At the Environment and Public Works hearing yesterday, Sen. Inhofe (R-Okla.) displayed an amazing lack of understanding about energy as he tried to get Gore to make a meaningless pledge. Now the EPW Minority web page repeats the inane charge:
Former Vice President Al Gore refused to take a "Personal Energy Ethics Pledge" today to consume no more energy than the average American household.
But why should Gore take such a pledge? Gore is a champion of greenhouse gas reductions, not energy reductions. Gore explained he buys 100 percent renewable power and is planning to build a solar power system. Thus the electricity Gore consumes in his Tennessee home does not contribute to global warming.
It is conservatives who mistakenly argue that the only way to meet emission reduction targets is by sharply reducing energy use. Conservatives make this argument to try to scare the public into opposing action on climate change. But Gore's whole point is that smart energy use, including renewables, can allow us to grow the economy while fighting global warming.
Inhofe then introduced another red herring:
There are hundreds of thousands of people who adore you and would follow your example by reducing their energy usage if you did. Don't give us the run-around on carbon offsets or the gimmicks the wealthy do.
But directly purchasing renewables is completely different from buying carbon offsets, and such purchases are not a gimmick for the wealthy -- millions already do the same. Inhofe seems completely unaware of that fact. His entire attack on Gore was both inaccurate and shrill, a sharp contrast to Gore's statesmanlike tour-de-force, truly a "triumphant return" for the former Representative and Senator.
What to make of the new climate poll
Obama administration may (finally) offer greenhouse-gas targets
Comments
View as Flat
Karen Orr Posted 1:08 pm
22 Mar 2007
Another Oscar Performance from Al Gore
http://www.counterpunch.org/donnelly03222007.html
The following CounterPunch articles are by Jeffrey St. Clair
The Green Impostor: When Al Gore Was Veep
http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair03172007.html
Al Gore, the Origins of a Hypocrite
http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair03032007.html
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Delay And Deny Posted 4:43 pm
22 Mar 2007
When I think "Al Gore", the phrase "delusions of grandeur" comes to mind. Everytime Al is charged with his "do as I say" philosophy, that belies clearly his lack of understanding about science, energy and so on, he reacts with a defensive mechanism and convoluted argument such as "plans to build a solar power system".
Why is Al Gore always telling us to do something now, but for himself, it's always some time in the future? Why is he "urging leaders" to take steps when he himself was a top leader from 1992 to 2000 and did nothing?
I think Al Gore has serious mental problems from having lost an election that he thought "should have been his". The whole Global Warming thing reminds me of the madman ravings of the spurned scientist who cackles in his lab "they all laughed at me at the Academy, but my Doomsday machine will show them all!!".
The Texeme Construct offers international text memetics construction and textcasting services. http://www.you-read-it-here-first.com
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yoder Posted 9:52 pm
22 Mar 2007
Mr. Gore is helping the cause in ways that few others can. He is helping the cause in ways that few others would even if they had his wealth, popularity and political pull.
He is not living off grid in a straw bale home, nor does he wear hemp clothing (in public). He may be full of himself. He may seem stuffy and uptight to some. He certainly has been a lightning rod for those who hate the Green movement and despise the fact that Global Warming is getting so much attention. But he is an intelligent, professional politician who knows how to use the political system to his (and the Green movement's) advantage.
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!"
-- George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
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yoder Posted 9:55 pm
22 Mar 2007
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!"
-- George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
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scatter Posted 10:32 pm
22 Mar 2007
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amazingdrx Posted 11:05 pm
22 Mar 2007
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog
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yoder Posted 11:12 pm
22 Mar 2007
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!"
-- George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
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scatter Posted 11:36 pm
22 Mar 2007
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Biodiversivist Posted 12:15 am
23 Mar 2007
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
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Steven T Posted 12:27 am
23 Mar 2007
Meanwhile, a number of "progressive" blogs I read have had discussion of Gore's testimony eclipsed by the hypocrisy meme.
Clearly this is a successful swiftboating. I don't understand why enviros and progressives fall for it so easily, but that seems to be the state of the nation. And if the "left" can't put a lid on it, how on earth do you expect that this is playing in the heartland?
We need to get much more sophisticated with this stuff, but so far I'm not seeing the will to do so.
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step back Posted 4:27 am
23 Mar 2007
The Left wing-nuts suffer from a cult-like worship of "Intellectualism".
It is this worship of "Intellectualism" that makes them saps for easy swift boating. They can't seem to see it when a classic rhetorical scam is being pulled on them yet once again.
The "hypocrisy" attack on Gore is a plane vanilla ad hominen attack. Go after "the person" so as to divert attention away from the issue. Works every time.
What Al Gore does as an individual is irrelevant. What Inhofe does as an individual is irrelevant. The topic was and still is Global Warming and how to avert the crisis on a grand scale.
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