Gore Refuses to take The Pledge

[boedicca]

In his Oscar Winning Docu-Drama, "An Inconvenient Truth", Al Gore asks people if they are willing to change they way they live. Apparently, he is not. He refused to take the pledge:

As a believer:
· that human-caused global warming is a moral, ethical, and spiritual issue affecting our survival;

· that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;

· that reducing my fossil fuel-based home energy usage will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and

· that leaders on moral issues should lead by example;

I pledge to consume no more energy for use in my residence than the average American household by March 21, 2008.

I am not at all surprised. The Goracle is just another case of "Do as I say, not as I do". If this really were a "Planetary Emergency", he should have to be asked.

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index....ecord_id=7616011f-802a-23ad-435e-887baa7069ca

 

[Bern80]

Could it be because their is no conclusive evidence of man made global warming, and he knows it?

I had an interesting thought about this the other night as well. Doesn't it strike anybody as odd that the person at the forefront of the man made global warming debate is not a scientist?

 

[Annie]

Could it be because their is no conclusive evidence of man made global warming, and he knows it?

I had an interesting thought about this the other night as well. Doesn't it strike anybody as odd that the person at the forefront of the man made global warming debate is not a scientist?

Do you mean that is possible?

 

[Bern80]

Do you mean that is possible?

ummm yeah they answer to both of my semi-rhetorical questions is, 'yes'

 

[Bern80]

Who asked him to take the pledge? and did he give an answer as to why he wouldn't?

 

[maineman]

could it be that if one pays the premium for green power that does NOT hasten global warming, that they need not feel guilty about using such power and should not feel the need to use less of it?

 

[jasendorf]

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R - SURPRISE!) tried to upstage Gore with this pledge crap...

If Sen. Inhofe will pledge to accept no more pork than the average Senator... he'd have a leg to stand on.

Nice grandstanding Senator... Sean Hannity loved your little stunt and went on and on about it... which is the kind of crowd you were playing to.

 

[Gem]

jasen...don't look now...but you haven't addressed the issue of why Gore isn't "practicing what he preaches" and leapt headfirst into attacking people on issues that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Inhofe may pile more pork into bills than a butcher - but it has nothing to do with Gore telling all of us to change how we live as soon as possible while he doesn't seem to think that the same rules should apply to him.

If he was so positively convinced that global warming is going to end civilization as we know it...don't you think he'd be the first one making drastic changes to his life? If you KNEW for a fact that people wearing blue t-shirts would DESTROY civilization as you knew it...would you run around screaming for all of us to throw away our blue t-shirts while you kept 40 of them hanging in your closet? Or would you make sure that you were doing all you could to stave off catastrophe by changing what you could yourself first...if nothing more than a positive example to others?

I may think that Ed Begley, Jr. is a nutbag...but at least he's practicing what he preaches.

 

[maineman]

jasen...don't look now...but you haven't addressed the issue of why Gore isn't "practicing what he preaches" and leapt headfirst into attacking people on issues that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Inhofe may pile more pork into bills than a butcher - but it has nothing to do with Gore telling all of us to change how we live as soon as possible while he doesn't seem to think that the same rules should apply to him.

If he was so positively convinced that global warming is going to end civilization as we know it...don't you think he'd be the first one making drastic changes to his life? If you KNEW for a fact that people wearing blue t-shirts would DESTROY civilization as you knew it...would you run around screaming for all of us to throw away our blue t-shirts while you kept 40 of them hanging in your closet? Or would you make sure that you were doing all you could to stave off catastrophe by changing what you could yourself first...if nothing more than a positive example to others?

I may think that Ed Begley, Jr. is a nutbag...but at least he's practicing what he preaches.

he is practicing what he preaches...he is using green power. green power does not contribute to global warming..whether you use 10 KW or 20 MW

 

[Gem]

Amazing that Gore can use all that energy and its all green...thats truly wonderful.

 

[maineman]

Amazing that Gore can use all that energy and its all green...thats truly wonderful.

he pays a heavy premium for it.... it is available in most markets, but it costs a bundle.

