You want this oil company drilling in Anwar?

Either we drill for it, or someone else is going to.

Better to do it now, while the potential gains of drilling it out far outweigh the losses. If a major oil crisis looms making it far too expensive to drill the stuff out, it'll only exascerbate an already bad situation.

Just pull for the economy to take a header. Oil will fall to $50 a barrel and nobody will care about ANWR.

jacksdad wrote: That's what we need - more carbon in the air and a trashed national park...

    
Well, either we're going to do it, or China's going to look to invade that prime real estate and drill for it anyway. They're not as accomidating to protestors screwing around as the US is either.

I'd *MUCH* rather have the US drilling up there and trying not to destroy it too much, than to have the Chinese, with their stellar environmental track record, drilling up there and makeing a mess.
    

China? It seems unlikely they'd risk a war by invading over oil. On a global scale, I really don't think it much matters who gets it out of the ground. As long as we keep looking at any oil deposit as nothing more than fuel, we're screwed in the long term. Or rather, out kids will be. As I recently heard someone say about our dependance on oil for fuel, future generations will be shaking their heads and saying "You took all those wonderful molecules out of the ground...and you just burned them!?".
I agree with you 100% on China's environmental record - did you see the pictures circulating in the media a few weeks ago of the smog the Olympic athletes will be expected to compete in? Organizers have advised them to train elsewhere and turn up as close to the start of their event as possible, then leave immediately after. Apparently, air you can see through and safely inhale is no longer a prerequisite when it comes to being picked to host the games.

BoJ,

How about Tidal Power. If something goes wrong it won't fry the country side:

http://www.oceanrenewablepower.com/home.htm

The "Looney Left" is alive and well on this site!!

"What they tend to forget is that most of Europe has temperate climates while most of America suffers from extreme cold and extreme heat. So, yes we use more energy!"

Ask the forum members who live in northern Europe how balmy it is in winter. Or ask people that live in France, Spain, Italy and Greece it it doesn't get a little hot there. Continents are big things to generalize about when it comes to weather.
    
    

Rode my bike 20 miles to work three times last week. Does that count?
    

Not complain. Just worry about the way things are going. I admit I do whine under my breath though when I'm riding past parked cars with ice on the roofs (I have to be at work between 4 and 6am depending on the schedule so even down here in So Cal it gets chilly at this time of year before the sun comes up). While there is definitely an environmental side to it, I also have selfish reasons for pedalling through the night. I've lost too many family members to heart problems, and at my age (45) it's a little extra insurance. I have a 6 year old son (bet you can't guess his name?) who means everything to me, and I intend being around for as many of the important dates in his life as I can. If people would stop opening car doors on me I might just manage that...

gypsy2 wrote: .... It's hard for me to take people like Al Gore seriously.....when he travels the world in a Private jet wasting all that "Precious" fuel

Just remembered to mention that Al Gore - Nobel laureate for globel warming - uses "energy credits" that trades off his transportation costs. AND his home was just named environmentally one of the best homes in the US. He has invested a ton of money into making it so. Google it.   Peace, D

gypsy2 wrote:   YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE WORRIED ABOUT THE bIRD FLU!!......YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT DYING OF "GLOBAL WARMING"...........YOU GUY'S ARE HILLARIOUS!!!!..........

48 Died yesterday with those freak tornadoes.

Wow.. Did the cheese fall of your cracker?

gypsy2: your posts here and other threads have taken a decidedly hostile tone. Why not take a breath. I for one don't need to see CAPS on every post. Chill and enjoy the company of this friendly forum. D

Evergreen, Energy credits/Carbon Offsets are a fraud plain and simple, as I think Gypsy un-eloquently pointed out.

IIt's like saying that because i'm rich, I get to use ten times (and in Al Gore's case two hundred times) the energy as you rabble do, and my money will make it go away. I'm sorry but that's not the way it works.

People screech about W's environmental shortcomings, (I've been known to get rather close, a faint yell, when I see some of the crap he's pulled in regards to the environment) however his ranch and private home are actually more eco friendly than Al Gore's, and W doesn't need to buy "Energy Credits/Carbon Offsets." He uses Geothermal heat. Al Gore in comparison has natural gas lights to light his walkway, and in one month uses twice the electricity as a well off American uses in an entire year. The only reason he's started trying to do something about his own extremes is because everyone pointed to him as the definition of a hypocrit.

