I noted in an update to this post that someone had called Gore a “prophet” this morning as he was speaking on Capitol Hill on “global warming.” If you can stomach it, here’s the audio.
Update I: Gore refused to sign an energy ethics pledge (which you can read here -scroll) proposed by noted gw critic Senator James Inhofe:
I dig that guy 
Related to Inhofe, he and Senator Babs Boxer squared off today over Gore’s testifying before the committee - and CNN cheered - for Boxer. Michelle Malkin has the details.
Here’s CNN’s Political Ticker report on the Boxer/Inhofe square off.
This, though, I must say, was the best part about what I heard happened while Gore graced Capitol Hill with his presence:
PRAGUE – Czech President Vaclav Klaus said on Wednesday that fighting global warming has turned into a ‘religion’ that replaced the ideology of communism and threatens to clip basic freedoms.
The right-wing president, a free-market champion, wrote to the U.S. Congress that adopting tough environmental policies to fight climate change would have destructive impact on national economies.
‘Communism has been replaced by the threat of an ambitious environmentalism,’ Klaus wrote in response to questions from the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The U.S. House Subcommittee for Energy and Air Quality was due to hold a hearing on climate on Wednesday with former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore, who sees global warming as a key challenge, and Danish sceptic Bjorn Lomborg, who says governments should focus on fight disease and hunger instead.
Gore, who won an Oscar for ‘best documentary’ for his ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ movie on climate change, has led a global warming awareness drive in the United States, the world’s largest source of gases believed to cause it.
Klaus, who does not hold many executive powers but is by far the most popular politician in the ex-communist Czech Republic, has taken a decisively opposite stance on the issue.
Klaus said poor nations would also be hurt by efforts to impose limits and standards on emissions of gases believed to cause global warming.
‘They will not be able to absorb new technological standards required by the anti-greenhouse religion, their products will have difficulty accessing the developed markets, and as a result the gap between them and the developed world will widen,’ he wrote.
‘This ideology preaches earth and nature and under the slogans of their protection – similarly to the old Marxists – wants to replace the free and spontaneous evolution of mankind by a sort of central, now global, planning of the whole world,’ he added.
‘Nuff said. (Hat tip: Don Surber)
Update II: Anne Schroeder notes even more gushing-over-Gore:
On the Senate side of Gore’s testifying today on the Hill, Senator Amy Klobuchar said: “It is not often that we have a visitor in this committee that is an Academy Award winner. More often than not, we have distinguished recipients of awards from organizations such as the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Civil Engineers, but not an award as glamorous as yours. So needless to say, we are honored to have you here today.”
LOL. It’s a wonder that Gore was even able to get from one room to the other today as his ego swelling to the size of Mt. St. Helens would have made it very difficult to get through the door frames.
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I guess that, if being a loser in 2000 didn’t kill Algore’s chances forever, assuming the title of prophet does.
Comment by steveegg @ 3/21/2007 - 4:17 pm
Sis,
Considering his company ties, maybe they meant “profit”.
Comment by TedintheShed @ 3/21/2007 - 4:36 pm
Edwards’s mansion is “carbon neutral”?
(sorry, I know this thread is about Gore but we all know his electricity usage is carbon neutral also.)
Comment by Baklava @ 3/21/2007 - 4:46 pm
Thank you President Klaus! When the leader of the Czech Republic makes that sort of analogy, it’s worth paying attention - after all, the Czechs suffered under Communism for more than 40 years; they have a good basis for comparison; one that we in America lack.
It’s also why eastern Europe, maybe more than any other region on earth, is fiercely aware of what is needed to maintain freedom and combat oppression. People like the Czechs, Poles, and Romanians know exactly what it is to live in a police state, unlike our left wing imbeciles who dance around in giant papier-mache heads with Bush=Hitler signs.
Comment by Great White Rat @ 3/21/2007 - 6:51 pm
Obviously this will go without notice, but do you know what “carbon neutral” means? At risk of delving into science that is, for any resonably educated individual, trivial, Gore doesn’t need to take Inhofe’s pledge because he has already reduced his carbon usage as much as possible, and traded what he couldn’t eliminate making his “carbon footprint” next to nothing. That’s what he said during his response to Ihofe’s cute little game that was so conveniently edited out.
