Gore Defends Mansion's Power Consumption

Conservative Group Says Ex-Vice President Isn't "Walking The Walk" Of An Environmentalist

(CBS/AP)  Al Gore, the former vice president whose documentary film about global warming won an Academy Award this week, is defending his energy use after being slammed by a conservative group that claims he isn't "walking the walk" of an environmentalist.

The group accuses Gore of using too much electricity to power his sprawling Nashville mansion.

A spokeswoman for Gore said the former vice president invests in enough renewable energy to make up for the home's power consumption. The spokeswoman said Gore purchases enough "green power" — renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and methane gas — to balance 100 percent of his electricity costs.

"Sometimes when people don't like the message, in this case that global warming is real, it's convenient to attack the messenger," Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said.

Gore participates in a utility program that sells blocks of "green power" for an extra $4 a month. Gore purchases 108 such blocks every month, covering 16,200 kilowatt-hours and helping subsidize renewable energy sources.

Gore's documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth," which chronicled his campaign against global warming, won two Academy Awards on Sunday.

The following day, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research put out a news release saying Gore was not doing enough to reduce his own consumption of electricity. The group disputes whether global warming is a serious problem.

"We wanted to see if he was living by his own recommendations and walking the walk," said Drew Johnson, president of the think tank, which pushes for conservative economic issues.

Utility records show the Gore family paid an average monthly electric bill of about $1,200 last year for its 10,000-square-foot home.

The Gores used about 191,000 kilowatt hours in 2006, according to bills reviewed by The Associated Press spanning the period from Feb. 3, 2006, to Jan. 5. That is far more than the typical Nashville household, which uses about 15,600 kilowatt-hours per year.

His Nashville home is more than four times larger than the average new American home built last year — about 2,400 square feet, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month, according to the Tennessee Center For Policy Research's release.

That is more than an average American family uses in an entire year.

Johnson said it's unclear whether global warming is caused by humans, and he said the threat outlined in Gore's documentary is exaggerated.

The think tank said that Gore used nearly 221,000 kilowatt hours last year and that his average monthly electric bill was $1,359. Johnson said his group got its figures from Nashville Electric Service.

But electric company spokeswoman Laurie Parker said the utility never got a request from the policy center and never provided them with any information.

Parker said Gore has been purchasing the "green power" for $432 a month since November. The Gore home is also under renovation to add solar panels, Kreider said.

Gore also owns homes in Carthage, Tenn., and in the Washington area.

Gore has said he leads a "carbon-neutral lifestyle." To balance out other carbon emissions, the Gores invest money in projects to reduce energy consumption around the globe, Kreider said.

"For every ton of carbon they emit, he offsets that by doing investments in renewable energy sources," Kreider said.

Johnson said those efforts were unconvincing.

"In general, I applaud his efforts to reduce energy consumption, but if he is going to be a spokesman for global warming, he has to be willing to make the same sacrifices," Johnson said.

Johnson said Gore's home has gas lamps lining the driveway, a heated pool and an electric gate, all of which would be easy to do without.

Kreider confirmed that Gore's home has a heated pool and an electric gate, but noted that the gate is important for security and that the driveway has only one gas lamp.

Focusing on Gore's personal electricity consumption misses the point of "An Inconvenient Truth," Kreider said, which is that governments and the public can work together to reduce emissions.

[david93932]

AL GORE IS A LYING DEMOCRAT!!!

[duffer66a]

Al Gores obviously not using any energy to power a tread mill.Gluttony,hypocrisy.

[duffer66a]

Al Gores obviously not using any energy to power a tread mill.Gluttony,hypocrisy.

[energyecon]

Here they are, the "Tennessee Policy Institute" crew from their web site - anyone care to see what a Google exercise will reveal about this august assemblege?

