et tu brute?

I've long been angry at the way that the media, the conservative pundits, and the global warming deniers have slandered Al Gore. I suppose it's the en vogue thing to do - to sit around and talk about what a hypocrite he is. But for my friends to join the chorus? Well that's just freakin' depressing because it shows the power of populist media. I suppose it'd be easier for me to laugh it off and agree with the crowd, but there's this damned thing in me that insists I stay true. I cannot tell a lie. I think Al Gore ROCKS.

Good.Lord.

OK - the whole Gore "carbon footprint" thing? Besides being wrong and besides being so "last year", it's obvious that this was an orchestrated attack. It's no coincidence that the Tennessee Center for Policy Research put out a press release the day that Gore's documentary won an Oscar. (By the way, this Tennessee Center for Policy Research? Who are they? Their website's links include the Cato Institute, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and the Heartland Institute...do I really need to say more?). But anyway, that's enlightening but not relevant. They didn't lie, exactly....however...

However. Their "analysis" consisted purely of sloppily checking out his electric bill. They didn't bother to include in their press release that the Gores were in the process of trying to install solar panels (check out these links, please) and geothermal heating and cooling among other energy-saving technology. Didn't bother to mention that the Gores work from their home, meaning heating/cooling and lights are on all day, didn't bother to mention that they don't commute to and from work each day. Didn't bother to mention that he buys carbon offsets each month (not that I think that's a good solution ultimately, but he does, and he's doing it). Selective reporting.

Here's a response, probably somewhat biased toward Gore but I feel a little balance is required here. The fact is that the "common knowledge" Average Joe cites that Gore's home is an energy guzzler is flat out wrong. It's so hard to argue against a soundbite. It's hard to interject reason against knee jerk reactions. I hardly even try any more. He's been slandered, in my opinion.

Besides, all this ridiculousness is irrelevant.

Gristmill had a post last year when this came out that summarizes my feelings on this well. His point is basically something that I have long held true.

Almost by definition, very few people are going to attempt that kind of lifestyle. Does that make all greens who fall short of that mark hypocrites?

Of course not. The primary message of the green movement is not that everyone should become monks. The primary message is that we need to change the system -- the laws and physical infrastructure that underpin our collective life. We need a new industrial revolution that makes eco-friendly living the default choice, the one that requires little thought, much less heroics.

We're not going to solve global warming one household at a time. Perhaps I'm overly pessimistic, but what we do as individuals is not ever going to come close to solving the problem. This is a government and international issue. Individual carbon footprints are meaningless when the lifestyle of our society is so intricately tied into carbon use. Those who call Al Gore a hypocrite? Give me a break. Better go check your own glass walls before casting stones. How many of us could stand up to the relentless scrutiny and life under a magnifying glass that this family has had to endure? These people could make Mother Teresa come off as a hypocrite.

I worked for a year at Princeton's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab. I remember one lunch a bunch of us had where the director (Jerry Mahlman at the time) was there. He had recently returned from a trip to DC where he met with Senator Gore (still pre-VP Gore) to discuss climate change science with him. He was blown away by how intelligent Mr. Gore was, and repeated to us several times how much he understood about climate research. He was obviously so impressed by him that our conversation made a lasting impact on me and I still remember it clearly.

As climate science has matured and we know something about the future potential impacts of carbon usage, it has become clear that this is no longer a scientific debate but a populist one, and scientists are horrible at public outreach. We desperately needed someone who could communicate the science to the public in an understandable way, who could communicate the urgency of the issue. We needed someone with a high profile.

I believe Al Gore knew full well that by taking on this task, he would be walking right into the line of fire. He knew full well that he and his family would undergo attacks and slander by various interest groups and would be portrayed in the media as an opportunist, as a power-hungry elitist, as a whole slew of negative stereotypes. And he was willing. The Nobel Peace Prize committee recognized this, as well. I hold Al Gore in the highest esteem, and am grateful to him for putting himself out there. There are very few people who are both capable and committed enough to have done the same.