Not all electricity contributes to carbon emissions, and Gore, a long with many others, chooses to take his electricity from wind, hydro-electric, solar, and other clean sources. There is absolutely nothing remotely hypoctitical or unusually about ignoring Inhofe, a man who’s ability to deny blatant science fact is simply impressive.
Comment by Astonished @ 3/21/2007 - 6:54 pm
And the first of Gore’s brainwashed, gullible, sycophants shows up to defend the indefensible.
If you can unwrap your lips from various parts of St. Gore’s anatomy, perhaps you can look around and find out just what a hypocrite Gorezilla is, and how wrong his “science” is.
Comment by Severian @ 3/21/2007 - 7:26 pm
Explain how he’s a hypocrite. He says, “don’t use electricity that generates carbon;” he doesn’t use electricity that creates carbon.
Comment by Astonished @ 3/21/2007 - 7:28 pm
“We are stardust,
billion year old Carbon”
Hey, how can Algore to argue with Joni Mitchell?
Comment by Tom TB @ 3/21/2007 - 8:22 pm
You eliminate your carbon footprint by not consuming as much energy. That’s by not using the plane that he’ll use on May 11th to Chile, not having a big mansion, not and not and not.
I used more energy in this last month than a third worlder who simply consumed what they ate. I also…
a) drove to work
b) remodelded my bathroom causing trips to Home Depot and purchasing things that were manufactured (those companies emitted CO2 to produce what I bought)
c) used hot water and the stove
d) cleaned and therefore used product from companies that emitted CO2 making the cleaning products
e) drove my kids to a st. Paddy’s day parade.
etc.
We aren’t dumb Astonished. We have perspective. And it is my perspective that the Gore residence which used 10x more energy than my residence and the Gore plane usage has a higher carbon footprint on this planet. My energy usage has a 10X higher footprint than a 3rd worlder.
If it makes YOU feel that Gore is not guilty because he purchases carbon credits that is a great opinion but it persuades NOBODY here and it isn’t because we are dumb. It’s because we have a perfectly valid opinion about how worthless of a system buying and trading credits is…. AND it says nothing about the fact that he used 10X more energy than my residence in the first place. It doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t excuse it. It doesn’t excuse it whatsoever. It simply is a fact in the puddle of facts.
BTW, Gore does NOT use energy exclusively from wind, hydro, solar, etc. He purchases energy from a company and pays slightly higher for “green” energy but that slightly higher purchase does not and would not cover the cost of “solar” or “wind” energy sources. Those sources are much more expensive and unreliable as a constant means of providing energy due to night and non-windy days. And the amount of LAND use needed to provide Gore his energy would be larger than an acre.
Astonished is TOTALLY focused on that greater than an acre amount of area needed to provide Gore his “alternative” energy but FAILS to address the constant small jet plane trips, one upcoming on May 11th to Chile. These plane rides use more fuel per person that commercial jets. With video conferencing technology available there is no excuse. No excuse. No excuse.
Thought you needed repeating since you do it…
Comment by Baklava @ 3/21/2007 - 9:05 pm
Astonishing is further proof that PT Barnum was right, a sucker is born every minute. And Gore apparently feels it’s morally wrong to allow them to keep their money.
Yet another worshiper at the church of Gore on a crusade to demonstrate just how gullible people can be.
Comment by Severian @ 3/21/2007 - 9:06 pm
If only Gorezilla was half as “green” as GW Bush.
Comment by Severian @ 3/21/2007 - 9:08 pm
Look, you can argue whether or not trading credits will result in a global lessining of carbon emissions. I would agree that it is a rather dubious claim given that there aren’t enough people/nations participating. My statements, however, were specifically aimed at the accusation of hypocricy stemming from Gore’s reluctance to sign onto whatever the heck Inhofe was offering.
The point remains, however, that as things stand right now, that is the only means, after trying to find green energy sources (of which there are tragically few), to reduce your personal carbon level.
Gore obviously uses carbon, that’s the way the world, and specifically our nation, operates now. Gore never argued that every individual should be carbon-free, it’s obviously impossible. He is merely highlighting, abscent large-scale governmental and societal changes, how an individual can begin to lessen their footprint.
You have misinterpreted his argument, declaring that he is making a much stronger assertion, then accused him of hypocricy based on that mistake.
