Al Gore Gets Gold On Tennessee Digs
by April Streeter, Gothenburg, Sweden on 12.14.07
A few treehuggers were chagrined that we would question Al Gore's worthiness as a Nobel prize winner, pointing out that the good that's he's done in raising the issue of global warming to the global public far outweighs any CO2 emissions from his personal travels, either by commercial or private jet. OK, point taken. In a CNN interview from Oslo, Gore noted: "The only way to solve this [climate] crisis is for individuals to make changes in their own lives."
So it seemed fitting to applaud Gore's completed renovations on his Tennessee mansion - we talked about his plans here. What's new is that Gore has gotten LEED gold certification from the Green Building Council - the 10,000-square-foot home is one of only 14 in the U.S. to achieve this rating, and the only home in Tennessee that's gotten any certification at all, according to the Associated Press. (There is also a platinum standard) Solar panels, solar roof fans, a rainwater collection system, and geothermal heating were all installed at the house. All incandescent lights - including those on the Christmas tree! - were replaced with either compact fluorescents or light-emitting diodes. And according to AP, energy use at the home decreased 11 percent during Tennessee's sultriest months, when the area was also hit by a heat wave. Good going, Mr. Gore. Photo from a portrait series by Anton Corbijn now on view at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo.
I like Al Gore and what he's been trying to do but no matter what he does with his overconsuming home, big is big is big and much of why we are in this situation is because we all just use too much stuff. Plain and simple!
I'm very gratified that he's finally done this. The house remake sounds like it's excellent and there are things from it that others can learn to remake their home, if they have the funds and choose to do so.
He's less of a hypocrite now, and treads more lightly on the environment. I applaud.
I just don't get it - would you rather pay for Bush's jet or any other Republican hawk flying around the world sabotaging the world's balanced future- the first and primary right for our children - or the same sad group jetting to Bali, sabotaging the Climate Framework Discussion - nobody raises their voice about that.
It's an insane logic to say that an Environmentalist, who has gotten injured, can't be transported to a hospital in a vehicle propelled by unsustainable technology.
I'm sure, given Gore's persona, he would choose a sustainable flight to the corners of this world - if it were only available!
I wish the immediacy in his message would be heard, not the messenger shot!
I just don't get it - would you rather pay for Bush's jet or any other Republican hawk flying around the world sabotaging the world's balanced future- the first and primary right for our children - or the same sad group jetting to Bali, sabotaging the Climate Framework Discussion - nobody raises their voice about that.
It's an insane logic to say that an Environmentalist, who has gotten injured, can't be transported to a hospital in a vehicle propelled by unsustainable technology.
I'm sure, given Gore's persona, he would choose a sustainable flight to the corners of this world - if it were only available!
I wish the immediacy in his message would be heard, not the messenger shot!
For the record, Mr Gore's place is more than just a "home." Unless the other media reports have been mistaken the site includes a stable, facilities to house Federal security personnel assigned to all presidents, past and present, and the offices of his personal consulting business, including space for several employees.
Finger pointing doesn't solve anyting. What Gore has done to raise awareness across the board is truly remarkable. I don't care who you are- it is virtually impossible to live a 100% green lifestyle in the US.
Let he who has not polluted cast the first stone. I challenge anyone that insists on blaming others' lifestyles to put their own lifestyle under the microscope. If you can walk on water, then feel free to live a life of complaining (don't know why you would want to). Otherwise, pay attention to your own opportunities first. There isn't a Nobel Prize for whining.
I guess you might get a less sour reaction to this if you were even-handed enough to highlight George W. Bush's house in Crawford, which was green long before it was fashionable or popular to build that way. A little equal time might go a long way to show that sustainable living is an issue that everyone can get behind, not just fear-mongering sore losers like Gore and his Amen corner.
OK! He has done it. I have a question for those who critize him...What have you done?
" What Gore has done to raise awareness across the board is truly remarkable."
Unfortunately, the manner and the order he did so caused a lot of people to be turned off by his message. Just because they don't frequent this site and say so, doesn't mean people aren't turned off by him and his apparent hypocrisy's. I bet many of these people are tuned off enough to not realize the change he has done to his house.
"I don't care who you are- it is virtually impossible to live a 100% green lifestyle in the US."
