Today's lead story in Nashville's bastion of irrelevant journalism, The Tennessean, details Al Gore's electric bill.
Riveting, I know.
The article takes the angle that the Gores spend over $1,000 a month on electricity. The article claims that this is too much for a man who has become the head cheerleader for the environmental movement.
While the article points out several fact about the Gores' power usage, it doesn't draw the right conclusion: that anything any of us do to offset our carbon footprint is a positive step. Here's what should be gleaned from the article:
- The Gores spend nearly 40% of their monthly bill on green power. Most people spend far below that percentage.
- While the Gores do use a LOT of power, they are taking more and more steps to offset their consumption, such as investing in solar panels and other renewable resources.
- They drive a hybrid car. Those things ain't cheap.
Yes, the leader of this whole green thing should be held to a higher standard. He is. And he's living up to it. He may use a lot, and sure, he should decrease consumption. But the steps he's taking to offset that use are laudable and head and shoulders above what the average person does.
But the point is that everyone should do what little things they can to make a difference where they are. We can't all buy hybrids and windmills; but we all can recycle our coke cans and newspapers, and carpool and turn off lights.
Baby steps, people.