The Gore paradigm is generalized
The LATimes has an article that, in effect, generalizes the Gore situation to many other green leaning politicos. It is at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jets28feb28,0,2448915.story?coll=la-home-headlines
The article points out the fact that such elected officials as Sen Dianne Feinstein and Gov Arnold Schwartzenegger fly on private jets ocassionally. Staff of these officials point out that sometimes a commercial carrier isn't available to get them where they have to go when they have to be there. Certainly, this is more reasonable than the Gore Mansion case where there is no business reason why Gore has to have a 10,000 ft house, no business reason why it has to have a heated pool, no business reason why he has to have 3 other residences.
I'll give the elected officials a pass. However, it behooves them to consider that the citizens they represent also have to be places and certain times (like at work) whenever they make speeches about global warming.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Even More on the Al Gore Mansion
1. it seems Al Gore has 3 other dwellings he owns and only spends about 6 months of the year in Nashville
2. the use of carbon credits is apparently mentioned in his .ppt presentations, however most of the presentations are about reducing consumption; also apparently carbon credits were part of the goodie bag handed out at the Oscars ---
Given the mention of carbon credits in the .ppt presentation, Al Gore may be more properly considered a morally vain weasel rather than a hypocrite. Would that be better?
Also, here is a post from someone who lives near Al and consumes less per sq ft. It also has an impressive chain of comments.
http://www.bobkrumm.com/blog/2007/02/27/debunking-a-rather-lame-debunking/
One additional point is worth mentioning. Al Gore buys carbon credits from a company which is has the following web site:
http://www.generationim.com/
It turns out that Al Gore founded this company and is the chairman of the company. The company apparently invests in ecofriendly technology although the company's website is unspecific about what they actually do, who owns how much stock and how much capital the company manages. In effect, Al Gore may well be buying carbon credits by investing the money in his own company.
1. it seems Al Gore has 3 other dwellings he owns and only spends about 6 months of the year in Nashville
2. the use of carbon credits is apparently mentioned in his .ppt presentations, however most of the presentations are about reducing consumption; also apparently carbon credits were part of the goodie bag handed out at the Oscars ---
Given the mention of carbon credits in the .ppt presentation, Al Gore may be more properly considered a morally vain weasel rather than a hypocrite. Would that be better?
Also, here is a post from someone who lives near Al and consumes less per sq ft. It also has an impressive chain of comments.
http://www.bobkrumm.com/blog/2007/02/27/debunking-a-rather-lame-debunking/
One additional point is worth mentioning. Al Gore buys carbon credits from a company which is has the following web site:
http://www.generationim.com/
It turns out that Al Gore founded this company and is the chairman of the company. The company apparently invests in ecofriendly technology although the company's website is unspecific about what they actually do, who owns how much stock and how much capital the company manages. In effect, Al Gore may well be buying carbon credits by investing the money in his own company.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Al Gore - More Information
Apparently Mr. Gore purchases carbon credits. This is according to a post at Thinkprogress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/26/gore-responds-to-drudge/
The site doesn't provide the cost of the carbon credits. However, carbon credits were going for about $4/ton the past few months. Assuming 1 megawatt hour per ton of carbon (which is a very high estimate and assumes essentially all the electricity is from coal), the credits would cost Mr. Gore less than about $800/year. Of the course the reason the cost is low is that almost nobody buys such credits, thus reducing the demand and the market clearing price.
The post at Thinkprogress also says that Gore's mansion uses a number of energy conservation devices but this begs the point of why the consumption is so high and why it has gone up in the past few years (the thinkprogress site states that the increased consumption is being done to reduce future consumption but the only detail provided is that solar panels are being installed and this improvement does not require much electricity to accomplish beyond the small amount needed to run the carpentry equipment).
Apparently Mr. Gore purchases carbon credits. This is according to a post at Thinkprogress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/26/gore-responds-to-drudge/
The site doesn't provide the cost of the carbon credits. However, carbon credits were going for about $4/ton the past few months. Assuming 1 megawatt hour per ton of carbon (which is a very high estimate and assumes essentially all the electricity is from coal), the credits would cost Mr. Gore less than about $800/year. Of the course the reason the cost is low is that almost nobody buys such credits, thus reducing the demand and the market clearing price.