Just because you pay money does not make your environmental impact less. If I dump my personal bin of radioactive waste into the Mississippi, even if I buy 200 million dollars worth in energy credits, it's not going to make the damage I've done magically go away. Maybe he should move into a smaller house and turn the damn lights off if he wants to make an environmental impact.

And Gypsy, stop using caps. We're all capable of reading, and while I like that you're very passionate about your views, you alienate more when you act like that.

Turboguy, you are obviously more eloquent than I.......and you are very persuasive with your words . Your facts are also  in good order. But no matter how you stack-it, you cannot change "The liberal mind set".....and you know that.....though you may cause some to stop and "think" for a moment.

Though not eloquent......my passion has served me well.

October 12, 2007
Gore makes Nashville home more 'green'

Home now has solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating

Highest rating possible "short of tearing it down," says U.S. Green Building Council

Houses offices and a commercial kitchen for formal events

Gore bought the mansion in Nashville suburb of Belle Meade in 2002 for $2.3 million

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- Al Gore, who was criticized for high electric bills at his Tennessee mansion, has completed a host of improvements to make the home more energy efficient, and a building-industry group has praised the house as one of the nation's most environmentally friendly.

The former vice president has installed solar panels, a rainwater-collection system and geothermal heating. He also replaced all incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or light-emitting diode bulbs -- even on his Christmas tree.

"Short of tearing it down and staring anew, I don't know how it could have been rated any higher," said Kim Shinn of the U.S. Green Building Council, which gave the house its second-highest rating for sustainable design.

Gore's improvements cut the home's summer electrical consumption by 11 percent compared with a year ago, according to utility records reviewed by The Associated Press. Most Nashville homes used 20 percent to 30 percent more electricity during the same period because of a record heat wave.

Shinn said Gore's renovations are impressive because his home, which is more than 80 years old, had to meet the same rigorous standards as new construction. How to turn your home green »

"One of the things that is tremendously powerful about what the Gores have done is demonstrate that you can take a home that was a dog, an absolute energy pig, and do things to correct that," Shinn said.

Gore bought the mansion in the Nashville suburb of Belle Meade in 2002 for $2.3 million. It houses his offices and those of his wife, Tipper, as well as a commercial kitchen for formal events.

Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider declined to say how much the couple spent on the improvements.

"The Gores decided to take a series of steps over time that might be logistically or financially out of reach for many Americans," she said. "But they were fortunate enough to have the ability to do so.

"But everyone can get started, whether it's changing light bulbs or purchasing green power."

In February, a conservative think tank criticized Gore for using an average of 16,000 kilowatt hours a month for an average monthly bill of $1,206 in 2006. The typical Nashville home uses about 1,300 kilowatt hours a month.

Gore has said the criticism was unfair because the 10,000-square-foot mansion was undergoing extensive remodeling. He said this week that "global warming denier" groups were trying to discredit him because they don't like the attention he has given to climate change.

"You're going to have people try to attack the messenger in order to get at the message. They have not been able to succeed," Gore told CNN from Norway, where he picked up the Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work.

"The only way to solve this crisis is for individuals to make changes in their own lives," he said.

The Green Building Council's certification program has four levels, with platinum being the highest followed by gold. Gore's home was one of 14 to earn gold status and the only Tennessee home to earn any certification.

Electricity usage at the home remains well above regional averages, but Gore's power consumption decreased by 6,890 kilowatt hours, or 11 percent, between June and August, despite the heat wave.

Gore's electric use increased again after he had to take his solar panels off-line in August so his new geothermal system could be integrated into the system. But his natural gas use has dropped 93 percent in the three months since the geothermal pump was activated.

When the Gores' heated pool is hooked up to the system later this month, their energy use is expected to decline more, his spokeswoman said.

Gore has also said he invests in renewable energy such as solar and wind power to balance 100 percent of his electricity usage.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said the size of Gore's house limits how much he can cut his energy consumption.

"We all need to evaluate what we legitimately need in square footage," he said.

Still, another owner of the same house likely would not have been as dedicated as Gore to reducing energy consumption, said Smith, who also serves on the advisory committee for Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection.

