Al Gore Buys 4th House-Increasing His Carbon Footprint

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Once again, you have managed to hijack a thread and turn it into your own personal sounding board, attacking members that don't agree with your viewpoint. We all know you are in intelligent person, Keven, but that education must have lacked a course on social etiquette. Think "attack" is too strong a word? Let's have a look….

In one broad-sweeping stroke you have pulled out all the tried and true strawmen:

In your opening sentences, you make comparisons that the concept of ignoring climate change is akin to "exclusive creationism", anti-homosexuality, and Nazi Germany.

Next, a double edged sword- We are ignorant because we can't afford a quality education AND, our economy is so weak that students are forced to travel abroad where 'education, travel and room and board' are a "1/4 or less the cost" of our country. It's almost as if you're saying, 'there, there, it's okay you're all ignorant, education is too expensive in your country and the technical graduates aren't returning anyhow.'

Now we pull out the standard Bush #43 argument (funny, this thread is about Al Gore buying his 4th estate). And since you're headed in that direction already, might as well pull in the Islamics. "The only other cultures in the world going backwards or standing still in the natural sciences are the fundamentalist Islamic ones."

Don't forget to use the Republican Party as an insult. Wait, here it is: "By all means, vote Republican. By all means, continue to practice your "God said it, the Bible wrote it, I believe it" version of Christianity."

And before we leave off, a "subtle" reminder that the rest of the world is in agreement with your position (so you must be right) and us Americans are living in the shadow of innovation and technology chiefly because of the impact of the green movement. "We are creating jobs and making money hand over fist both on the money we save from not paying the people who hate us for oil and in selling green technology and infrastructure to technically backward countries."

What a deftly crafted piece of persuasion. I'm sure many are now reconsidering their stance on global warming.
 
Thank you tolivac for your response. I wonder when people are going to wake up and realize how they have been scammed and ripped off. And thank you cadman for exposing the people in this country who consider themselves they educated elite.
Plenty of people are educated but they research and get their facts first before making a statement.

Ross
 
Well, you know

actually, a thread which comments on global warming, carbon footprints and is a (fair) attack on Gore is open to a discussion of the matter.

I am hardly what one calls an elite, though I frankly find the rejection of basing our future on scientifically conducted research troubling.

Yeah, actually, reading through my posting, I fear what's been written since pretty well confirms it.

Nobody rational suggests that wind power alone will solve our problems. It is, however, worth noting that the French and the Austrians have found a very effective solution to the peak-demand problem.

Nuclear power plants are good at constant power output. Running them up or down costs money and time.
Hydroelectric power, however, can be ramped up or down nearly in real-time.

So the French nuclear plants and the Austrian hydroelectric dams have a deal. During the day, at peak demand times, the Austrians pour out lots of water and send lots of power into the European grid. At night, when power demand is low, the French nuclear plants put out more power than consumers need, so that power is used to pump the water back up behind the dams.

Simple. Clean. Works.

Why the conservatives here find it is somehow patriotic or Christian or gen-u-whine "American" to attack those of us who advocate finding solutions to stop buying oil from people who hate us is beyond me.

Oh, and, yes, actually - the rest of the developed world is putting far more money into educatiion of the only resource which the Chinese can't beat us at in the West: Our young people.

I hijacked nothing, I simply made some statements that some people on this board would get a hard on for if Sarah Palin had said them. Because I made them, they get a hate-on.
 
the rest of the developed world is putting far more money in

Really? I give you this article from an educational website. It mainly deals with higher education. It has a neat little title "German Education Spending Below Other Nations - OECD Report."

I'll give you some snippets "The United States comes out ahead of Europe as a whole, according OECD. American universities on average spent 24,370 dollars (17,200 euros) per student per year in 2005, compared with $10,474 among 19 OECD European countries, which are also EU members. "

or how about "Public spending earmarked for education in Germany is relatively less than what some thirty other OECD members invest, according to the 2008 report."

