Glass Houses

[lazur]

Look over the descriptions of the following two houses and see if you can tell which belongs to an environmentalist.

House #1:

A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (which last time we checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not in a northern or Midwestern "snow belt," either. It's in the South.

House #2:

Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university, this house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on an arid high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from t]showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Flowers and shrubs native to the area blend the property into the surrounding rural landscape.

House #1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of Nashville, Tennessee. It is the abode of that renowned environmentalist (and filmmaker) Al Gore.

House #2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas. Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

So whose house is gentler on the environment? Yet another story you WON'T hear on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC or read about in the New York Times or the Washington Post. Indeed Mr. Gore, it's truly "an inconvenient truth."

------

The above article was taken from Snopes.com (http://www.snopes.com/politics//bush/house.asp). Since they don't allow copy/paste, I had to type it all out myself ... but it was so worth it .

 

[Victarion]

Shame on you Al, you damn hypocrite. I wonder how that 1 square of toilet paper movement worked out.

 

[Armand Z Trip]

Old and soon to be outdated talking point.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/18/gore.home.improvement.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us


Current talking points -

- there will be no surrender date.
- Barack Obama is wearing nicotine patches, not good enough.
- Ret. General John Batiste is an America hating liberal, when he was an active General on the ground, Bush listened to him.
- If Alberto Gonzales couldn't remember 70 times, he's not gonna remember now, no wrong doing, move on. I mean get over it.
- If we leave Iraq, the terrorists will follow us home, those guys in New Jersey were the only terrorists in the world who were able to find America.
- Sean Hannity, Newt Gingrich and Oliver North - FREEDOM RALLY!!!, Honolulu, Hawaii, May 25th - Get your tickets now!

 

[lazur]

Old and soon to be outdated talking point.

BS. Only reason Gore is doing *anything* about his house is because it made the news - no other reason. What *won't* make the news, however, is how eco friendly Bush's house is.

All of your other stuff is off topic for this thread.

 

[Abaddon]

erm, that's nice for Bush. Now for the rest of the country to get on the eco-friendly bandwagon.

 

[Jason Blood]

In before flame war.

 

[Babs Gordon]

BS. Only reason Gore is doing *anything* about his house is because it made the news - no other reason. What *won't* make the news, however, is how eco friendly Bush's house is.

All of your other stuff is off topic for this thread.

Gore's house aside, Bush's record speaks for itself, dude. If you're trying to prove Bush is an environmentalist because he has a green house you've got a looong road ahead of you. It can't be done.

 

[rdh007]

But what about the "Clean Air Act" and other doubleplusgood legislation he's passed to help the environments???

 

[kytrigger]

Gore's house aside, Bush's record speaks for itself, dude. If you're trying to prove Bush is an environmentalist because he has a green house you've got a looong road ahead of you. It can't be done.

I might be wrong, but I think the main point the original poster was trying to make is that this was something that would never be shown on the major news networks, trying to show a liberal slant or whatever.

And I won't in any way say Bush is the environment's best friend or anything, but I will admit that I was a little surprised to read this about his ranch. I kinda enjoyed it.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

LOL, doesn't Bush own like a lot of properties?
when was the house designed as opossed to AL Gore's? is there a comparison made since the AL Gore's house also happens to be his place of business?
does this disprove global warming, or make the need to conserve energy any less urgent?

uh no.

"it was so worth it?" soooo sad.

 

[Sandman138]

BS. Only reason Gore is doing *anything* about his house is because it made the news - no other reason. What *won't* make the news, however, is how eco friendly Bush's house is.

All of your other stuff is off topic for this thread.

I'm pretty sure Bush's house had been public knowledge for quire a while. This is hardly news. To quote Nicholson "That's what they call a paradox".

 

[Babs Gordon]

When googling this issue I keep seeing numbers inflated...TEN TIMES THE ELECTRICITY!!!!!!! 20X THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY!!!!!! 25 TIMES THE ENERGY!!!!

