An Inconvenient Challenge

Matt Hadro reports:

"The climate chaos and environmental doom-and-gloom of the film An Inconvenient Truth conclude with a dark screen and a single line of glowing text. The Al Gore documentary, proclaiming man-made global warming and a subsequent environmental apocalypse, asks “Are you ready to change the way you live?” The gauntlet has been cast down.

In the wake of the blockbuster documentary, Senator James Inhofe, R-Okla., of the Senate Environmental Public Works Committee issued a written challenge to Gore and other Hollywood global-warming advocates, to lead by example and alter their lifestyles toward an environmentally-friendly approach. The challenge was officially issued on March 21, 2007.

Inhofe explained his political bravado, confirming that the notice specifically pertained to the “activists in Hollywood who assert that mankind has only ten years left to act in order to avoid a climate catastrophe.” Such celebrities have long championed the movement in America to alter everyday lifestyle and government policy, so as to prevent a supposed man-made climate catastrophe. The list of advocates includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Madonna, John Travolta, and Laurie David." (emphasis in the original)

That has been my biggest complaint about the faces of the global warming crowd. They all fly around the world in their private jets telling the rest of us that "we" need to change our lifestyles dramatically and that "we" need to do it now and meanwhile the celebrity faces do nothing dramatic to change their lifestyles.

The challenge issued was:

"The text of the challenge is as follows, the “Personal Energy Ethics Pledge”:
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."

Mr. Gore, however, has a long way to go...

"A study by the Senate EPW Committee reveals that as Gore, as the leader of the nationwide crusade against man-made global warming, consumes 191,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year in his Tennessee mansion. The average American household consumes a total of 11,256 kilowatt-hours per year. That’s 12 times less electricity." (emphasis mine)

The Logical Household probably runs well below the national average. Not because we are Global Warming zealots, but because we are frugal. We would rather spend the dollars on other things.

"Also, today, August 8, 2007, marks the 140th day that Gore has failed to embrace the challenge and sign Senator Inhofe’s pledge. "

It is our household's choice to be "energy frugal". It is former Vice President Gore's choice to be an "energy hog". However, if the former Vice President is going to run around the world preaching drastic lifestyle changes, he is going to have to start walking the walk. Not everyone in the world is a sheep waiting to be led around by the global warming "messiah". Eventually they are going to take a hard look at their "messiah" and realize that he is nothing more than a Pied Piper leading them to their doom.....