Staff

Kellie Garretson Administrative Assistant
Drew Johnson President
Trent Seibert Director of Government Accountability
Nicole Williams Vice President of Operations
Douglas Kurdziel Research Fellow
Trapper Michael Research Fellow
Daniel Phillips Research Fellow
Troy Senik Research Fellow
Luci Stephens Research Fellow

Scholars

Dale Bails, PhD Christian Brothers University
Robert Berry, MD PATMOS EmergiClinic
J.C. Bowman, PhD Florida State University
J.R. Clark, PhD University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Larry M. Hall, PhD Belmont University
Martin D. Kennedy, PhD Middle Tennessee State University
Sally Kilgore, PhD Modern Red Schoolhouse Institute
Shaka L.A. Mitchell, JD Institute for Justice
John Stone, PhD Education Consumers Clearinghouse
Amy H. Sturgis, PhD Belmont University
Charles Van Eaton, PhD Bryan College
Marilyn Young, PhD Belmont University

[energyecon]

***yawn***

Just another CON job

[j0hnwi11iams]

Global warming is no hoax. The group attacking Gore is a HOAX. Exxon-mobil funding climate change deniers is a HOAX. What planet do you idiots intend to invade once you've destroyed this one?

People such as "processor2", "gettitrightt", etc represent what is wrong with the world. Because a person does not agree with their limited views and misguided beliefs they must lash out and bash others. I am all in favor of freedom of speech but not freedom of ignorance. Perhaps your "Rules of Engagement" should be more carefully enforced.

[processor2]

TYPICAL LIBERAL HYPOCRISY...."Do as I say, not as I do"

AND, no BS about "offsets" either, that's just a (ir)rationalizing cop-out to make liberal polluters feel better about themselves.

And that, is an inconvenient truth.

....

[gettitrightt]

When he made that movie, HE LIED TO US!!!! HE PLAYED ON OUR FEARS!!!

Offset, Schmoffset. I guess he can eat 4000 calories a day because there are starving children in Africa too.

Typical liberal diversion. You don't get a free pass just because you are so all important to the cause. This is the same reason that communism has never worked - the leaders of the movement don't follow the precepts. It's always something for everyone else to do.

Get real, America haters. Quit feeling guilty for being the best. Be responsible but quit your hand wringing because other places in the world are not as fortunate.

Be like your own movement leaders - "If there is the slightest chance that it's true, don't you think it's important to start doing something now?"
How about this, "If there is the slightest chance that the whole thing is false and designed to let the lefty loons take over every aspect of your life, don't you think you should be sceptical?"

[gettitrightt]

When he made that movie, HE LIED TO US!!!! HE PLAYED ON OUR FEARS!!!

Offset, Schmoffset. I guess he can eat 4000 calories a day because there are starving children in Africa too.

Typical liberal diversion. You don't get a free pass just because you are so all important to the cause. This is the same reason that communism has never worked - the leaders of the movement don't follow the precepts. It's always something for everyone else to do.

Get real, America haters. Quit feeling guilty for being the best. Be responsible but quit your hand wringing because other places in the world are not as fortunate.

Be like your own movement leaders - "If there is the slightest chance that it's true, don't you think it's important to start doing something now?"
How about this, "If there is the slightest chance that the whole thing is false and designed to let the lefty loons take over every aspect of your life, don't you think you should be sceptical?"

[gettitrightt]

When he made that movie, HE LIED TO US!!!! HE PLAYED ON OUR FEARS!!!

Offset, Schmoffset. I guess he can eat 4000 calories a day because there are starving children in Africa too.

Typical liberal diversion. You don't get a free pass just because you are so all important to the cause. This is the same reason that communism has never worked - the leaders of the movement don't follow the precepts. It's always something for everyone else to do.

Get real, America haters. Quit feeling guilty for being the best. Be responsible but quit your hand wringing because other places in the world are not as fortunate.

Be like your own movement leaders - "If there is the slightest chance that it's true, don't you think it's important to start doing something now?"
How about this, "If there is the slightest chance that the whole thing is false and designed to let the lefty loons take over every aspect of your life, don't you think you should be sceptical?"

