NPR Covers Up For Al Gore

Amid controversy over former Vice President Al Gore's decision to buy carbon offsets from himself, NPR's All Things Considered jumped into the fray to supposedly get to the truth. Unfortunately, as you can tell from this short broadcast and a few facts, what they did amounted to a cover up for Gore.

On Sunday night, when the movie An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar, its star, Al Gore, took the stage with a message about global warming. He called for people the world over to change the way they live, so that they have less impact on the environment.

Not so fast, said a libertarian think tank called the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. They called up the Nashville Electric Service and asked about the bills for the Gore's 10,000-square-foot home.

This much is true:

Melissa Block talks with Mark Trexler, president of Trexler Climate and Energy Services in Portland, Ore., about carbon offsets — what they are, and how a small consumer can reduce carbon emissions.

But what neither NPR nor Trexler chose to address is that, given a report performed by Trexler himself, Al Gore's method of purchasing carbon offsets doesn't pass the test.

via CNET: Cashing in on carbon guilt

Although the idea of voluntarily spending money to help preserve the environment may seem beyond reproach, a recent study has called on consumers to be more discerning about their choices.

The report (click here for PDF), which rated the effectiveness of these services and called for industry standards around carbon offsets, was published earlier this month by the nonprofit organization Clean Air-Cool Planet.

Based upon the analysis performed by Trexler's company, transparency and the ability to confirm the worth of any so-called carbon offsets are keys to evaluating if a program is any good, or even real. Because Gore opted to go to England and set up an LLP to, in part, purchase his offsets from himself, there is no ability for anyone outside Gore's firm to validate the program. Instead of pointing that out, the NPR report concentrated on the alleged validity of carbon offsets, leaving their listeners with the impression that what Gore is engaged in is considered compliant with any standard at all.

Says CNET:

"It is a business opportunity. And just like any other, there will be good businesses and not-so-good businesses," said Bill Burtis, the communications manager at Clean Air-Cool Planet, which advises businesses and communities on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "Some folks will step up and offer high-quality products, and there will be some people who can't."

Comments

[Zifnab]

Solar power doesn't exist, Green Energy is a scam, and I don't know what energy efficency is so stfu!

[Rob Kaufman]

Does Al Gore know that you have a man crush on him?

[Buzzy]

zifnab has a man crush on Al Gore? First I'd heard of it. I'll go ask Ann Coulter, she keeps up on that stuff.

[BobInStamford]

Thats right rednecks, the earth is flat, the earth is cool, the war is won in Iraq. Carry on, heros!!

[Purple Avenger]

NPR has been fluffing for AlGore for years.

[Boris]

Again, Gore is not "buying offsets from himself" as even your research shows that GIM does NOT sell carbon offsets. They buy carbon offsets from the Chicago Climate Exchange and the CarbonNeutral company, from GIM's website:

"The CarbonNeutral Company is a voluntary offset provider with whom Generation works to offset emissions, particularly for the partners and families of Generation's 23 employees."

http://www.generationim.com/news/memberships.html

In other words, carbon offsets are purchased by this company for their employees---including Gore. It took me about two minutes of browising the GIM website to find this information.

[Rob Kaufman]

Wow Buzzy, I didn't know too many people were as slow witted as Mr Riehl is.

[Fred Beloit]

BobinBridgeport and RobinBedlam, it doesn't get any better than this. You two need to go to the Time Magazine net site and read Joe Klein's description of a left-wing extremist. Like a young cat or dog you will look in a mirror and not recognize yourself. You will then proceed to attack Joe Klein. This will keep you busy for a while and give us a welcome rest from your obnoxious presence. Hurry up now, before the post expires. With profoundest respect, yours truly, Fred.

[Gary Maxwell]

Al Gore's own spokesperson:

What Mr. Gore has asked is that every family calculate their carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Once they have done so, he then advocates that they purchase offsets, as the Gore’s do, to bring their footprint down to zero.

So which is it, does Al and Tipper buy energy credits or does the company GIM buy them? And then can we please have some transparacy on what and how and how much. Seems like to be carbon neutral would mean GIM would be forking over some very serious cash for the energy hog that is Team Al Gore. Show me or stash the comments, I wont believe you.

[Purple Avenger]

These offsets are just a way to separate wasteful guilty conscience moonbats with a heavy checkbook and no actual restraint from their money.

[BobInStamford]

Bridgeport?? I don't think there are internet connections in Bridgeport. Go back to your shuffleboard old man.

