>You will justify anything, won't you Chris? Oh, that's right, only in the party of your choice :o)

Of course! Ummm, no. I voted for Bush before I didn't vote for Bush, but dont hold it against me. I was a McCain fan back in the straighttalk express days, when the Bush campaign did the push polling illegitimate african-american baby thing. I have tended to vote R for pres, and a mixed bag for Congress. I'm an advocate for government paralysis. More so in light of the current admin. And I am against senators who hide payoffs in their freezer.

> Then add in the vehicle(s) and planes he flies.

They do use a good deal more energy than the local average (partial mea culpa), but (whether a skeptic or not) I find these arguments petty and humerous, especially for someone who's arguably done the most to raise global awareness about GW. For someone who's advocacy is global warming, i would expect him to travel and to advocate.

... He flies commercial most of the time
... there's a set of his-and-hers hybrid Mercury SUVs in the garage

I have now signed on to the 'mansion' description.

Al and Tipper Gore's home, a 1915 antebellum-style mansion [damnit!!] in the wealthy Belle Meade section of Nashville, is laid out a bit like Gore himself: a gracious and formal Southern façade; slightly stuffy rooms when you walk in the door; and startlingly modern, relaxed, informal living spaces to the rear. The Gores bought the old place five years ago and are still retrofitting it, making it energy efficient with new windows, new heating and cooling units, solar panels on the roof. (The anti-Gore crowd zinged him recently because his electricity bill last August was 10 times the local average. The Gores pay extra to get 100% of their power from renewable sources, and their zealous retrofitting will no doubt bring their costs down. But it stung.) A new addition has a slate-floor family room (with a pool table and a flat-panel TV; Tipper's drum set and some nice acoustic guitars are nearby) and a gym and an office suite upstairs; there's a set of his-and-hers hybrid Mercury SUVs in the garage.




>You will justify anything, won't you Chris? Oh, that's right, only in the party of your choice :o) Only 2 rooms out of 20 are offices. What about the other 18? Well, maybe his monitors aren't green? :0)
>
>http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1622338_1363003,00.html
>
>Or perhaps you mean the OTHER offices he has?
>
>
>
>>It is a big home or what ever you want to call it. Its reportedly 4 times the size of a 2006 built home. Not to split hairs, but the AP had reported that he uses 12 times the area average, and they note that the natl avg was 4/5/6 years old. One would suspect that the avg is higher. His home contains offices for both himself and his wife. As I noted in my comments to Terry, i guess he could have purchased a smaller house without offices and then rented offices elsewhere and incurred the energy bills and costs to run those offices and the transportation to and from.
>>
>>>He doesn't live in a large home. He lives in a 20 room, 8 bedroom mansion with an average monthly electric bill of 1300.00 The Nashville Electric Services said Gore used nearly 221,000 kilowatt hours in 2006, more than 20 times the national average. In An Inconvenient Truth, he calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home. Then add in the vehicle(s) and planes he flies. He also controls the family's stock holdings in Occidental Petroleum - hardly the most eco-friendly. Don't forget his personal interests in the companies he created to allow citizens to buy credits to artificially reduce their carbon footprints.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Whats the hypocrisy? The big house?
>>>>
>>>>>I have problems with Gore's hypocrisy. However to be fair, he was always an environmentalist. That has been his pet cause for as long as I can remember. Long before he was VP.
>>>>>
>>>>>It just dawned on me. He could reduce his carbon footprint if he and Senator Edwards combined their two properties and created a commune. Just think of Edwards' 82000-square-foot mansion combined with his... :o)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>I disagree. The link between the peace prize and the ecology isn't obvious at first sight, but if you take into account that climate changes may cause more natural disasters (hurricanes, floods) and reduce the volume of water supply, then taking action now against pollution will help in reducing the damage and have less peoples dying or fighting each others for the remaining ressources.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>For me, the choice of Al Gore for the Nobel peace prize is a good one.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>It certainly is NOT a peace prize.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>The Nobel Committee states your point....
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/press.html
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Indications of changes in the earth's future climate must be treated with the utmost seriousness, and with the precautionary principle uppermost in our minds. Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind. They may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>There's also a video on their site...
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>Following the announcement, Geir Lundestad, Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, tells freelance journalist Øystein Heggen why climate change is connected with war and peace.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>And Gore certainly has been competing for earth's resources, what with all the jet-setting he does, and $37,0000 to power his home
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>Terry, you really have it in for Al and his house. I dont subscribe to the idea that he ought to be living in a tent and walking across the planet to promote his cause. I think he'd find it too difficult to get his msg out. And I dont have a problem with him owning a big house either. Even a pool and a guest house. And an office. Probabaly an office for Tipper too (from which to warn us about bad music). I understand that its quite a 'green' house. But it is a big house.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Yes. And it seems that Perry has too (must be something to do with names ending with "erry"). The house doesn't bother me so much, for the reasons you've just stated, but then again, wasn't it pointed out recently that the very un-green GWB beats Gore into a cocked hat with his energy-efficient house, and I'm sure the Pres's house carries a few staff and stuff.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>My main beef with him is the GW band-waggon he jumped on. I've made no pretence of my skepticism for the unstoppable anti-GW juggernaut that has become a whole series of industries in itself, keeping 1000s in employment (not least Gore, his entourage and the makers of his film). It's also a similar beef that I have against the rich and privileged who bang on about their high-profile "My Work" re: their charity work (like Princess Di). Now, give me several million pounds, such that I don't have to work for a living, a lot of leisure time, and I can be just as altruistic as these lucky buggers.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Does Gore give all his lecture fees to GW campaigning charities, BTW? I don't know. I suspect not. I also suspect he made a pretty penny on his film.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I am not familiar with the energy rating of W's house. Frankly, i find that a distraction. I suspect if Gore didnt have a home office (maybe two?) and instead had them "in town" then his home energy bill would be lower. Then you'd find it that much harder to reject his positions outright ;). Plus he can leave the Prius in the driveway and walk to work.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I dont think he jumped on the badwagon as much as he was an early "championeer". And you can hate Princess Di all you want, but not me ;). The issue of rich/privileged/soapbox cuts both ways. If you are not rich nor privileged, you dont have a soapbox.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>1) I don't hate Di. She was alright but this cult-worship, the fact that one British newspaper NEVER has her off its front page (always ANOTHER plot/twist/fact/scandal/speculation/etc). She did some good "work" and had a winning smile but ...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>It wasn't Di who created the Di hysteria. It was your the world press. Plus, she couldnt sit around on her duff all day could she?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>2) I don't know about Gore being a champion. There's been noise about GW for over a decade and I only heard, to my surprise, that Gore was involved when the film came out.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I think he's been involved w/ that issue for a long while.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>3) Rich and soapbox. Exactly" Without riches you don't get in teh privileged position to be heard. Without Gore's money/clout/connections/whatever he couldn't have made th efilm. I'd have a lot more respect for him if he'd been some poor boy inconnu made the flick with a few thou budget.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Gore was a congressman/senator for 17/18 years and then was the VP for 8. So yes you do make a lot of connections in that gig, and vice versa. And his dad was a senator before him. And his family owned a farm of some size. So i guess money came from a few different places. But he didnt marry into it. He was sorta born into it, and then got a job.