Physician, heal thyself!

Date published: 9/18/2006

AS THE SUMMER wanes and autumn rains tumble from leaden skies, one is reminded of nature’s natural, beautiful, and inevitable cycles. According to former Vice President Al Gore, though, that seasonal rotation is in grave peril of being permanently undone by global warming. Leaving aside the ongoing battle over Mr. Gore as prophet–guru or Chicken Little, one might reasonably presume that the person advocating massive lifestyle changes for Americans would be a beyond-reproach example for the rest of us when it comes to constrained, energy-efficient living.

Not so fast. According to a recent column by Hoover Institute scholar Peter Schweizer, Mr. Gore—who tells the rest of us that we should drive hybrids, use renewable energy sources, and cut back on personal consumption—isn’t exactly walking the talk. He and his wife own no fewer than three homes—including a 10,000-square-foot, 20-room, eight-bathroom tribute to restraint in Nashville, and a 4,000-square-foot monument to minimalism in Virginia. Apparently none of the massive domiciles is powered the least bit by environmentally friendly “green” energy—the more costly, less efficient wind and solar power he wants the rest of us to use. As Mr. Schweizer sees it: “If Al Gore is the world’s role model for ecology, the planet is doomed.”

There’s more, alas. The Gores own significant stock in Occidental Petroleum—yes, the same company whose primary product enables the very trucks and SUVs that Mr. Gore publicly decries. Not only that, but Mr. Schweizer notes that Mr. Gore “receives $20,000 a year in royalties from Pasminco Zinc, which operates a zinc concession on his property. Tennessee has cited the company for adding large quantities of barium, iron, and zinc to the nearby Caney Fork River.” If this isn’t a flagrant case of profit over principle, Mr. Gore has some explaining to do.

The problem with telling others to sacrifice is that the person doing the asking has to have some credibility for his audience to believe him. Mr. Gore has been accorded movie-star-like treatment since his film on global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth,” hit theaters. He flies in a private jet to promote the movie (not very environmentally friendly, that), and a generally supportive press has faithfully reported his prescription of “a carbon-neutral lifestyle.” Mr. Gore may be right in his warming forecast and in the remedies proposed. But at a minimum, Americans need to see some sacrifice from the spokesman before we’re ready and willing to try it ourselves.

What’s needed here is leadership by example. Otherwise, all the dire warnings in the world come across as just so much hot air.

Date published: 9/18/2006