[hawksprings]

Hey, we need to cut Algore a break. Even if he burned down all the rain forests in the Amazon it would be ok because he's done so much to warn us about Global Warming and our imdending doom.

You see, in Liberal LaLa World it's not what you DO that counts, it's what your INTENTIONS are.
Like Algore's INTENTION to put solar panels on this mansion he's owned before he created "Inconvenient Truth".

Only evil Republicans are to be held accountable for their actions.

[dallison7]

This is now old 'not-news'. I just dropped in to see if the right wingnuts were still riding around their 'swiftboat'. They are!
LMAO

[teeus]

"Your man did not win in 2000 and you are still whining over six years later. Gore lost!!!! Toooooo Baaaaaddddd. It's history! Can we move on???"

I wonder...would you be so emphatic about everyone "moving on" if the results in 2000 had gone the other way?

I mean, Christ-on-a-crutch, Clinton hasn't been in office for years, and none of you can let anything go that happened during that administration.

I'll get over it if you will

[processor2]

TYPICAL LIBERAL HYPOCRISY...."Do as I say, not as I do"

AND, no BS about "offsets" either, that's just a (ir)rationalizing cop-out to make liberal polluters feel better about themselves.

And that, is an inconvenient truth.

....

[scott4261]

And BTW, the Republicans really DID believe that Al Gore could STEAL the election from George W. Bush through the Electoral College PRIOR to the election in 2000. And do you know which conservative commentator floated the idea that maybe it was time to abolish the electoral college back in 2000 BEFORE the election and then never said a word about his idea after? It was none other than Oxycontin-addled Rush Limbaugh! Amusing, huh?

[scott4261]

Scott4261;

You can't be serious!!

Seven years later and you still haven't accepted the fact that we have an ELECTORAL COLLEGE to determine the outcome of our elections, and that Bush (I know how much you hate that name :) ) WON the election by the same rules that have been in effect virtually forever in the U.S..

I'd bet that if Bore won the election in the same manner, you'd be happier than a pig in *** and you'd be complaining about the whining being done by the Republican party!

Give me a break, Skippy.

Posted by LibDemsSuck at 01:14 AM

---------

First of all, I have thought about this quite a lot over the years and even before the election in 2000 I was pushing to abolish the Electoral College. In the modern era, with an increasing mobile electorate, it simply does not make since to keep it in place. As I said in my post, the elite (the republicans in this case) used the EC for a power grab. And no, if Gore had become president in the same manner I still would feel the same way about abolishing the EC. But lets clarify this right now: he WAS elected by popular vote! And Bush has turned out to be a disaster for the United States and for the world.

Second, my name is NOT Skippy. But if you want to call me that, pardon me if I call you a nutjob.

[jdweymouth]

One thing more interesting is the fact that Bush's home in Crawford is more eco-friendly than Gore's homes are. Read this article-

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/3/1/74130.shtml?s=icp

[chippy442]

Due to deregulation in the electric industry in Pennsyvania, consumers were permitted to select their provider, one of which was a so-called Green Provider. I selected mine based solely on a lower kilowatt cost. I worked for a power company at the time and most of us were amazed that after paying substantially higher rates than customers outside our service area, people would instead elect to pay HIGHER costs still. Typical Liberal solution, like closing parking lots in Boston, in order to reduce automobile traffic and thus emissions, but has the exact opposite effect, as hundreds of cars circle the block for hours waiting for a space.
For more insight into the Liberal thinking process, get "Prince Albert: The Life and Lies of Al Gore".

[tuckerndfw]

Just another ExxonMobil sponsored smear campaign.

Too bad ExxonMobil's executives are so spineless they have to hide behind front groups. Reminds me of the spineless cowards in the White House.

$1,200 a month to power a 10,000 sq. ft. house is relatively inexpensive. Especially for an older home.