Gore Exempt From His Own Global Warming Rhetoric?

As the self proclaimed spokesman for global warming former Vice President Al Gore has made an Oscar-winning documentary on the subject, been nominated for a Nobel Peace prize and regularly preaches about energy conservation although he himself doesn’t do it.

On the day after his renowned documentary (An Inconvenient Truth) won an Academy Ward, Gore was exposed by a research group in his home state of Tennessee as a hypocrite for his own extravagant energy use, the very kind he travels around the world chastising.

It turns out that the former vice president turned environmentalist owns a mansion that uses more electricity each month than the average American household consumes in an entire year, according to records obtained from the Nashville Electric Service.

The lavish residence is located in the city’s upscale Belle Meade area and consumes 10,656 kilowatt hours per year, which is more than 20 times the national average. In one month alone, Gore used more than twice the electricity (22,619 kilowatts) than the average American family uses in a year. His average monthly electric bill is $1,359 and his gas bill averages about $1,080 a month.

More interesting is the fact that Gore’s energy consumption has actually increased since the release of his global warming documentary and he paid close to $30,000 in electricity and gas in 2006, leading the Tennessee public policy group that exposed the information to say he deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.

Speaking of hypocrisy, Gore’s crusade has also earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for his wide-reaching efforts to draw the world’s attention to the dangers of global warming. Norwegian lawmakers, members of national governments, past winners and numerous university professors annually nominate candidates and one parliament member said that Gore, like no other, has put climate change on the agenda.

No reaction yet from the Nobel committee members on their beloved nominee’s astronomical energy bill. Gore has simply dismissed it as a case of right wingers being angry that he has won so much public attention and goodwill for his work on global warming. Americans will also be relieved to know that the Gore family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence by installing solar panels and using compact fluorescent bulbs.