 
Todd,

It's a matter of costs, not just sums spent. You have to look at what a bachelor's costs in the US and compare it to what one costs in Europe.
That comparison clearly shows that it's cheaper over here.
 
Actually...

Let's see, last I noted Switzerland was pretty rabid capitalist country, and it is hardly lefty as well.

So I don't think that you can say limited government and free market principles cause brain drain.

Personally, I could make an equal argument that the tiresome creationist stuff and anti-intellectualism of the right are equal to the tiresome political correctness crap of the left that also stifles constructive dissent and solving of problems.

Regarding cost of education, I would be interested in seeing "what is the cost of attending your state university and actively attempting to economize in your use of cash by perhaps living with your parents are taking numerous roommates in a private apartment and doing the radical thing of cooking your own food and doing laundry reasonable" versus "shelling out huge sums of money by mom and dad so their children can have a good college experience." Please note I am NOT dissing people's choices here, but I'd like to know how these numbers are derived. (Full disclosure: I was extremely poor and did not live away at school yet still got a top notch education). I would like to see comparisons of apples to apples, which may, or may not, have been done.

Regarding climate change, both sides are arguing and neither side seems to be using rational thought. I find myself somewhat suspicious of it mostly because the folks pushing it have been pushing for massive government control of citizenry for a LONG time. (i.e. 'green is the new red').

Regarding the nuclear and the water ... that is done throughout the USA. What immediately comes to mind is the project in Rowe, Mass that did that for decades (Rowe's nuclear power station was decommissioned in the early 90s as it was the first ever opened here and was having some issues). If I am recalling correctly, the Hydro plant at Northfield Mountain in western Mass also does the same thing, with electricity from the nearby Yankee Vernon Nuclear Power Station, in Vernon, Vermont. [I lived in Massachusetts for a while so that's why I know these things - there may be many others.]

Now for the really inflammatory comments: I think that front loaders clean better than top loaders. I miss my front loader that could heat water to 95C.

Hunter
 
Oh, Hunter,

That is heresy!
I hereby proclaim you, from today forward to the minute of your death to be:
A socialist-fascist-Marxist-Free-Thinker!
(And probably a Democrat, too!)

I think we need to radically rethink our nuclear and alternative energy policies. I shall never understand why I am so deeply attacked for saying we need to stop giving our money to our sworn enemies and look for our own solutions.
 
Actually...

Let's see,

I'm not a socialist, nor a Marxist, nor a facist. I leave that for those in power in Washington and Denver.

I am, however, a free thinker!

I also like front loading washing machines.

Oh yes, and Pressure Cookers.

Not to mention Miele ovens.

And Remington Rifles.

And Glock pistols.

Democrat? Hardly!

Honestly, if you engineer a nuclear power station with enough redundancy to avoid accidents it will emit LESS radiation than a coal burning power station. Coal, after all, comes from the ground...which also has radioactives in it.

RICKR, while you may think Panthera is being a troll, he and I have tremendous numbers of disagreements. However, we DO have a respect for each other's points of view, even if we disagree. This is something seriously lacking in the United States of America today. Certainly I disagree with his continuous commenting of "Republican=Thug." He'd probably disagree with my continuous thought of "Democrat=statist freedom hating socialist." But ultimately we BOTH want to see the political parties of the United States of America return to constitutionalist principles and good government. Therein lies the underlying agreement that could let us work together toward the same goal.

Hunter
 
Hunter,

My thoughts:
Actually...

Let's see,

I'm not a socialist, nor a Marxist, nor a facist. I leave that for those in power in Washington and Denver.
(I'm none of the above, either. Strict constitutionalist, actually.)
I am, however, a free thinker!
(Me, too! As in, I defend your right to be wrong with my life! Er, I mean, your right to speak your mind with my life! a-hem. Much better).
I also like front loading washing machines.

