This photo is on Drudge this morning, and I feel compelled to comment.
Remember Al Gore? Mr. Global Warming? Mr. Inconvenient Truth? The guy whose mission in life is to tell us how important it is to reduce our Carbon Footprints? (Who's own inconvenient truth is his $30,000 annual power bill at his Tennesee mansion?)
Here's a candid photo of him, getting out of his Gulfstream, and into his stretch limo. "Do as I say, not as I do." Of course, his ardent followers will give him a pass, because of the importance of his "message."
At least Larry "Hypocrite" Craig has a lot of company, huh?
13 comments:
Calm down. Al Gore is forced to fly because of his speaking engagements. He does a lot more good than harm.
The comparison to Larry Craig is not apt. Gore has to speak to get his message across. Craig does not have to solicit sex in a washroom to "uphold america's values" (or whatever the hell it is republicans care about while they aren't giving the treasury to oil conglomerates).
Nice strawman though.
Thanks for helping make my point, fixedxorbroken. LIBERALS get a pass for their hypocrisy, because they're saying the right things.
Al Gore doesn't have to fly in a private get to attend his speaking engagements. I'm almost certain of that.
I consider myself an environmentalist. And IMO, a "spokesman" like Al Gore does MUCH more harm than good to his cause. Sure, he gets standing ovations from "the choir" he's preaching to. But the majority of fence-sitters see the huge conflict between his public message and his private lifestyle, and don't take him seriously.
Sorry - please substitute "private jet" for "private get."
(-;
Trying to accomplish what Gore is a very noble cause and one could argue this Jet usuage in a Utilitarian way. "the greatest good for the greatest number" Be careful with that logic.
Without saying my views on the Iraq war, Bush could be doing more good than harm using "Greatest good for the greatest number."
Bikeboy , Sorry if this causes a political uproar.
Bravo on the irregular post topic, BikeBoy! I like it.
I guess I'm the odd man out -- I find them both to be insufferable. They're in politics (i.e. image marketing), and both are are doing a piss-poor job. I don't get too upset about it because I don't expect much from them in the first place.
"Remember Al Gore? Mr. Global Warming? Mr. Inconvenient Truth? The guy whose mission in life is to tell us how important it is to reduce our Carbon Footprints?"
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you subscribe to a top-down theory of politics - i.e. it's up to our political leaders to solve our problems.
They ain't going to do it. They are incapable. They're followers, not leaders (that goes for Republicans too, not just Democrats) They depend on the latest opinion poll (which can be manipulated any which way) to decide their course of action.
Those of us on the ground level are on our own. Which isn't a bad thing. At least we're learning some self-sufficiency skills.
I know you don't like Al Gore, but instead of making assumptions to his motives, why don't you write him a letter and ask him to explain himself. Seems like the kind of FAQ that he'd at least have a form-letter to reply to.
I hate hypocrisy as much as you and I'd be interested in the answer.
Misc.
You totally misread me! Indeed, I believe quite the opposite... it's up to INDIVIDUALS to make a difference in our society. (Like Danielo, I've come to not expect much from politician-type "leaders.")
But when somebody appoints himself as the leader of a cause, I expect him to both talk the talk, and WALK THE WALK! Know what I mean? And no matter the discipline. (I think Mother Theresa is a better model of Christian living than Jimmy Swaggart. And perhaps a guy like Ed Begley, Jr., is a better leader in the environmental movement, than a guy who travels by Gulfstream and lives in a house that costs 20 times the national average to heat and cool.)
Bikeboy,
My father and stop-mom are in town and I brought this issue up. He was an airline pilot for 35 yrs and she was an attendant for 33. They both feel that flying a commercial airline isn't feasible for any sort of real celebrity because of the amount of public exposure that person would have. In this case, the granola set would impede travel for everyone by trying to get hugs and kisses, and the folks on the other side of the fence would be attempting to disrupt his travel or make it uncomfortable.
My thought on the limo is along the lines of what else would he get? Transportation for rent usually involves a stretch-limo, a Lincoln-type limo, a cab/van, or a bus. So the guy's people call for transport and a limo or Lincoln shows up. Do you expect him to hold out for a Prius or a Fit?
As a fellow commuter, I consider you a fellow environmentalist and I think your passion is genuine. Even if I don't agree with every point you make, I don't care because you see the big picture and we could hash out the details while riding along a car-free road.
Personally I feel that if AG makes people aware of the issues, and driving less and reducing electric usage is a result, then I'm fine with him doing it by private jet.
Besides, AG is persuading people to change behavior where LC (and his crew) are passing laws to mandate it.
Ummm, all I can see is some people who may or may not be Al Gore exiting a private jet and possibly getting into a limo. I checked Drudge and it linked to Faux News Hannity's America. No video till tonight. What if they got the wrong guy? Won't know for sure till they post it. Maybe a premature post?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp
I know Gore's house has been dragged into the limelight before, but this is interesting.
Thanks for posting that, Clancy. Indeed that is interesting.
I would dearly love to retrofit my house with some of those eco-friendly features, such as household water recycling, etc. But it's cost-prohibitive, at least for us non-celebrity/non-politician -types. I would also love to install some solar energy panels on my south-sloping roof - which is also on the backside of the house. If the cost for such an endeavor keeps dropping, and the cost of conventional energy keeps going up, it will soon make economic sense.
I agree that Gore should forego the private jet. Even if he drove from city to city it would be a lot better for the environment.
I don't believe in carbon offsets, and I think his house is excessive.
I do however admit that he emits as much greenhouse gas as maybe 10 - 1000 regular people. This is a lot, but it is a far smaller number than he has reached with his film and books.
As for those fence sitters, their numbers are shrinking every day.
Post a Comment