Haha.

 

[lazur]

Since most politicians run for political office based on their own personal beliefs (abortion, environment, whatever), seems to me the 'proof is in the pudding'. It's kind of hard to question his beliefs on the environment when his own house is the model of enviro-friendly. Also, he has passed laws that are enviro-friendly. However, I think just because he's a 'republican', many people automatically associate him with being unfriendly to the environment, just as most associate democrats being 'race friendly', when quite a few have shown the complete opposite.

Meh, people believe what they want to believe, and it clearly shows when little facts like this are dropped on the table. Gore made a movie about saving the environment, so he *must* be enviro-friendly .

The phrase "actions speak louder than words" apparently doesn't mean much to this crowd.

 

[Babs Gordon]

Actions speak louder than words, that's right. And the actions taken under this administration have undercut progress made toward being more environmentally friendly and sustainable nation. Besides, very few people are "anti-environment" but some people set it as a higher priority than others. So Bush has an eco friendly house? All right great, I am guessing he's doing this because A) It's good publicity, B) He does care in some small way C) It's pretty rad to have a sustainable 'green' house. Nobody can deny this.

I'm not trying to say Bush doesn't have a cool house and that he doesn't care a wink for the world he lives in. But I personally believe he's got some backward priorities and I wish our president could take more of a lead in making our country sustainable.

 

[Darthphere]

Lazur is so awesome.

 

[Darthphere]

Yet another story you WON'T hear on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC or read about in the New York Times or the Washington Post.

So you're admitting that Fox News is a conservative lap dog. Thanks.

 

[lazur]

But I personally believe he's got some backward priorities and I wish our president could take more of a lead in making our country sustainable.

More progress has been made under the Bush administration in investigating and funding alternate fuel sources than in ANY other President's term. How exactly is he not taking the lead in making our country sustainable? And isn't how one conducts himself personally an example of how one 'takes the lead' in the first place? Point being, is Gore more of a leader in this way because he made some documentary that completely challenges his own personal anti-environment position as demonstrated by his gas guzzling masion?

 

[lazur]

So you're admitting that Fox News is a conservative lap dog. Thanks.

Read my original post. That story was taken *exactly* from Snopes. I didn't write it, genius. However, even if Fox did do a story on this and pointed out the obvious disparity in the two houses, how is that being a 'conservative lap dog' again? Why, because they'd be pointing out the truth of the situation in its entirety by doing the comparison? Even CNN pointed out Gore's anti-enviro mansion. Don't you think it's only fair to look at Bush's private home also? I bet you a million bucks that if CNN had found that Bush's ranch was ALSO an anti-enviro home, it would have ALSO been pointed out in that same freaking story. But because it wasn't, because it was found to be one of the most enviro-friendly homes in the country, they uttered not a word ... since it goes against the very fabric of the entire argument that Bush is anti-environment.

Sometimes silence is your best ally in expressing your political allegiance, but sometime's it's also your biggest enemy in BLATANTLY demonstrating to the world where you stand.

 

[Darthphere]

Read my original post. That story was taken *exactly* from Snopes. I didn't write it, genius. However, even if Fox did do a story on this and pointed out the obvious disparity in the two houses, how is that being a 'conservative lap dog' again? Why, because they'd be pointing out the truth of the situation in its entirety by doing the comparison? Even CNN pointed out Gore's anti-enviro mansion. Don't you think it's only fair to look at Bush's private home also? I bet you a million bucks that if CNN had found that Bush's ranch was ALSO an anti-enviro home, it would have ALSO been pointed out in that same freaking story. But because it wasn't, because it was found to be one of the most enviro-friendly homes in the country, they uttered not a word ... since it goes against the very fabric of the entire argument that Bush is anti-environment.

Sometimes silence is your best ally in expressing your political allegiance, but sometime's it's also your biggest enemy in BLATANTLY demonstrating to the world where you stand.

