So let me get this straight. If I spend 50% more for Green Power.

[joshcryer]

The news media and all my friends and everyone around me is going to look at my light bill and tell me that I'm not going green?

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY? WHAT. SOMEONE. I cannot think. OMFG!

[ThomCat]

1. Smears never deal with reality.

They deal with half-truths. I buy green power too, and it's not cheap.

[kestrel91316]

14. Not sure about your locale, but here in Lost Angeles, IIRC

it costs me about 10% more. They send you a free CFL when you sign up. I put it in the light fixture I use most (kitchen). I think I saved enough in the first couple of months to afford more CFLs. And it went from there.........

I am almost 100% CFLs now, and have probably saved hundreds of $ in power bills!

[chaska]

2. 50% more?! Are you serious?

That fact alone would make it green for me. I'd cut back so much... I'd have to. Double the price and half the usage just to stay the same place.

[joshcryer]

3. According to KO, Gore's energy bill is 50% higher for being green.

50% is a huge huge number. This is just an outrage.

[johnaries]

5. Yep, the Green Power Switch program in Nashville is great!

You can buy "units" of green power, which basically works out to a percentage, for about $4 more per unit. Although each green unit costs more you can buy fewer units and not impact your total bill that much if you can't afford to. Gore is the first one I've heard of buying 100% green.

I'd love to see more cities doing this.
http://www.nespower.com/green_power_switch.aspx

[joshcryer]

12. He goes 100% green through this program and gets crap for it.

I cannot believe this society. I cannot believe it! How the heck!

[johnaries]

15. AND pays for carbon offsets!

He has a ZERO carbon footprint. How much greener can you get?

[joshcryer]

17. On top of this, it is economically profitable, doesn't require "consumption reduction."

And it still results in a positive environmental impact!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. You're looking at this from the perspective of someone with a brain

Have it removed and it will make perfect sense.

[unpossibles]

6. yes, and apparently all that extra money will kill the economy too

by drowning it, perhaps?

[joshcryer]

13. Irony: conservatives say green energy has too high of a cost entrypoint.

Yet here we have someone utilizing that "high cost entrypoint" on moral grounds, yet they say that he's not even doing it!

[LSK]

7. no, they will leave out the part about you going green

[Porcupine]

8. We have to reduce CONSUMPTION...

To deal with climate change. That means that the people out in front with the money to do this should set good examples. Merely declaring that they assigned you hydropower from the 60 year old plant as green doesn't cut it.

Without consumption reductions you are just shifting the load of somebody else back to the coal plant. Problem reduced but not by a sufficient margin.

Go over to environment/energy and read for a while. It will do you good.

Here's a good example in N. Carolina. http://www.ncgreenbuilding.org/site/ncg/public/show_project.cfm?project_id=198

[joshcryer]

10. This is capitalism. It would be sending a worse signal if Gore...

...lived in a tent.

If Gore is spending 100% of his energy costs on Green Power (which is 50% more expensive) that can only be a good thing. It spurs innovation in technologies that have significantly less impact than other routes. The key is that Al Gore's electric bill would be half what it is if he didn't use Green Power. And on top of that, if he didn't have offices and a guest house it would probably be below average.

[unpossibles]

20. good point. They would smear him no matter what

if he lived off roadkill and used no electricity, they would say he was insane, etc.

[Porcupine]

21. Check the links. No tents. All the amenities, 1/10 power usage.

If everybody wasn't so busy bullshitting we might get some traction on climate change.

[joshcryer]

24. Climate change is about negating impact realistically.

It's not about unrealistically expecting people to live in small housing communes.

If I wanted to own a skyscraper I ought to be able to do so without having one drop of pollution impact.

Realism is what Al Gore is about, not petty "naturalism."

[Porcupine]

26. You can build those any size you want.

They are not communes; all units are privately owned just like any other townhouse project with a HOA. Energy efficiency actually goes up with size.

As a rule the planet has only so many resources. We have to share.

[kestrel91316]

16. Prove to me that Gore has done nothing to reduce his power use.

PROVE IT.

Until then, I'm calling RW BS.

(crickets chirping)

[Porcupine]

22. Does Al Gore walk the walk?

That is the criticism and a little walk around the blogosphere will find that a fair bit of that criticism is coming from his erstwhile allies. People who believed that he was serious about climate change.

If we are going to get serious about climate change we must reduce point of consumption loads on the system. He says that himself.

We have to reduce those consumption loads enough so that we can phase out coal as we are phasing in wind, solar, geothermal and biomass sources. If we do not reduce consumption we will NEVER BE ABLE TO PHASE OUT THE COAL PLANTS.

Oh, and we have to do it NOW. Today. Yesterday if possible. It's not too late-OP-ED By James Hansen

Now the most prominent Climate Change spokesman is found to be using more power in his house monthly than about 22 of these houses not built or managed by millionaires it looks just a little bad.

The whole movement is questioned when he's behind the early adapters on these issues. Habitat for Humanity can do it, why can't Al Gore?

[cali]

23. Thank you for this post.

It's informative, and actually sheds some light on a complex issue. I also want to note that I think you're courageous to be posting against the tide. In doing so, one inevitably incurs the wrath of knee jerk partisans.

[joshcryer]

25. Who needs to phase out coal plants?

To be environmentally friendly? What a close minded view.

[greenman3610]

9. that's pretty freaking expensive green power

I signed up for a green program whree I live, and
I don't think its any where near 50 percent.

In some areas, people actually have ended
up paying less than regular prices, as the price of fossil fuels
has gone up. It depends on how the program is
set up.

[joshcryer]

11. I think it's because all of his power comes from the program.

But I could be mistaken.

[Geek_Girl]

18. More Info on the TVA Green Power Switch Program

I use to work for TVA. I miss my old job.

:cry:

http://www.tva.com/greenpowerswitch/index.htm

[jaksavage]

19. einstein

Brilliant minds will encounter violent opposition from mediocre ones.