I’m pleased Al covered his arse.
KPG predicted that after the Oscars Al’d come out and say he’s gonna make another run for POTUS.
As much as I like the idea of a woman president, Hilary, although there are most likely NO skeletons left in her closet, just doesn’t do it for me.
She’s far too willing to accommodate fuckwits and their proposals and she doesn’t show any sign of balls unlike Golda Meir, the original Iron Lady, who Ben-Gurion once described as “the only man in the Cabinet”.

Colbert covered this story last night.  Too bad he didn’t further report on the truth of Gore’s purchasing green energy.  Instead he mocked the think tank that reported the energy bills by claiming to have formed his own that roots through Gore’s trash.  The bit was pretty funny, I just wish they had mentioned that second bit, because now most people who saw it are gonna probably just accept the first part.

Article: Seems like Gore is walking the walk

A rare thing in politics, David Cameron, head of UK conservative party cycles to work and takes credit for it, but his shoes and case go by car:

http://www.velovision.co.uk/forum/read.php?f=1&i=2391&t=2391

When a politition really does live up to his word, it seems petty to try to discredit him for something that they know can be unfairly miscontrued

Even if Gore wasn’t installing the solar panels, and using fluorescent tubes, he still has done more to battle Global Warming than most people ever contemplate doing.  The awareness he has raised, and research he has funded and reported will have a lasting impact.  He is no were near being a hypocrite.

If he were gobbling electricity like there was no tomorrow, then he would be a hypocrite in the style of all who preach one thing, and practice another. The fact that he is paying more for green power, reverses that polarity.

When I look at conservative resistance to the urgency of global climate change, I am reminded of that line in I Robot where all hell is breaking loose, and Will Smith says; “Somehow, I told you so just doesn’t say it!“  Our planet is headed for a moment like that.

I sort of wonder about somebody who preaches about energy conservation and has a 10,000 square foot house.  That is more than enough space for at least 5 normal sized homes.

That is more than enough space for at least 5 normal sized homes.

Not only is normal a relative term, even though I would tend to agree with you here, we also do not know where this 10,000 sq feet comes from.  Al could have an attached greenhouse or something of the sort that is being included in this report.  And I don’t live next to him to give any first hand account…

OK, the size of four or five average sized US homes.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average home size in the United States was 2,330 square feet in 2004, up from 1,400 square feet in 1970.

Well, we know Fat Albert is not peddling to work.  No.  He flies in big gas guzzling airplanes to promote energy conservation and rides to the Oscars, an event of no substance consuming an untold number of kilowatt hours, in big gas guzzling cars.  Good thing he is able to absolve his conscience by buying “indulgences.“ 

Funny thing about all this buying of “indulgences” by the greens-it favors the rich.  If you are poor and can’t afford the “indulgences” then you must get out your bicycle.  So most of you all need to learn the words now:

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle

My theme song

Consi: you are right about the Oscars and I won’t argue with you there.  But about everything else… His vehicle is a hybrid SUV.  While it is still a piss poor decision to drive an SUV, it is a hybrid which helps some.

He also spends more on offsetting his emissions of plane flights, taxi services, and other emitting items than most Conservatives will do in their life time.

If you are poor and can’t afford the “indulgences” then you must get out your bicycle.

Not completely true.  There are plenty of green indulgences people can partake in.  But it certainly is easier if you rich.

He also spends more on offsetting his emissions of plane flights, taxi services, and other emitting items than most Conservatives will do in their life time.

Conservatives have nothing to do with Fat Albert’s energy consumption.  It is an irrelevant attempt to change the topic.

Staying focused on the topic at hand, the point was, is, and remains: Fat Albert is nothing more than the rich Catholic of old.  He preaches a gospel he doesn’t have to adhere.  He genuflects to the principles of conservation and then engages in a greedy grab of limited energy resources to the detriment of the rest of the world.  His response to his greed is to simply toss some gold in the offetory basket. 

The most remarkable thing is that the congregation of the Church of Green applauds and blesses him saying that his sins have been forgiven.  I don’t think tossing gold in the basket for one’s sins deserves an “Amen Amen I say to you.“ It is certainly not your response to the Catholic of old.

