1) He does purchase carbon offsets (an abstract action, but it is beneficial.)
2) You *are* destroying the planet (as are we all.) It is important that we be conscious of it.
3) His "energy consuming mansion" is a restored historic house that he inherited and so it does present a complex dilemma you have the luxury of avoiding. (Should we tear down existing historic sites or would it make better sense to build new buildings for greater efficiency and fix existing ones the best we can? If he sold the house to someone else who does not care about the environment (or the house) would it make the US housing stock greener? Would he be "better" in your eyes?)
3) I would bet my net worth that
a.) he lives a very green lifestyle for a person with his wealth and responsibilities.
b.) his carbon footprint per dollar he earns is hugely lower than yours
c.) his actions in his life have overall greatly greened the world simply by his influence on people, companies, and governments -- far greater than you.
We need to get a realistic perspective on the scale and importance of our own and other's actions in the world. In complaining about Gore, you sound exactly like Greenpeace complaining about Apple.
This discussion is evolving into one more suited for the Political Outsider forum.
But I'll just say that it is quite fascinating to me how people can justify not living a lifestyle they wish to force - yes, force - upon everyone else.
This discussion is evolving into one more suited for the Political Outsider forum.
But I'll just say that it is quite fascinating to me how people can justify not living a lifestyle they wish to force - yes, force - upon everyone else.
You have forced me-- yes forced me -- to respond to your post!
Your world view is just a bit delusional and lacking in facts.
But as I pointed out, you (like most people) are unfamiliar with the importance of scale in assessing political, scientific, and environmental problems. The fact is this kind of abstraction does not come easily or naturally to *anyone.* I believe this is the single greatest reason why so many people do not trust or understand science and why politically we tend to be swayed by emotional overtures rather than reason. What emotional overture have you been swayed by recently? How about the wasteful Gore house meme?
So be honest, do you think Al Gore would be greener if he were to tear down a historic antebellum house (if the National Historic Register would even allow it.) Or is it better that he's spent a lot of money to make it about as green as it can possibly be?
Oh yeah, you totally bought the meme that was circulating the internet about how he didn't give a crap about the environment and how his house was so wasteful. Except that was only when he bought it, not after his long efforts of restoration, renovation, and retrofitting.
You have forced me-- yes forced me -- to respond to your post!
Your world view is just a bit delusional and lacking in facts.
But as I pointed out, you (like most people) are unfamiliar with the importance of scale in assessing political, scientific, and environmental problems. The fact is this kind of abstraction does not come easily or naturally to *anyone.* I believe this is the single greatest reason why so many people do not trust or understand science and why politically we tend to be swayed by emotional overtures rather than reason. What emotional overture have you been swayed by recently? How about the wasteful Gore house meme?
So be honest, do you think Al Gore would be greener if he were to tear down a historic antebellum house (if the National Historic Register would even allow it.) Or is it better that he's spent a lot of money to make it about as green as it can possibly be?
Oh yeah, you totally bought the meme that was circulating the internet about how he didn't give a crap about the environment and how his house was so wasteful. Except that was only when he bought it, not after his long efforts of restoration, renovation, and retrofitting.
Facts trump emotion every time.
You know virtually nothing of my world view, nor does it seem you are interested in asking me about it. You're too busy telling me what you think it is and how delusional and unthinking I am.
You know virtually nothing of my world view, nor does it seem you are interested in asking me about it. You're too busy telling me what you think it is and how delusional and unthinking I am.
Have fun with that.
Delusion is the normal human state.
It may have been accidental, but you made your world view public when you parroted a crazy but interesting and provocative lie as fact (no surprise, the lie was designed so you would believe it and repeat it to others.)
So does your world view still embrace the made up notion of Al Gore's energy wasting house? Or has it adjusted to the real world? Does your world view allow you to admit even to yourself that you were wrong on a tiny piece of fact about the world? Do you now believe that his is only the 14th residence in the US that's "LEED Gold Certified?"
Or do you cling to the idea he's the liar and hypocrite?
Comments
I would just point out that
1) He does purchase carbon offsets (an abstract action, but it is beneficial.)