The post at Thinkprogress also says that Gore's mansion uses a number of energy conservation devices but this begs the point of why the consumption is so high and why it has gone up in the past few years (the thinkprogress site states that the increased consumption is being done to reduce future consumption but the only detail provided is that solar panels are being installed and this improvement does not require much electricity to accomplish beyond the small amount needed to run the carpentry equipment).
Monday, February 26, 2007
Al Gore's Uses about 20x the average household's energy use
Is that Hypocrisy?
A public interest group in Tennessee seems to have gotten hold of the electricity and natural gas bills for the Gore mansion in Nashville, TN. As might be expected, former VP Gore's mansion uses much more than the average house. The group also says that the mansion has increased its consumption since the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" came out. The group also specifically accuses VP Gore of hypocrisy.
The article is at:
http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/main/article.php?article_id=367
I do not know this for certain but I'm assuming that Mr. Gore has on numerous occasions stated that everyone should reduce their energy consumption.
This certainly looks like a case of VP Gore saying one thing and doing another. However there may be some possible outs for Mr. Gore.
1. It may be that almost all the electricity is used for security related business since after all he is a public figure who requires a certain amount of protection against possible assassins.
2. It may be that his electricity use is much less than other mansions of its size (it apparently has 20 rooms, including 8 bathrooms).
3. It may be that this mansion should be compared to research centers of similar size if a lot of research is being done there.
4. It may be that the KW hour purchased are being used to manufacture something at the mansion, in which case the residential comparison doesn't work.
If none of these or similar findings are true, the Mr. Gore will rightfully considered a hypocrite, although I don't see how it can be a very dangerous hypocrisy (tentatively call it a level 2).
Is that Hypocrisy?
A public interest group in Tennessee seems to have gotten hold of the electricity and natural gas bills for the Gore mansion in Nashville, TN. As might be expected, former VP Gore's mansion uses much more than the average house. The group also says that the mansion has increased its consumption since the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" came out. The group also specifically accuses VP Gore of hypocrisy.
The article is at:
http://www.tennesseepolicy.org/main/article.php?article_id=367
I do not know this for certain but I'm assuming that Mr. Gore has on numerous occasions stated that everyone should reduce their energy consumption.
This certainly looks like a case of VP Gore saying one thing and doing another. However there may be some possible outs for Mr. Gore.
1. It may be that almost all the electricity is used for security related business since after all he is a public figure who requires a certain amount of protection against possible assassins.
2. It may be that his electricity use is much less than other mansions of its size (it apparently has 20 rooms, including 8 bathrooms).
3. It may be that this mansion should be compared to research centers of similar size if a lot of research is being done there.
4. It may be that the KW hour purchased are being used to manufacture something at the mansion, in which case the residential comparison doesn't work.
If none of these or similar findings are true, the Mr. Gore will rightfully considered a hypocrite, although I don't see how it can be a very dangerous hypocrisy (tentatively call it a level 2).
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Alan Wolfe vs Dinesh D'Souza; who are the hypocrites
Dinesh D'Souza, an author, researcher with the Hoover Institute of Stanford Univ and contributor to generally right wing magazines and websites, wrote a book recently the gist of which was that the uncouth nature of American culture contributed substantially to the 9-11 motivation and that also the political left's embrace of Hollywood contributed to the culture.
Alan Wolfe, an author, a professor at Boston College and a contributor to left wing magazines, criticised the D'Souza book and pronounced any Republican or conservative who fails to disassociate themselves from D'Souza a hypocrite (and other bad things).
Peter Berkowitz, an author, professor at George Mason University and also associated with the Hoover Institute reviewed the situation in an article at a conservative webzine:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/306biljm.asp?pg=2
In Berkowitz's review he points up the fact that Wolfe had, in 2004, written an essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education entitled "A Fascist Philosopher Helps Us Understand Contemporary Politics." In this essay Wolfe contended that the works of Nazi philosopher Carl Schmidtt are in some way helpful in understanding conservative writers Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly. Berkowitz charges Wolfe with hypocrisy in that, as near as I can tell Wolfe is, in the essay, demonizing people he disagrees with while in the review of D'Souza's book, criticizing D'Souza for demonizing people he disagrees with.