If the Church of Green is to be taken serious on its gospel of conservation then the same standards must apply to all-rich and poor alike.

My point was simply that what he emits into the atmosphere he offsets.  While you may see this as a negative because limited resources are still being used, there are plenty of others that do more wasteful activities than Al and do no offsetting.  Nascar, people who drive large SUVs and trucks to go shopping at the mall, and many others.

So I see your complaint and understand your point, but it is pointless since there are plenty of other causes to go after and attack.

It would be useless if “Fat Al” were saying, Ralph Nader - style, “Everyone has to live a life of privation”.  Privation has never sold well in a rich society.  If there is no way for rich people to live a rich lifestyle, you can forget about conservation ever becoming a reality.  Offsetting the damage is not tossing gold in the collection plate to expiate an offended diety, it is restoration. 

Applying the creative capitalistic imagination to environmental sustainability is a new idea.  It is far more likely to succeed where hippie-style environmentalism has not.

I think Al Gore is a sanctimonius bastard but I don’t think he’s a hypocrite. Maybe I’ve misread the guy completely (and I haven’t seen his movie) but I’ve always gotten the impression that Al wants to curtail wasted energy use, not get us to radically alter our lifestyles. Use more efficient bulbs, shut down things we aren’t using, that sort of stuff.

And getting all over him for using a private plane is ridiculous. I’m sorry, but Al Gore just can’t fly commercial. Even setting aside normal privacy concerns, Al is too big a security risk. Not only for himself but for everyone around him.

My point was simply that what he emits into the atmosphere he offsets.

Doubt it.  Not in full anyway and for the last 3 months.  Nice.

More importantly Webs, this is about hypocrisy.  Gore talks and talks about a carbon-neutral lifestyle.  He doesn’t come close to living a carbon neutral lifestyle.  Most of us don’t travel in mongo jets to and fro across the earth.  We don’t travel in SUVs and limos with an entourage.  We don’t have 3 houses that are all consuming all the time at rates far above the average household.  We don’t have mining operations polluting the streams. And we don’t go preaching to our neighbors about the speck of dust in their eye when we have a huge hunk of redwood in our own eye.

I’m not against efforts to green it up.  I am against efforts to refuse to call Gore the hypocrite that he is.

LJ: KPG predicted that after the Oscars Al’d come out and say he’s gonna make another run for POTUS.

I’m standing by that prediction, LJ, with one caveat. I think he’s going to wait until the other contenders beat the shit out of each other before he jumps in.

Oh shit everyone… the argument is over.  DING DING DING!!!  That is one hell of a link you got there…

Oh wait..  if only it wasn’t spewing the same bullshit that was pointed out by Les in this post.  you apparently failed to read what I wrote and what DOF wrote.

I understand the hypocrisy you are trying to point out, but what you fail to see is that being able to offset emissions is necessary for the rich.  If Al had to do it your way, where he couldn’t offset emissions, how would he get around the world to share his info on global warming?

Sorry bout double dip, but this should clear up some other things.  good job Olbermann:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/Media/Play/14790/1/Countdown-Gore-Energy.wmv/

Consi: it favors the rich

Geez Consi, you had a bit of a spaz attack over Bert.
I suppose we should assume you don’t like him much and it has nothing to do with his stance on global warming and everything to do with the fact he stood against your favourite POTUS.
It could even have a bit to do with the fact your shrub was forced to use underhanded tactics to make sure Al didn’t get the job promised to the shrub by Dog.

Here’s Al having a go at doing the right thing and raising people’s awareness.
He hasn’t started a war and killed anyone in ... aaahh, oh, about six and a half years and you going all mental on him.
Man, reading your vitriol I thought Anne Coulter had come to town.

On the other hand we have a shrub lying about Weapons of Mass Distraction and why y’all had to take on the Arabs ... and just not generally having a clue about the law of cause and effect.

And the Iowa Voice piece you pointed at seems to me to about as right-wing blind as anything I’ve seen.
I’d love to read a piece they did about shrub - they’d come out with so much schmaltz it’d make most thinking people vomit.