And just to be clear, I have no real love for Gore, his personal weaknesses were as responsible for the debackle in 2000 as all of the antics in Florida, but he is really handing out reasonable advice. Try to set aside your personal loathing for the man, and let reasonability rule the day.
Comment by Astonished @ 3/21/2007 - 9:24 pm
To clarify, when I said earlier that he didn’t use carbon-emitting energy, that was for his home and business. Once again, what he couldn’t do green, he did with trading credits.
Comment by Astonished @ 3/21/2007 - 9:31 pm
We wouldn’t be alive without the element Carbon. Why doesn’t Algore pick on Zinc?
Comment by Tom TB @ 3/21/2007 - 9:57 pm
Astonished wrote, “The point remains, however, that as things stand right now, that is the only means, after trying to find green energy sources, to reduce your personal carbon level”
uh Astonished… how about not USING the 10x more energy that the normal household uses. On top of that how about not USING the personal jet rides - one coming up to Chile and I’m sure many in between now and the ride to Chile.
It really isn’t hard to understand that concept….
Astonished wrote, “Gore obviously uses carbon, that’s the way of the world”
He uses 10x more just for his residence than everyone else and on top of that uses personal jets which use a lot more PER passenger than commercial airlines.
Astonished wrote, “You have misinterpreted his argument”
Did he say we should cut carbon emmissions by 80% by 2050 or not. He can cut 80% easily and be still using more energy than the average American.
Astonished wrote, “but he is really handing out reasonable advice”
YES… for himself we are saying….
Astonished wrote, “and let reasonability rule the day”
Would love to… It is reasonable that Gore can move to another home, stop using personal jets and the same with BS, Alec Baldwin, and anyone else on their high horse.
I used 10X more energy as I argued above than a 3rd worlder who only consumes what they eat. I will not give up my afluence or prosperity for some crazed people who are much more highly affluent talking down to me when I live a pretty middlin’ life style.
And when climatology authors of books talk about only being able to lower the temperature .007 Celcius if we took all conservation measures that Kyoto calls for yet costing hundreds of billions of dollars… I start questioning people’s perspective when we have risen the temperature .6 degrees Celcius in 100 years and our average life expectancy has gone from 44 for men and 49 for women to 74 for men and 79 for women in that same 100 years.
Comment by Baklava @ 3/21/2007 - 10:35 pm
Astonished says, astonishingly:
Gore doesn’t need to take Inhofe’s pledge because he has already reduced his carbon usage as much as possible, and traded what he couldn’t eliminate making his “carbon footprint” next to nothing.
He uses 20 times as much energy as the average home, and you call that reducing carbon usage as much as possible? At what point would you consider him to be wasteful - when he uses the entire output of Nashville Gas and Electric?? Or would you make excuses for him even then?
And please don’t try to give us the ‘carbon credits’ nonsense. It doesn’t pass the laugh test. That’s like saying Gore can travel on wasteful Gulfstream jets because he’s just using up the energy I would be otherwise using on a Gulfstream. Except I wouldn’t be doing that anyway. Not to mention that his whole ‘carbon credit’ scheme is simply a plan to invest in stock in his own company and make a profit.
The question for Gore really is, Is he ready to change his lifestyle. Like most limousine liberals, he expects everyone else to submit to a drastic decline in their standard of living, while he continues the extravagant lifestyle. So Imhofe’s question was exactly pertinent, and Gore’s response underscores his hypocrisy.
Comment by Great White Rat @ 3/22/2007 - 12:04 am
I forgot that it was his company that he’s investing in.
It’s hard to keep track of the left’s shenanigans….
Comment by Baklava @ 3/22/2007 - 12:28 am
Are the rules different in the House and Senate? Because last week when Toesing was testifying in the House, every time a Democrat wanted to shut her up they just said “I refuse to yield my time to her.” Are you not allowed to do that in the Senate?
Comment by vatar @ 3/22/2007 - 9:30 am
Vatar,
Each chamber makes up their own rules for committee hearings. As Gore proved, Senate rules mean nothing.
Comment by PCD @ 3/22/2007 - 9:41 am
Lomborg’s testimony to the Congress before the same committee that Gore testified to.
Excerpt:
Another:
Another:
Finally:
Comment by Baklava @ 3/22/2007 - 5:09 pm