Many of the middle class has enough money to make big changes, I see $40k SUV's all the time, so for $30k they could have a just as useful, safer, and more energy efficient vehicle and have $10k left over to improve the efficiency of appliances in their house.
Al Gore had the money to make his house green long before his movie came out, and any publicist with half a brain should have foresaw the issues of not doing it prior to the movies release.
JL -- Gore wasn't President, recall. He doesn't get Secret Service protection anymore.
'For the record, Mr Gore's place is more than just a "home." Unless the other media reports have been mistaken the site includes a stable, facilities to house Federal security personnel assigned to all presidents, past and present, and the offices of his personal consulting business, including space for several employees.'
---I didn't know this (but I should have guessed it). My first reaction to the news was basically that of Dee. But this info has changed that reaction. I should take a close look at exactly what that 10,000 sq ft entails before jumping the gun. In any case, I hope Gore continues his useful work in spreading the message of the need to combat global warming.
Sorry, I forgot to put my name on the previous post about taking a close look at Gore's home.
There--That didn't hurt did it?
If I knew his address I would send this post off to Rush Limbough. Then listen to the tirade.
For the record I was not a fan of Mr. Gore while he was running for president.(although when push came to shove I had no choice but to vote for him). After watching an inconvenient truth I found I agreed with the man and actually found him to be engaging and mostly well informed. Then I started hearing about his house, and I thought hmmm, hypocrite. Now he's gone and gotten a LEED gold rating on his home and again I have to applaud him. It seems to me that Mr. Gore is taking steps in the right direction, and who knows, perhaps he does need more room then us little people with all those security personel around. Still, Mr. Gore, I implore you to set the bar even higher and lead by example. Perhaps you could turn the mansion into a school for environmental studies and live in something with several thousand less square feet where you and the misses could live even more sustainably.
For residential homes, LEED is far from perfect. Do not confuse LEED certification in non-office buildings as environmentally friendly. At this stage in its development, I would call it a status symbol rather than an environmentally sound strategy.
"He's less of a hypocrite now, and treads more lightly on the environment. "
Hm. I think you would be less of a hypocrite if you just stopped using that computer.
The world's 1 billion computers use more energy than the airline sector. The Internet iself is an energy hog.
"I like Al Gore and what he's been trying to do but no matter what he does with his overconsuming home, big is big is big and much of why we are in this situation is because we all just use too much stuff. "
Bullshit.
We are in this situation because we use the wrong type of technologies to produce energy.
There is no energy shortage on this planet.
Overconsuming house?
That's a non-sequitur. A house cannot consume anything.
Big big big? Don't make me laugh. The entire planet is not big.
You don't know how many peole live an work there so you don't have the basis to judge whether it's big or not.
BTW do you have a LEED certification or just a big mouth?
i'm glad to see some of you sticking up for mr. gore, to counter the silly carping about his mode of travel... the more places he can get to easily/quickly with his messages, the better for all of us, imo...
love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com
www.saysmom.com
i'm glad to see some of you sticking up for mr. gore, to counter the silly carping about his mode of travel... the more places he can get to easily/quickly with his messages, the better for all of us, imo...
love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com
www.saysmom.com
i'm glad to see some of you sticking up for mr. gore, to counter the silly carping about his mode of travel... the more places he can get to easily/quickly with his messages, the better for all of us, imo...
love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com
www.saysmom.com
Eleven Percent?
all that.... for eleven percent.
So, If I buy a Hummer, and replace the filament dome lights with LED's, is it an eco-friendly vehicle? What a farce. Not as outrageous as what comes out of Mr. Gorebull Warming's mouth, but a farce nonetheless.
Gore only did this BECAUSE of his exposed hipocrisy. Supposedly he's been Mr. Environmentalist for 30+ years, so why wasn't his home built "green" (whatever that means) from day one? Because he's a hypocrite of the worst kind, that's why.
Just google "al gore occidental oil" and you'll see what I mean.
For the record, I'm not a republican or a democrat. Both of the major parties suck, as do most career politicians.
As for Gore's "message", "do as I say and not as I do" is a pretty good message, you think? And tell me which part of AIT is scientifically viable? Don't be sheep, people, think for yourselves.
Before you all learn to conserve energy and resources, please learn to stop being hateful. Otherwise, what's the point? Your negative energy is more damaging than wasted energy.