Gore refuses to take energy pledge

Gore refuses to take energy pledge
Declines to pledge to consume no more power than average American

Al Gore, who has a mansion in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, has rejected a senator's request that he take a pledge to use no more energy than the average American.

As WND reported earlier, the former vice president's home consumes more electricity each month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to data compiled by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research from the Nashville Electric Service.

The request was put to Gore by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who is the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, during a congressional hearing this week at which Gore was asking Congress to impose new taxes to address global warming.

Inhofe showed Gore a film frame from "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore's award-winning film about the cause of global warming, where it asks viewers: "Are you ready to change the way you live?"

"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," Inhofe told Gore.

"Are you willing to make a commitment here today by taking this pledge to consume no more energy for use in your residence than the average American household by one year from today?" Inhofe asked.

The pledge he requested Gore subscribe to was:

As a believer:

* that human-caused global warming is a moral, ethical, and spiritual issue affecting our survival;

* that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;

* that reducing my fossil fuel-based home energy usage will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and

* that leaders on moral issues should lead by example;

I pledge to consume no more energy for use in my residence than the average American household by March 21, 2008.

But the record shows Gore refused.

Inhofe also challenged Gore's suggestions that major changes are required in order to prevent significant impacts from global warming.

"It is my perspective that your global warming alarmist pronouncements are now and have always been filled with inaccuracies and misleading statements. Many of the peer-reviewed studies published in such journals as 'Nature,' 'Geophysical Research Letters,' and 'Science' are radically at odds with your claims. I do not have time to delve into each flaw with your movie, but I do want to touch on just 2," Inhofe said.

"First, you have claimed that there is a 'strong, new emerging consensus' linking global warming to an increase in hurricane intensity and duration. Yet last year, the World Meteorological Organization very clearly rejected this assertion, and other scientists agree.

"Secondly, you said that East Antarctica might melt and this could raise sea levels by 20 feet, so we're all going to die. However, according to many scientists, Antarctica is gaining ice mass, not losing it. In a 2005 study published in 'Science' a team of researchers led by Dr. Curt Davis found an overall gain in ice mass in Antarctica over a ten year period," Inhofe said.

He noted that it appears that even Gore's supporters are worried he is overstating the case, and in fact have warned "you may be hurting the so-called cause with your 'alarmism.'"

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, also used Gore's appearance before the congressional hearing to tell Gore his theories on global warming are not supported by the facts and if Gore's desires are implemented, there would be no new businesses, cars or even people allowed in the United States.

"You just gave us an idea for a straight CO2 freeze, if I heard you correctly. I think that's an idea that's flawed. If you take that literally, we can add no new industry, nor new cars and trucks on our streets, and apparently no new people," Barton, who represents the 6th District in Texas, said. "People are mobile-source emitters. Every person emits 0.2 tons of CO2 a year, so an absolute true freeze would be no new industry, no new people, and no new cars."

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a think tank, suggested that Gore should collect an Oscar for hypocrisy to go along with the two Academy Awards given to his movie during the recent awards presentations because of his residential energy consumption.

Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," a 95-minute film warning of a coming cataclysm due to man-made "global warming," won the award for best documentary feature and best song.

"My fellow Americans, people all over the world, we need to solve the climate crisis," Gore said after taking the presentation stage. "It's not a political issue, it's a moral issue. We have everything we need to get started, with the possible exception of the will to act. That's a renewable resource. Let's renew it."

But according to the Tennessee think tank, while the average American household consumed 10,656 kilowatt-hours last year, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 – more than 20 times the national average.

President Drew Johnson of the Tennessee center said that "as the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk to walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use."

Last August alone, according to Johnson's group, Gore burned through 22,619 kilowatt-hours of electricity, more than twice the amount in one month that an average American family uses in an entire year.

Gore's average monthly electric bill, the think tank says, is $1,359.

Responding to critics, Gore has described the lifestyle he and his wife Tipper live as "carbon neutral," meaning he tries to offset any energy usage, including plane flights and car trips, by "purchasing verifiable reductions in CO2 elsewhere."