Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Al Gore's Inconvenient Popularity

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UPDATE BELOW

Think Progress has the antidote to the fever of Gore-hatred that's burning on the right side of the blogosphere:

The right-wing is angry that Al Gore has won so much public attention and goodwill for his work on global warming. Determined to smear his efforts, Drudge writes in a screaming headline:



Responding to Drudge’s attack, Vice President Gore’s office told ThinkProgress:

1) Gore’s family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.

2) Gore has had a consistent position of purchasing carbon offsets to offset the family’s carbon footprint — a concept the right-wing fails to understand. Gore’s office explains:

What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gore’s do, to bring their footprint down to zero.

UPDATE: Seeing the Forest did a little digging into Tennessee Center for Policy Research, the org that sent out the press release about Al Gore's supposedly huge utility bills.

This afternoon, a group calling itself "The Tennessee Center For Policy Research" sent out a press release denouncing Vice President Gore for the size of his household electrical bills.

Let's start right there. How did they get the utility bills? They also didn't have the courtesy to ask Vice President Gore about them (despite their hollow claim of being non-partisan.) And why would a "think tank" possibly care about what Al Gore spends on gas?

Actually, let's start with a more basic question. Who are these people? Well , a quick check of Alexa reveals their web site gets no traffic. Are they legitimate? Well, again, they claim to be non-partisan but only link to far-right and conservative groups so regardless of what their status is with the IRS, this is a conservative, strongly-leaning Republican organization.

We will be digging through IRS documents tonight because if you follow the money, you always find the answers. We will let you know who their donors are as soon as we can.

3 comments:

Joan said...

Hey Kathy!

I think the criticisms against Gore are valid, although I do think Gore is genuine in his wish to improve the environment. Carbon offsets, energy saving technology and so on are well and good, but if he traded in his mansion for a reasonable sized house, with these energy saving methods, think of how much more energy efficient he would be.

We consume too much in the Western world and we have to cut that consumption. Too many people in Gore's position will not even consider consuming less. I remember the passage in the New Testament where it says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man (woman) to get into the kingdom of heaven. I think this is a similar situation. I also think one of the reason Gore is so popular is that he offers a "comfortable" solution rather than the optimal one.

It is all good to drive hybrid cars, use solar energy to heat one's house and so on. But if a person is living in a manison instead of a bungalow and has several hybrid cars rather than ONE car, I don't think the issue will be solved.

North Americans do not want to hear that they have to cut their consumption. They do not want to hear that they have to stop hopping a plane to Hawaii and so on. But that is what needs to be done. I think deep down people do recognize that, they just aren't ready to face it yet.

Take Care
Joan

Kathy said...

Okay, Joan, before I respond, I want you to sit down. Are you sitting? Okay. Take a deep breath. Brace yourself. Don't shriek.

Here's my response:

*I agree with you.*

:-)

Joan said...

Hey kathy!

LOL! ;)

Take Care
Joan