Kowabunga

Leave it to Steven Milloy of FoxNews "Junk Science" column to bring the Gore's "Carbon Emissions" into greater focus. There has been more and more talk about how Al Gore's mansion uses about 20 times the amount of electricity than the average American, all the while preaching how everyone needs to cut their use of electricity (i.e. standard of living) by not heating or cooling their homes, or using less hot water, or switching to fluorescent light bulbs (which are not only expensive to buy, but also expensive to dispose of).

Meanwhile in the latest column from Milloy, it is revealed that Gore's pool house runs up a $500 monthly electric bill. All I can say is that it must be nice to have that kind of money to throw around.

Gore has countered criticism by claiming that he is purchasing carbon offsets in the lucrative market created by Kyoto. We'll set aside the fact that the company he acquires these offsets from is a company he owns, and provides offsets to all of its 23 employees, including Gore, as a benefit. The fact of the matter is that trading in carbon offsets has ZERO impact on carbon emissions, nor does it reduce the Gore's carbon footprint from whatever it is (much higher than nearly every American) to zero.

From Milloy's column, Junk Science on Fox News:

The Carbon Neutral Company - one of the two vendors that sell offsets to GIM - says that offset purchases "will be unable to reduce greenhouse gas emissions… in the short term."

Instead, they merely: (1) demonstrate commitment to taking action on climate change; (2) add an economic component to climate change; (3) help engage and educate the public; and (4) may provide local social and environmental benefits that help to encourage the use of low-carbon technologies.

The real design behind offsetting, then, is to impact the public debate, not to avert the dreaded global warming. This purpose is consistent with what I heard Al Gore say about the Kyoto Protocol following a private presentation of his climate slide show I attended at the Americans for Tax Reform offices in January, 2006.

That's what these carbon emissions offsets are about: influencing the public debate, and further fanning the flames that global warming is a disaster that man brought on and can influence and change. Of course, such claims that the global warming trend is the result of man's carbon emissions is a fabrication by people who want to exert control of mankind.

The whole piece by Milloy is a good read. Check it out.

Tags:

carbon offsets Al Gore Junk Science Kyoto