A Fisking We Will Go...

Hi.

Got this comment from an 'anonymous' visitor.

Anonymous said...

So you rightwingnut bloggers think this data from an extreme hard exxon supported Republican outfit is impartial truth. Go stick this somewhere you liars.

Gore lives in a large home (10,000 sq. ft.). If you look at the data, it's clear that Gore's energy usage per square foot (even assuming the 221,000 kWh number is accurate) is well within the average range for his climate region. So all this accusation boils down to is a claim that it is somehow "hypocritical" for Al Gore to live in a large house.

That's awfully weak. Gore's a former Senator and Vice President of the United States. Does he have to move into a studio apartment before he has the right to talk about climate change?

And more importantly,even this watered-down hypocrisy charge entirely misses the point. What Al Gore wants people to do is reduce the carbon footprint of their residence as much as possible and then purchase carbon offsets to reduce the remaining footprint to zero. Gore has installed solar panels in his home, he uses fluorescent light bulbs and other energy saving technology, and he purchases his energy from Green Power Switch, a provider which utilizes solar and wind power. He then purchases carbon offsets to reduce his remaining carbon footprint to zero.
"Could Gore use less overall energy if he and Tipper moved into a one-bedroom apartment? Of course. But he's not asking people to move into smaller homes. He's asking them to reduce their carbon footprints, which is exactly what he has done. He practices what he preaches.

And last but not least, I'm always amazed by the triumphalism displayed by right-wingers when they think they've managed to humiliate a messenger, as if doing so somehow undermines the message itself.

Okay, let's look at the what the commenter said.

Starts off with the traditional accusations of corruption and the name calling:

So you rightwingnut bloggers think this data from an extreme hard exxon supported Republican outfit is impartial truth. Go stick this somewhere you liars.

I think you and Al Gore are in the pay of Exxon & Pals.

This entire crusade against global warming is one of the key reasons oil prices, and oil company profits are so high. Without the hysteria new sources could be utilized and new refineries built, but the greenies scream "NO" so oil prices keep going up and up, making corporate fat cats and terrorists richer by the day.

Judging by your comment I am assuming that you only believe outfits paid for by international profiteer George Soros are source of unbiased and impartial truth. That makes you a leftwingnut fool with their head firmly lodged between their own buttocks.

Gore lives in a large home (10,000 sq. ft.). If you look at the data, it's clear that Gore's energy usage per square foot (even assuming the 221,000 kWh number is accurate) is well within the average range for his climate region. So all this accusation boils down to is a claim that it is somehow "hypocritical" for Al Gore to live in a large house.

Really. Most sources put Al Gore's mansion at about 4 to 5 times the national average for square footage, but they also state that Gore's bill is 20X the average.

There's more to that than simple square footage going on. Large scale marijuana grow-ops have power bills like that, not mansions housing two seemingly normal adults.

And the big thing is that Gore didn't deny that his power bill was unusually large. He simply said that it was justified by purchasing carbon credits from himself.

That's awfully weak. Gore's a former Senator and Vice President of the United States. Does he have to move into a studio apartment before he has the right to talk about climate change?

No, but I do think he should be doing something other than paying himself money.

Gore has installed solar panels in his home, he uses fluorescent light bulbs and other energy saving technology, and he purchases his energy from Green Power Switch, a provider which utilizes solar and wind power.

Interesting how a lot of that was done after his bill was released to the public, but that's for others to discuss.

He then purchases carbon offsets to reduce his remaining carbon footprint to zero

Let's look at his all forgiving carbon offset program and ask a few questions about them.

1. What do these Carbon Offset companies do to 'offset' carbon?

2. Who regulates and monitors these groups to see if they are actually doing what they claim to do?

3. How effective are carbon offsets when it allows rich people to pollute guilt free?

I think environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. said it best when he said: Buying carbon offsets and continuing to pollute is like driving drunk, but tossing a handful of money at an AA meeting as you pass by.

And who runs these carbon offset companies?

Al Gore and his rich friends.

The entire carbon offset idea is just a huge scam for the rich to get richer by making average people pay for what is essentially a negative, something that can't be proven.

And last but not least, I'm always amazed by the triumphalism displayed by right-wingers when they think they've managed to humiliate a messenger, as if doing so somehow undermines the message itself.

Isn't that what you've tried to do here?

You tossed a lot of insults and talking points and then just strutted away in the vain hope that I would just curl up and die.

If Gore truly is right, then why won't he debate any of the scientists and pundits who challenge him?

Why does he try silence his critics with accusations of dark oil company conspiracies instead of attacking them with facts?

Why is his profiteering off of people's climate change fears seem okay to you?

Why isn't Al Gore running his offset companies as non-profit charities?

Well?

I guess you can just stick that in your bong and smoke it.