Coming back to

Consi: it favors the rich

That is the biggest load of frog shit I’ve heard from you in a long time.
I’ve had a few reminders about ‘green energy’. I did a calculation a few months ago that it’d cost about 15>25% more in my electric costs. I’m poor but I can handle that. I’ll change over this arvo or tomorrow.
I did a quick measure of my flat - 425 sq feet. Plenty big enough for me - I’m not wasting room and it’s the best I can afford.
My car is a 3cyl 989cc Daihatsu; extremely economical and it’s the best I can afford. I walk where I can.
Today is shopping day and instead of buying $40 of meat I’ll buy less than $20 but more fruit and vegetable as they’re cheaper to produce than meat but I’ll be driving.
Al raised my awareness just a bit and I’m having a go at helping to save the planet.
But according to you because Al is from the left everyone should ignore him and everything he says.
For some silly reason I got you mixed up with someone smarter than that.
Global warming isn’t a left or right thing - much like your god it doesn’t respect politics.

His response to his greed is to simply toss some gold in the offertory basket.

Even if this was all he was doing he’s nothing like the Catholics of old who preached paradise was the place every good catholic would go to.
Albert’s talking about saving what we have here … and now.
By the way, is anyone on the right attempting to confront reality or are they all rapture ready? 

I usually take my car to work, but whenever I run errands around town I always try to bike it (unless there is a torrential downpour or something). Not only is it better for the planet, it’s also better for me and it’s more enjoyable than driving.

I’m sorry, Consigliere, but having lived in this country my whole life, I can no longer hear a conservative use the word “hypocrite” without breaking out in laughter. 
  So by your logic, anyone who dares address the ills of modern living has to use a horse and cart to spread the word?  Anyone who dares to care about the poor or the environment can no longer enjoy any of the wealth they have earned or inherited?  When was the last time you saw anyone actually taking a homeless street preacher seriously?  I can only assume you’ve never called yourself a Christian, since you haven’t sold your computer to give alms.       
  Speaking of hypocrisy, where’s that smaller government and preservation of individual liberty that conservatives have been talking about since WWII?  Oh yeah, they’re all to busy using my tax money to make themselves billionaires by murdering the citizens of other countries while pissing all over the Constitution that establishes those liberties in the first place!  For all his so-called hypocrisy, at least Al has actually done a thing or two in his life that could benefit someone other than himself.

KPatrickGlover: Al is too big a security risk. Not only for himself but for everyone around him.

That’s no small point, and no small counterpoint to this, either:

C

onsigliere: We don’t travel in SUVs and limos with an entourage.

And “Fat Albert”? Mr. Poopyhead? Tantrum much? What a waste of brain power.

As for the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, you’ll have to overlook the mistakes for the time being: The police are busy arresting each other, and the politicians are currently trying to make bail. It’s all just so hectic… I’m sure it was an honest mistake.

Not only is normal a relative term, even though I would tend to agree with you here, we also do not know where this 10,000 sq feet comes from.

Funny how the right always protects the rich’s right to be rich (hey they EARNED it), but if a liberal is rich, it becomes hypocrisy.

Big house? Energy bills? Uh, yes? A politico (and in many ways he still is, for good reasons) NEEDS to work people, whether he’s left or right, and that includes hosting dinner parties and having friends and acquaintances over.

I also like the fact that people like Consi claim that a liberal should do his PR (he’s advancing a cause, last time I looked that was okay in a democracy) on a shoestring budget, and travel to the Oscars on a bicycle. Oh, and please don’t fly when attending meetings on global warming, take the train (even if its in Europe or South Africa, just take your godamn eco-friendly travel method - sail a boat there, or whatever).

Seems like someone who is doing SOMETHING against global warming is a hypocrite, and those who just burn their bridges behind them are the true patriots. Sounds familar? Yep, because its the sound of the right-wing hatchet jobbers at work.

Yea, and it’s funny how right wingers are crying about the size of his house, when we now know that he and his wife both do business out of it.  The both have separate offices and Gore has a Guest House.

So all the right wing crying about Gore is all bullshit just as usual.  I am surprised at all.  NOPE!