[Gary Maxwell]

Actually I think there is place for some offsets. But the problem with offsets is that they are not all alike. Some are quite dubious as to any efficacy at all. Some people in the trading business are also a bit dubious. And then their is the whole matter of calculating the offset. Does a tree that may need many years to grow from a sapling offset current output? If the matter is urgent ( I am not saying I agree but humor me ) then I think offset by tree planting is worse than dishonest. Since over 1/2 of offset programs are tree planting program, there are other approaches. Some of them might work. And as some thoughtful observer has said, " what about Nuclear Energy?" If reducing our co2 output is the goal, we should have a massive Nuclear building program underway.

[Fred Beloit]

Now Bob, you know what, in my opinion, they would have called you in the wild west? They would have said: Bob is a greenhorn, tenderfoot, wet-behind-the-ears, whippersnapper. He is a sidewinder, polecat, and bushwhackin', backstabbin', fourflusher. Bob is a sheep-herdin' clodhopper and bow-legged brush-popper. He is a card-sharkin', bottom-deck dealin', skinflint who would steal the pennies from a dead man's eyes. Bob is a jay-bird, a scorpion, and a backshooter. He's a vicious gunman who carries a leadless 22 short rifle. Bob is a dried-up water hole and a busted inside straight. That is what they would have thought of you Bob, in my opinion. Now don't you see how stupid and ineffective it is to call people names? Why don't you just cut it out and state your thoughts as if you were a human being.

[Phoenix]

Oh, Fred,

"Now don't you see how stupid and ineffective it is to call people names?"

You know BobinStamford calls out his own name in unbridled orgasmic delight after every comment. Let him have some fun calling us names to assuage whatever scintilla of guilt he might possess with his sweatpants down around his ankles and one hand on the keyboard.

[Phoenix]

"Actually I think there is place for some offsets. But the problem with offsets is that they are not all alike."

If people would just stop farting, this carbon footprint foolishness would go away. If Gore were serious, he'd give Beano credits and shut up.

[Fred Beloit]

Guess you're right, Phoenix. Anyway, the best policy is probably to completely ignore trolls unless they are polite and can make reasonable arguments.

[BobInStamford]

You're a classy one, Phoenix. Must be the president of your TN trailer park association. Have they ruled on whether the nascar flags should be at half staff for Dale Earnhardts birthday each year?

[bloodrage bob]

more classy love & respect for those with different ideas from the elegant eloquent mildly retarded stamford liberal. does this mean we can make jokes about the gay bathhouses doing their rainbow flags at half-mast on the day matthew shepard got whupped to death, as well?

[BobInStamford]

Gay bathouses? You inbred rednecks need to get some new material. And, while you're at it, get the fridge off the porch, it is't going to fix itself. Damn, white trash.

[bloodrage bob]

nothing more amusing than seeing a limp-wristed, curiously thin-necked, wan, fey, autofellating rainbow-prider attempting to work up a manly outrage. perhaps it's the outfit: gaucho pants and open-toed ("aren't they just darling!") shoes are best left to *actual* women, not mere desperately envious wannabes.

i suppose they're still of SOME small use: comic relief, etc.

[BobInStamford]

I love the gay imagery, redneck. I hate to think about what goes on in your trailer. #3 Forever!!!

[Rob Kaufman]

Sorry bobby but nothing is more entertaining than watching the 101st
Fighting Keyboardists in action. And why do gay men scare you so much? Because most of them are twice the man you could ever hope to be?

[Jeff]

... um, Rob...

That was a thread killer if I ever heard one, and yes, gay men scare because they are twice the man I could ever be.

A gay man asked me to wrestle with him once, and since I'm not a fighter, I had to go home, ashamed, and feeling less manly. Rob, I assume that when a gay man asks to wrestle with him, you say yes right away - to prove your maculinity.

[BobInStamford]

Wow, what insights. The suburban Buffalo chapter of Mensa must be very lucky to have you.

[Rob Kaufman]

Wow Jeff, you truly are the idiot I have suspected all along. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

[BobInMissouri]

BobInStamford is AlGore's bitch!

[bloodrage bob]

LOVE the snarling righteous outrage there, rob. can almost imagine the angry spittle flecking your keyboard as you typed. one quick question, though: if i understand your post, you seem to be lisping....er, sorry, "saying", that mocking homos somehow makes me...what was your word?....makes me "scared" of them, does it not therefore follow that i am no longer allowed to mock them?

that they're off limits for mockery? untouchable? too delicate?

hmmm. how convenient for them. couldn't help but notice, though, that you neglected to rip on ol' stamford bob for making fun of rednecks, and nascar folks. why is that, i wonder? why does razzing homos make me "scared" of them, but bob razzing rednecks is a-ok? and all I did was mock homos petite physiques & ridiculous clothing choices. what *BOB* did was much worse: he called them "inbred". the shock! the horror! the hate!!!!

and yet that's just fine with you, rob. your manufactured breathless outrage seems just a mite hypocritical, there, good buddy. a mite self-serving. a mite....oh, what's a good word?.....a mite *liberal*.