Although this sounds interesting I'm going to take a pass since an analysis would require reading substantial sections of both the DSouza book (which sounds to me like a conclusion based on a very selective reading of some cherry picked facts) and Wolfe's essay which sounds to me like egregious nonsense.
Dinesh D'Souza, an author, researcher with the Hoover Institute of Stanford Univ and contributor to generally right wing magazines and websites, wrote a book recently the gist of which was that the uncouth nature of American culture contributed substantially to the 9-11 motivation and that also the political left's embrace of Hollywood contributed to the culture.
Alan Wolfe, an author, a professor at Boston College and a contributor to left wing magazines, criticised the D'Souza book and pronounced any Republican or conservative who fails to disassociate themselves from D'Souza a hypocrite (and other bad things).
Peter Berkowitz, an author, professor at George Mason University and also associated with the Hoover Institute reviewed the situation in an article at a conservative webzine:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/306biljm.asp?pg=2
In Berkowitz's review he points up the fact that Wolfe had, in 2004, written an essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education entitled "A Fascist Philosopher Helps Us Understand Contemporary Politics." In this essay Wolfe contended that the works of Nazi philosopher Carl Schmidtt are in some way helpful in understanding conservative writers Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly. Berkowitz charges Wolfe with hypocrisy in that, as near as I can tell Wolfe is, in the essay, demonizing people he disagrees with while in the review of D'Souza's book, criticizing D'Souza for demonizing people he disagrees with.
Although this sounds interesting I'm going to take a pass since an analysis would require reading substantial sections of both the DSouza book (which sounds to me like a conclusion based on a very selective reading of some cherry picked facts) and Wolfe's essay which sounds to me like egregious nonsense.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Friday, February 02, 2007
John Edwards and the Hypocrisy House
I must admit my flesh crawls sometimes when hearing former Senator Edwards speak. Thus it will be a challenge to address yet another potential Edwards hypocrisy event. An artilce on townhall proclaims, "Hypocrisy, thy name is John Edwards."
The case made in the article is that former Senator Edwards, by running a campaign based on an anti-Walmart, anti-exploiter capitalist, "There are Two Americas (one rich, one exploited)" is being a hypocrite by building a mega house (some 28k sq ft on 102 acres and the highest value house in Orange County NC). This house will consume huge amounts of energy to heat and light.
Much as I might like I can't see the hypocrisy. Edwards never said, "the rich shouldn't build nice (or big) houses", never said, "the rich shouldn't show off their wealth" or anything similar.
Now, I could see calling the building of this house in bad taste or tacky or even ironic-- but hypocrisy - nope, not this time.
The article is at:
http://wherearemykeys.townhall.com/Default.aspx?mode=post&g=c8c685cc-55fc-4ef5-a8d4-292a95907a89
A picture of the house and more architectural details at:
http://carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=3848
I must admit my flesh crawls sometimes when hearing former Senator Edwards speak. Thus it will be a challenge to address yet another potential Edwards hypocrisy event. An artilce on townhall proclaims, "Hypocrisy, thy name is John Edwards."
The case made in the article is that former Senator Edwards, by running a campaign based on an anti-Walmart, anti-exploiter capitalist, "There are Two Americas (one rich, one exploited)" is being a hypocrite by building a mega house (some 28k sq ft on 102 acres and the highest value house in Orange County NC). This house will consume huge amounts of energy to heat and light.
Much as I might like I can't see the hypocrisy. Edwards never said, "the rich shouldn't build nice (or big) houses", never said, "the rich shouldn't show off their wealth" or anything similar.
Now, I could see calling the building of this house in bad taste or tacky or even ironic-- but hypocrisy - nope, not this time.
The article is at:
http://wherearemykeys.townhall.com/Default.aspx?mode=post&g=c8c685cc-55fc-4ef5-a8d4-292a95907a89
A picture of the house and more architectural details at:
http://carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=3848
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