2) You *are* destroying the planet (as are we all.) It is important that we be conscious of it.
3) His "energy consuming mansion" is a restored historic house that he inherited and so it does present a complex dilemma you have the luxury of avoiding. (Should we tear down existing historic sites or would it make better sense to build new buildings for greater efficiency and fix existing ones the best we can? If he sold the house to someone else who does not care about the environment (or the house) would it make the US housing stock greener? Would he be "better" in your eyes?)
3) I would bet my net worth that
a.) he lives a very green lifestyle for a person with his wealth and responsibilities.
b.) his carbon footprint per dollar he earns is hugely lower than yours
c.) his actions in his life have overall greatly greened the world simply by his influence on people, companies, and governments -- far greater than you.
We need to get a realistic perspective on the scale and importance of our own and other's actions in the world. In complaining about Gore, you sound exactly like Greenpeace complaining about Apple.
This discussion is evolving into one more suited for the Political Outsider forum.
But I'll just say that it is quite fascinating to me how people can justify not living a lifestyle they wish to force - yes, force - upon everyone else.
This discussion is evolving into one more suited for the Political Outsider forum.
But I'll just say that it is quite fascinating to me how people can justify not living a lifestyle they wish to force - yes, force - upon everyone else.
You have forced me-- yes forced me -- to respond to your post!
Your world view is just a bit delusional and lacking in facts.
But as I pointed out, you (like most people) are unfamiliar with the importance of scale in assessing political, scientific, and environmental problems. The fact is this kind of abstraction does not come easily or naturally to *anyone.* I believe this is the single greatest reason why so many people do not trust or understand science and why politically we tend to be swayed by emotional overtures rather than reason. What emotional overture have you been swayed by recently? How about the wasteful Gore house meme?
So be honest, do you think Al Gore would be greener if he were to tear down a historic antebellum house (if the National Historic Register would even allow it.) Or is it better that he's spent a lot of money to make it about as green as it can possibly be?
http://climateprogress.org/2007/12/1...ennessee-home/
http://current.com/items/88793568_al...ur-country.htm
Oh yeah, you totally bought the meme that was circulating the internet about how he didn't give a crap about the environment and how his house was so wasteful. Except that was only when he bought it, not after his long efforts of restoration, renovation, and retrofitting.
Facts trump emotion every time.
You have forced me-- yes forced me -- to respond to your post!
Your world view is just a bit delusional and lacking in facts.
But as I pointed out, you (like most people) are unfamiliar with the importance of scale in assessing political, scientific, and environmental problems. The fact is this kind of abstraction does not come easily or naturally to *anyone.* I believe this is the single greatest reason why so many people do not trust or understand science and why politically we tend to be swayed by emotional overtures rather than reason. What emotional overture have you been swayed by recently? How about the wasteful Gore house meme?
So be honest, do you think Al Gore would be greener if he were to tear down a historic antebellum house (if the National Historic Register would even allow it.) Or is it better that he's spent a lot of money to make it about as green as it can possibly be?
http://climateprogress.org/2007/12/1...ennessee-home/
Oh yeah, you totally bought the meme that was circulating the internet about how he didn't give a crap about the environment and how his house was so wasteful. Except that was only when he bought it, not after his long efforts of restoration, renovation, and retrofitting.
Facts trump emotion every time.
You know virtually nothing of my world view, nor does it seem you are interested in asking me about it. You're too busy telling me what you think it is and how delusional and unthinking I am.
Have fun with that.
You know virtually nothing of my world view, nor does it seem you are interested in asking me about it. You're too busy telling me what you think it is and how delusional and unthinking I am.
Have fun with that.
Delusion is the normal human state.
It may have been accidental, but you made your world view public when you parroted a crazy but interesting and provocative lie as fact (no surprise, the lie was designed so you would believe it and repeat it to others.)
So does your world view still embrace the made up notion of Al Gore's energy wasting house? Or has it adjusted to the real world? Does your world view allow you to admit even to yourself that you were wrong on a tiny piece of fact about the world? Do you now believe that his is only the 14th residence in the US that's "LEED Gold Certified?"
Or do you cling to the idea he's the liar and hypocrite?