 

[maineman]

and if everyone was willing to pay the premium that Gore pays, there would, therefore be a demand that would cause the supply to increase accordingly

 

[jasendorf]

jasen...don't look now...but you haven't addressed the issue of why Gore isn't "practicing what he preaches" and leapt headfirst into attacking people on issues that have nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Au Contraire!!!! Just because the original thread post "conveniently" HID who was asking Gore to take the pledge doesn't make the guy asking for the pledge to be made off the table of discussion. I think this topic clearly includes Gore, the "Pledge" and the guy proposing he take the pledge... that's Jim Inhofe. He's fair game and the topic wouldn't exist without his actions. If he wants to play the hypocrite game using the Senate floor to do so, he'd better be prepared to play the game.

Inhofe may pile more pork into bills than a butcher - but it has nothing to do with Gore telling all of us to change how we live as soon as possible while he doesn't seem to think that the same rules should apply to him.

So, a Republican piling on the pork is not a hypocrite... yet a guy who uses energy to travel the world talking about global warming is...

This thread is about hypocrisy. And, if the guy doing the name calling is free from hypocrisy, then I suppose he'd be off limits. But, like you said, Inhofe is the biggest hypocrite when it comes to his job representing the "fiscally responsible" Republican Party in the Senate.

If he was so positively convinced that global warming is going to end civilization as we know it...don't you think he'd be the first one making drastic changes to his life? If you KNEW for a fact that people wearing blue t-shirts would DESTROY civilization as you knew it...would you run around screaming for all of us to throw away our blue t-shirts while you kept 40 of them hanging in your closet? Or would you make sure that you were doing all you could to stave off catastrophe by changing what you could yourself first...if nothing more than a positive example to others?

I may think that Ed Begley, Jr. is a nutbag...but at least he's practicing what he preaches.

This was nothing more than grandstanding by Inhofe. And the lemming dittoheads ate it up...

...we all have roles to play in environmentalism. Al Gore has the ability, notoriety and financing to spread the word about conserving energy and fighting the human contribution to global climate change. Inhofe wants nothing more than to embarrass Gore so he'll stop spreading the word because Gore's words may put a dent in the corporate interests' profits which would hurt the Republican Party's moneypower machine...

 

[Gem]

jasen,

sorry, your explanation just doesn't fly - maybe I'm misunderstanding you?

Inhofe might be dead wrong about pork - but that does not mean he can't comment on Gore's environmental issues.

You might smoke, which is a bad habit - but that doesn't mean you can't say that someone shouldn't eat McDonald's three times a day.

I might swear a bit more than I should. I doesn't mean I can't say that someone shouldn't lie.

Inhofe is questioning how much energy Gore uses while he travels around the world telling people how vitally important it is to the survival of our species that we reduce our "carbon footprint." He may be doing it for political reasons, in fact, its pretty damn obvious that this is exactly why he is doing it...but nevertheless its a valid question.

 

[Bern80]

Au Contraire!!!! Just because the original thread post "conveniently" HID who was asking Gore to take the pledge doesn't make the guy asking for the pledge to be made off the table of discussion. I think this topic clearly includes Gore, the "Pledge" and the guy proposing he take the pledge... that's Jim Inhofe. He's fair game and the topic wouldn't exist without his actions. If he wants to play the hypocrite game using the Senate floor to do so, he'd better be prepared to play the game.

It's not a game and you still haven't answered the question. What logical reason does he have to not take such an oathe?

So, a Republican piling on the pork is not a hypocrite... yet a guy who uses energy to travel the world talking about global warming is...

yes they are both hypocrites, but you are arguing this from the perspective because one cancels out the other, neither should be required to defend it.

This thread is about hypocrisy. And, if the guy doing the name calling is free from hypocrisy, then I suppose he'd be off limits. But, like you said, Inhofe is the biggest hypocrite when it comes to his job representing the "fiscally responsible" Republican Party in the Senate.

No, you chose to make it about hypocrisy because you can't answer the original question....why didn't he take the oathe?

This was nothing more than grandstanding by Inhofe. And the lemming dittoheads ate it up...