Oh yes, and Pressure Cookers.
(Yay for pressure cookers. Living in Durango taught me to love 'em).
Not to mention Miele ovens.
(Sigh. Yes).
And Remington Rifles.
(Only if I get to choose the sights.)
And Glock pistols.
(Nah, I'm a traditionalist. The Dan Wesson .357magnum is perfection. But, heh - whatever lifts your bags is OK with me!)
Democrat? Hardly!
Yup, life-long yellow-dawg. But I do have an original I LIKE IKE button and I would vote for him today in a moment. Or Nixon. Or Ford.)
Honestly, if you engineer a nuclear power station with enough redundancy to avoid accidents it will emit LESS radiation than a coal burning power station. Coal, after all, comes from the ground...which also has radioactives in it.
(Enormously less. One of the nastiest dirty secrets.) My opinion on nuclear power plants is simple: The US Navy has run them since the 1940's without incident. Figure out how they do it right, give industry the incentive to do it right and do it to it. Just, it's not the whole solution. We still need solar and wind. And, until we figure out a better storage system, hydroelectric. Oh, and maybe an electrical infrastructure younger than me...)

What it comes down to, Hunter, is we agree on about 70% of the stuff. What did Ronald Reagan used to say? If somebody agrees with you 70% of the time, he's on your side?

I had the (word everybody else uses but mustn't) to move to a new country, learn a new language, master a new culture and make a life for myself beginning with nothing. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps (though I had lots of luck).
I won't let anybody tell me about the gen-u-whine pioneering life when they aren't even willing to do what the real American pioneers did and I, in very small measure, also did - make a new life in a foreign land.

As for the remaining 30%, well, since we both believe in live and let live, who cares?

I appreciate your support.
Truly.
 
sights et al.

The best sights I have found are scopes :) I have a Leupold and an ACOG and I love 'em both.

The Dan Wessons are great! I have a few S&Ws too -- but Glocks are a joy for me.

As for pressure cookers, the ONLY thing that irritates me about metric stuff is that the Euro pressure cookers are all .4 and .8 bar - so they have a max pressure of just under 12 psi. However,if you push them a little they WILL go up to 15 psi. (These new ones that actually seal with absolute pressure may have an equivalent of the 15psi of the old ones. Who knows?)

As for Ike, it was HE who warned the US of the rise of the military-industrial complex.

The problem is not the Democrats or the Republicans. It is the creeping statism that is the problem -- and BOTH parties do it.

And as for you moving to a new country and building a new life - congratulations, that does take big ones.
 
ya know...

the other thing is, Panthera, why would I want to speak MY mind with YOUR life? Your life is yours, and you, of course, own yourself, and any choice or life you lead is absolutely and totally your doing.

I don't have to condemn or support you. I support your right to have the life you choose, and I expect (and, I believe, receive) the same thing from you.

One of the cornerstones of my philosophy is, of course, that you own yourself...and to thine own self be true.
 
Hunter,

100% Right!
I thank you.

Oh, um, I really never thought about it. Of course, as a vegetarian, I'm not so much interested in breaking down muscle protein to glutinous strands, so the extra temperature has never really mattered.
If anything, I tend to overcook in the pressure cooker...
Hum, let's do some tests when I'm in the 'States - your location, Fort Collins, Cheyenne and SLC ought to do it.
 
Excellent idea!

As an engineer, testing is all!

They just won't be destructive :)

Good point about the pressure cooker. Lately I've been cooking a lot of chickpeas -- thai coconut chickpea curry is awesome as is hummus. I've also been making a lot of steamed puddings...
 
Hunter & Keven THANK YOU!!!

ANd everyone else here who post their view of things.. By reading youR both SIDES I LEARN! And Makes me think and I thank you and All that make me do that.
What makes my ass twitch is the fact that others here are so damn scared they might find out just how wrong they are and so afraid of learning something they want to censor and punish those that do.. And if it was them trying to but hushed they would be the ones screaming the loudest. Ma always said the chicken cacklin the loudest is the one that aint laying no damn eggs! and so be it!
 

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