I didn't see a denial here, thanks.

 

[Ice-man]

but as u read carfully, al gores hose had already been built, long ago, and hes probably having people over all the time, and his family and so on. why else would u need that big a house 20 god dam bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, im sory but ur gona need quite a bit of energy to power that home.

and bushes house was designed by an eco dude to conserve resorces and save energy.

see "Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university"


if bush had bought his house or had a non eco dude build it, im sure hed waste **** too.

but i still am siding with gore, i can care less what hes got running threw his home.

 

[sinewave]

More progress has been made under the Bush administration in investigating and funding alternate fuel sources than in ANY other President's term. How exactly is he not taking the lead in making our country sustainable? And isn't how one conducts himself personally an example of how one 'takes the lead' in the first place? Point being, is Gore more of a leader in this way because he made some documentary that completely challenges his own personal anti-environment position as demonstrated by his gas guzzling masion?

yay! it's the return of "the moderate"!!!!

as usual, your posts are chock full of biased misinformation.

here's some info you should check out regarding bush's environmental record:

http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2005.asp
http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/20124/
http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/mt_archives/000317.php
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/jan-june01/bushenv_3-29.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1013-12.htm

and here's an article that presents info that you conveniently left out about gore's energy consumption:

http://www.startribune.com/357/story/1031848.html

keep up the great work, you champion of non-partisanship!

 

[sinewave]

but as u read carfully, al gores hose had already been built, long ago, and hes probably having people over all the time, and his family and so on. why else would u need that big a house 20 god dam bedrooms and 8 bathrooms, im sory but ur gona need quite a bit of energy to power that home.

and bushes house was designed by an eco dude to conserve resorces and save energy.

see "Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university"


if bush had bought his house or had a non eco dude build it, im sure hed waste **** too.

but i still am siding with gore, i can care less what hes got running threw his home.

yeah, what that article fails to mention is that it's not just a house, but it also serves as an office for gore, his family and a few employees/assistants.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

LOL, doesn't Bush own like a lot of properties?
when was the house designed as opossed to AL Gore's? is there a comparison made since the AL Gore's house also happens to be his place of business?
does this disprove global warming, or make the need to conserve energy any less urgent?

uh no.

"it was so worth it?" soooo sad.

 

[lazur]

and here's an article that presents info that you conveniently left out about gore's energy consumption:

http://www.startribune.com/357/story/1031848.html

keep up the great work, you champion of non-partisanship!

Umm yeah, the entire article does nothing to pardon Gore for his gas guzzling mansion, but instead tells the read to compare Gore with 'everyone else'. Sorry, but Gore is not only a millionaire - if he really 'cared' about the environment the way he claims, he'd be updating that mansion to be eco-friendly - but he's also now claiming to be an outspoken advocate of the very thing he himself does not believe (actions, words, all that), period.

And this has nothing to do with 'partisanship'. It has everything to do with pointing out the inconsistencies and downright hyprocrisy of one of YOUR beloved political heroes.

 

[jaguarr]

Umm yeah, the entire article does nothing to pardon Gore for his gas guzzling mansion, but instead tells the read to compare Gore with 'everyone else'. Sorry, but Gore is not only a millionaire - if he really 'cared' about the environment the way he claims, he'd be updating that mansion to be eco-friendly - but he's also now claiming to be an outspoken advocate of the very thing he himself does not believe (actions, words, all that), period.

And this has nothing to do with 'partisanship'. It has everything to do with pointing out the inconsistencies and downright hyprocrisy of one of YOUR beloved political heroes.

The message of conservation and environmental problems that he champions are still valid ones, no matter how much disinformation about the guy has been spread around. I'm always curious what the people who spend such an inordinate amount of time trying to tear the guy down are doing in their own personal lives to contribute to cleaning up the environment so that humans might be able to continue to live on this planet for the next several hundred years. My ball park guess is "nothing".

jag