"I promise you the energy use would be as high, if not higher," he said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

All AboutGlobal Climate Change • Al Gore








Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/13/gore.home.ap/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

Well, sombody has to drill for oil as long as we (people in general) keep the demand so high. Gas prices have gone sky high here in the US, but I see very little interest in people wanting to cut back in their use, among the people I know anyway. We in our family have cut back by only driving to and from work and running all errands on the way to or from work. Even doing that my husband and I drive 100 miles a day combined, just to go to work. We used to take a trip in to thae larger town on Satudays, shop, eat out, etc, we totally cut that out, the closest grocery is 5 miles away (10 miles roundtrip) if we need something we just decided to do without until we go that way to work again. So we have cut down in every possible way we can. However, most of the people I know still drive the same amount, they just complain about the high price of gas but don't do anything to cut back on their driving. It would be nice to be able to go all solar, or geothermic, or wind power (also an option where I live), but it isn't cheap, we are currently looking into going solar I think this is the last year to take advantage of the tax credit. It is not affordable for the everyday person unless you do it yourself, we will not be doing it ourself.  We need to have alternative sources to use for power/transportation if we are going to be able to cut back on our oil consumption and they need to be offered at an affordable cost.

LOL! Evergreen, you're not actually attempting to DEFEND Al Gore's abysmal record when it comes to his smug, "I can do all this, but you rabble can eat crap" attitude, are you?

Rofl! After reading that I've got a few little comments/questions. Let's start it off:

1. Kalee Kreider wouldn't comment on exactly what the Gore's spent to get their home 11% more efficient. Now why would she not comment? Could it be because it was an exorbitant sum that he could have better spent on a new, smaller, home? Hell he regularly tells us rabble that's what we should be doing. Practice what you preach.

2.

"The Gores decided to take a series of steps over time that might be logistically or financially out of reach for many Americans," she said. "But they were fortunate enough to have the ability to do so."

Ohhh right. "Fortunate enough to do so." So what exactly does fortunate enough mean? Is it like talking about how everyone should be buying "Carbon Offsets" from Al Gore's business interests, thus giving him even more money? And I particularly loved the comment on how it might be "Financially out of reach for many Americans." What a crock of solid fecal matter! He didn't do this because he gives two squirts of monkey piss about the environment, he did this because he's trying to dodge the label of Hypocrite that's been, quite rightfully, applied to him.

3.

Gore has said the criticism was unfair because the 10,000-square-foot mansion was undergoing extensive remodeling. He said this week that "global warming denier" groups were trying to discredit him because they don't like the attention he has given to climate change.

Excuses, excuses. I can't imagine paying SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS a year in electrical bills alone! That's more than many Americans MAKE in an entire year! How about he throw some of that money he's wasting on air conditioning toward, oh I don't know, ending poverty in America maybe?

4.

"You're going to have people try to attack the messenger in order to get at the message. They have not been able to succeed," Gore told CNN from Norway, where he picked up the Nobel Peace Prize for his environmental work.

Which he went to in his own private luxury jet and basically burned through the equivalent of two years worth in vehicle fuel so he could act like the smug hypocrite he is in front of the world. If he wants to impress someone with his actions against harming the environment he should have teleconfrenced with them.

5.

"The only way to solve this crisis is for individuals to make changes in their own lives," he said.

You first, Al.

6.

In February, a conservative think tank criticized Gore for using an average of 16,000 kilowatt hours a month for an average monthly bill of $1,206 in 2006. The typical Nashville home uses about 1,300 kilowatt hours a month. Electricity usage at the home remains well above regional averages, but Gore's power consumption decreased by 6,890 kilowatt hours, or 11 percent, between June and August, despite the heat wave.

I figured i'd put these two paragraphs together as they're intentionally split up to decieve the reader into not realizing the fact that Al Gore is still an energy glutton.

So what they're saying here is that he's accounted for and reduced a staggering SIX TIMES the average person's electrical expendatures, but is still using TEN TIMES the amount per month that regular folk use in a year!?! Wow, that's just friggin great! Thanks Al, such a humanitarian in such a humble person. We're all honored to live in the same country as you. How about you cut back to what all us lowlifes subsist on?

How can anyone even attempt to defend this P.O.S.? You simply can not if you have even a shred of intellectual integrity.

7.

But his natural gas use has dropped 93 percent in the three months since the geothermal pump was activated.

This is simply because he turned off teh natural gas burning lamps that ring his estate and light the walkways. The addition of Geothermal heat has very little to do with his exorbitant electrical consumption and unbelievable natural gas hogging.

Come on Evergreen, you're way too smart to fall for this trash. Just call a duck a duck, or in this case a hog a hog and we can all point at the hypocrite and laugh.