Al Gore and the Environmental Hypocrite Celebrities

[Pillsbury]

I like and respect Al Gore. He was talking about the environment long before most other politicians. I do believe Al Gore is sincere in his intent to change the world for the better.

The only problem I have with actors is that many of them act like kids. They see a cause and jump on the bandwagon, but they rarely make any of the sacrifices necessary to fulfill their goal. If your morals dictate a certain course of action, and you advocate those morals to others, then you must yourself take that action; if you do not, then you are a hypocrite.

[Recchia]

When I first replied in this thread I meant my derogatory comments towards Hollywood famous types. I'd like to think we can separate people from Al Gore from that criticism at least. I have almost zero respect for the majority of Hollywood.

[Captain Worley]

I think that global warming and what needs to be done about it became, unfortunately, a political issue when Gore got involved. It polarized the issue and made meaningful debate on it all but impossible. And now, the politicians on both sides are jumping on the issue, so it has become even more politicized.

Science is politics neutral, and should remain that way. Unfortuneately, I think that day passed a long time ago.

[nowensone]

i believe fear as a political tool, as wielded by both parties, is the most powerful of all the tools in the box. history bears that out. i also think that using fear to manipulate your public is the most loathsome, cynical, menacing and insidious method of persuasion a politician operating in a democracy can pursue.

[convulso]

I agree with that statement generally, but if I merely bring up the fact that global warming is almost certainly happening and that we treat our planet like a toilet, are you going to brand me as inciting fear? Gore may be crossing over into the "fear monger" category, but I hardly see how it could happen any other way when we have a significant global problem that is being ignored and dispelled as liberalism in this country. In what way could Gore talk about the problem that would not have fearful overtones?

[nowensone]

^ No, no offense, didn't mean to sound like I was picking apart your logic or putting you in a camp you are not in, my point was that some issues are kind of black and white (IMO) and speak for themselves, regardless of who is the spokesperson (Gore, Hollywood, or Bush). I do understand that you are saying essentially the same thing.

Terrorism is certainly another fear issue as you point out, but I don't think it can ever be a good parallel to global warming because Bush is saying to combat A we need to do B, when there is strong evidence that B is actually making A worse. I think we can all agree that most of the measures for combating global warming are positive in every respect and have other side benefits as well. Some of the Global warming critics use to say that combating A by doing B may be making A worse, but you don't hear that much anymore since the experts (scientists) are now in near unanimous agreement which is about as conclusive as it's possible to get.

[michaelskis]

No, it does not appear that way. Read the link I posted above. Gore is absolutely practicing what he preaches, unless you expect him to go live in a cave and use nothing but candles. He has taken steps, at his own expense, to compensate for the excess energy his lifestyle uses. Taking that into account, his net energy use is likely far less than most Americans, who do nothing to offset their own energy use. Furthermore, if Gore's drawing attention to global warming pushes just a tiny percentage of the population to make just a few minor lifestyle changes, that will save far more energy than if Gore dropped the jet-set lifestyle and security entourage his position calls for.

This whole "Al Gore is a hypocrite" flap is the right-wing talking point du jour, and as usual, it doesn't hold up to even the slightest bit of independent thought.

How can the thread be about Al Gore alone, when in the opening post, you stated:

You labelled all celebrities who speak out on environmental issues hypocrites. You can't get upset when examples that disprove your contention are pointed out.

[MadVlad]

I do have a problem with the size and energy cost that he has.

[Gusterfell]

How

[Inkdaub]

I also want to add that I believe that Gore truly supports this issue. My man Leo DiCap as well for that matter. Are they still part of the problem...yes. We all are no matter where we stand on the issue. But I see these guys and others like them as being legitimate in their stated beliefs.

[Charlotteman]

Yeah I agree, people like Al Gore don't exactly jump in the car and whip down to the grocery store like regular folks. He has to have planning and security when he goes about.

Thank god for Al Gore and all other people who are speaking out for green issues. If someone is a celebrity, what is wrong with them capitalizing on their celebrity for a good cause like seriously addressing global warming. Thank god for Gore, and Decapprio as well.

Al Gore is about as far from being a hipocrit on green issues as anyone could be. As we all know, he was one of the first famous people who brought global warming up as a global topic.

[monsoon]

Honestly I think this is nothing more than a smear tactic brought to you by the same people who think science is dangerous and the people should instead be taught such nonsense as creationism.

[Pillsbury]

^ Indeed, it's the oldest trick in the book. If you can't sufficiently argue against an issue, just attack the person proposing it.

[michaelskis]

And what cost would that be? You can't say for sure since you really don't know, you're assuming some web site you found is accurate. In reality, you have no idea if it is or not, so you really can't say.

[MadVlad]

If it was not true, his people would have come out to deny it by now. They have come out to try to avoid the issue, but they have yet to deny it.

Like I said before, I have no problem with environmentalists

[monsoon]

If it was not true, his people would have come out to deny it by now. They have come out to try to avoid the issue, but they have yet to deny it.....

[Gusterfell]

If it was not true, his people would have come out to deny it by now. They have come out to try to avoid the issue, but they have yet to deny it.

Like I said before, I have no problem with environmentalists

[krazeeboi]

Like I said before, I have no problem with environmentalists

[suburban george3]

And it appears as though Gore is doing that. It sounds like you won't be satisfied until he stops using any resources altogether, in which case he'd be...dead.

[monsoon]

There was a cartoon in a news paper editorial that I saw today. It was split with Gore receiving is Oscar, and Fox News reporting it was "Al Gore seen with Small Naked Man", LOL how true.

[krazeeboi]

Hmmm, and let's see... if he's buried in a standard cemetary the groundskeepers will be using internal combustion mowers and other equipment to keep his gravesite up, they'll be applying environmental damaging fertilizers and chemicals, and his loved ones will be driving in their cars to his grave to leave flowers which probably traveled hundreds to thousands of miles to the flower shop. So, does it truly end?

[sfmartin]

I imagine he'll choose cremation - little bit of air pollution and you're all done!

[Snowguy716]

Ah, yes.. but cremating humans is hardly polluting! The minute another human is born, the dying person's pollution is sucked back into life.

It's only "pollution" when you release gases into the air that aren't taken out again for millions of years by the reverse process of how they were put their in the first place.

[sfmartin]

Ah, yes.. but cremating humans is hardly polluting! The minute another human is born, the dying person's pollution is sucked back into life.

It's only "pollution" when you release gases into the air that aren't taken out again for millions of years by the reverse process of how they were put their in the first place.

[Pillsbury]

There was a cartoon in a news paper editorial that I saw today. It was split with Gore receiving is Oscar, and Fox News reporting it was "Al Gore seen with Small Naked Man", LOL how true.