Some of you may remember Peter Schweizer's hit-piece which the USA Today happily published as "news". Schweizer boldly claimed that "there is no evidence that Gore has signed up to use green energy".
Now it turns out, thanks to another right-wing hit-piece which then prompted some journalists to take a closer look at Gore's energy bill, that he in fact has signed up for green power big time, paying for 108 blocks ($432 plus/month) which covers his total electricity usage.
Funny how one wingnut can discredit another if both try very hard to discredit Gore.
The problem is that even some Kossacks switched to outrage mode at the sight of such blatant hypocrisy. Oh well...
It's not that Gore encourages people to use more green energy. It's that he wants them to move to smaller houses!
Whatever...
In case anyone had doubt that this indeed means 100% green power:
"The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), an independent nonprofit organization, will perform an annual audit of Green Power Switch to verify that electricity from green power sources is sufficient to supply the amount of power sold."
http://www.tva.com/...
Those who say Gore should use less not more green power should keep this in mind:
By choosing to pay a little more for Green Power Switch, you help advance the technology and increase the amount of electricity generated from cleaner sources. The dollars from every block of green power you buy go directly back into Green Power Switch.
http://www.tva.com/...
The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) is a national nonprofit working to build a robust renewable energy market by increasing the demand for and supply of renewable resources.
http://www.resource-solutions.org/...
Today "fossil-fuel plants produce about 60 percent of TVA’s power, nuclear plants about 30 percent, and hydropower dams about 10 percent"
Between Nov 2006 and Jan 2007 they generated 31,533,948 kwh green energy.
http://www.tva.com/...
http://www.tva.com/...
TVA wants more demand for green power not less. And prices will not go down without the input from those who can afford to pay today. Don't wait for the government to invest. They will not do it.
By stimulating public interest in and demand for solar power, TVA intends to encourage further technological development that could help bring the cost down over time.
http://www.tva.com/...
Fifteen wind turbines have been added to TVA’s wind power generating site on Buffalo Mountain near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. These turbines are much larger than the original three at the site, and they greatly expand the generating capacity of the site. Wind energy is now a major contributor to Green Power Switch.
http://www.tva.com/...
Besides diminishing global warming, the use of methane fuel eliminates the consumption of more than 20,000 tons of coal per year, reducing regional and local pollution. The project has been approved by the Center for Resource Solutions, the organization that accredits Green Power Switch.
http://www.tva.com/...
I say if every rich guy who believes global warming is a threat would put his money where his mouth is , like Gore does, we would be much closer to solving this problem.
And in fact I don't see any other way out of this crisis.
Either supply-and-demand will trigger a large expansion of the green energy market or we are royally screwed.