Oscar for Hypocrisy

And the national average for the US is twice the national average for the rest of the developed world and an order of magnitude greater than the national averages for the rest of the world.

So, isn't this just a case of the pot calling the kettle black?

And since when does the personality of Al Gore have anything to do with the facts of global warming?

"And since when does the personality of Al Gore have anything to do with the facts of global warming?"

His personality has nothing to do with the facts. He has become the poster boy for Global Warming, but he really has no convictions that it is true, or that it is a big enough concern that he would cut back and limit his lifestyle in order to "save the planet" like he encourages all of us average people.

I could care less what his electric bill is, as long as he can pay it, I say good for him. I do care that he has the adacity to shame the average American into doing something that he is not willing to do. It is more a measure of sucess that he can actually afford to pay this staggering electric bill.

What message does that send? To me it says that he will say anything to further his agenda and keep himself in the media, but when it comes to backing up the talk with action, he falls way short. I am surely glad he failed in the bid for the presidency.

So, what does this have to do with science and engineering? I'm sure there are other venues available where you can hate on Gore.

It depends on how you look at it. My 13 year old son had to view the documentary on Global Warming in Science Class. That makes it a Science topic. Now he is convinced we are all going to hell in a hand basket because the no one wants to give up there SUV's and conserve electricity (apparently not even Gore). Science teachers are teaching it as fact and not as a theory. In the early 70's, the theory was Global Cooling now it is Global Warming. We just don't have enough data to support the theory.

I believe we should reduce consumption and recycle as much as possible, unless it is not economically feasible, and explore renewable energy sources, and reduce pollution, not because someone has shamed me into it, and a hypocrite on top of that, but because it is the responsible thing to do.

So, what you're complaining about is not that Al Gore is a hypocrite, but that you don't agree with the science your child is being taught in school?

Yes and no, it is not science but a political agenda. Yes, I am complaining that Al Gore is a hypocrite. Are we now in agreement?

I'll grant you that Al Gore is a hypocrite. I'll grant you that there's too much politics on both sides of the global warming debate. I won't grant you that the science doesn't support the theory. I've seen the science and it's compelling. (I haven't seen the movie, and I didn't watch the Oscars.)

I'm not usually involved in discussion of that type...

But, are there any one that still doubts that we have a problem of global warming and energy demand? Are you still running your SUV proudly to work and think you dont have anything to do with it? Do you still think that developed countries are not the main source on pollution?

Come on. You're not too far from that bounch of hypocrite politicians, Al Gore and Bush.

This is the general discussion section. We're here for the cofee break. And this is a scientific matter. And you, as an engineer or someone with a minimum of afinity with a technical area, any area, has the obligation to see what's happening.

And since when does the personality of Al Gore have anything to do with the facts of global warming?

It always easier to wage ad hominem attacks than make cogent arguments.

No real surprises here, are there. Perhaps someone should make public how much trash Mr. Gore sends to the land fill every day. What kind of auto does he drive around in.

As he sits by his heated pool we should all disconnect our furnaces, unplug our AC's, get rid of our refrigerators, our lights and go live in the woods and hug trees all day.

I do not understand what all the fuss is really about. All I know is that if Al Gore turns out to be correct in what he states in his documentary An Inconvenient Truth (regardless if he's a hypocrite or not) and we don't do crap to divert what might be the inevitable within a 50 years period, our offspring's now and then will be eating a lot of mud pies for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Don Wilson

The fuss is about the politics that get in the way of the science. Global warming is like evolution, opinions are based on religio-political belief rather objective science. On the left you have the tree huggers who glob onto global warming as vindication for their anti-corporate, anti-capitalist mindset. On the right you have the Rush Limbaugh crowd who, although they have no problem with Dick Cheney's "one percent" preemptive strike doctrine, can rationalize away the "90% certainty" of the latest scientific report.

So, much heat, little light.