He made perfectly legitimate point. simply why won't he hold himself to the same standard that he is asking of the rest of us?

...we all have roles to play in environmentalism. Al Gore has the ability, notoriety and financing to spread the word about conserving energy and fighting the human contribution to global climate change. Inhofe wants nothing more than to embarrass Gore so he'll stop spreading the word because Gore's words may put a dent in the corporate interests' profits which would hurt the Republican Party's moneypower machine...

That's one unlikely scenario I suppose. Here's another one: Gore's real motive is to hurt corporate America, because being a liberal, he is anti-corporate America. So he decides to be the forunner of the junk science that is man made global warming. The only true thing, ironically, is the convenience of the fact that the warming trends happens to coincide with the rapid industrialization of not just the U.S. but the world. I have yet to read a decent explanation as to why the warming trend has more to do with us then it does a natural cycle. Most documentaries I have scene gloss over this and jump ahead to what will happen if it gets warmer. Things that will happen no matter what forces are to blame.

Not to mention my other earlier question in the sheer irony that a non-scientist is the leader of this theory

 

[Dirt McGirt]

It's not a game and you still haven't answered the question. What logical reason does he have to not take such an oathe?

This is why:

· that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;

Gore has always contended that energy use was dependent upon what type of energy it is. He's been a proponent of carbon neutral sources from the start. As MaineMan points out, it doesn't matter how much energy you use, just as long as it comes from clean sources.

 

[Dirt McGirt]

he is practicing what he preaches...he is using green power. green power does not contribute to global warming..whether you use 10 KW or 20 MW

Here's an article from the Tennessean that explains further:
Monday, 02/26/07
Gore gets heat for his electric bills
Staff says he uses compact fluorescent bulbs

By ANNE PAINE
Staff Writer

A day after receiving Oscar glory for a documentary on global warming, former Vice President Al Gore was called a hypocrite by a Tennessee group saying his Belle Meade home is using too much energy.

The home’s average month electric bill topped $1,359, according to the group.

“As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk (the) walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use,” said Drew Johnson, president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.

Electric bills obtained by The Tennessean, however, showed that Gore is paying a premium on his bills to be part of the “green power” program. Gore purchased 108 blocks of “green power” for at least each of the last three months, according to a summary of bills from Nashville Electric Service.

That’s a total of $432 a month spent to pay extra for solar or other renewable energy sources. NES power – outside this program - is derived largely from coal, which emits carbon, a green house gas.

The green power purchased by Gore in those three months is equivalent to recycling 2.48 million aluminum cans, or recycling 286,092 pounds of newspaper, according to comparison figures on the utility's Web site.

Gore’s movie details how greenhouse gases are trapping heat next to the earth, causing a changing climate with melting ice caps and more violent storms.

“Every family has a different carbon footprint,” said Kalee Krider, a spokeswoman for Gore.

The Gore’s 10,000 square foot house on Lynnwood Boulevard doesn’t have a small one.

The Green Power Switch program, however, isn’t all he and his wife, Tipper, are doing, Krider said.

They use compact fluourescent lights and are in the midst of a renovation project that includes having solar panels installed on their home to reduce fossil fuel consumption more, she said.

Their car? A Lexus hybrid SUV.

They put money into an investment company that Gore co-founded with a man named David Blood and it, in turn, sends the money to pay for solar, wind and other projects that reduce energy consumption around the globe.
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070226/NEWS01/70226055

 

[boedicca]

But Gore is not using Carbon Neutral sources from the start - he receives Carbon Indulgences from his own company as an employee benefit, and uses them to justify his gross consumption.

The good news is that he doesn't have to spend his own Strip Mining profits on his Carbon Credits.

 

[Dirt McGirt]

But Gore is not using Carbon Neutral sources from the start - he receives Carbon Indulgences from his own company as an employee benefit, and uses them to justify his gross consumption.

The good news is that he doesn't have to spend his own Strip Mining profits on his Carbon Credits.

Link? I believe that mine was closed in 2003.

 

[boedicca]

I'm assuming he has retained at least some of the STRIP MINING profits in his personal investment accounts.