Leading environmentalist and former vice president Al Gore's Tennessee home guzzles enough energy to power about 20 average American households, according to Tennessee Center for Policy Research, a nonpartisan think tank. The center's research found that in the year since Gore took steps to make his home more energy-efficient, his home's energy use has actually surged more than 10 percent.
"A man's commitment to his beliefs is best measured by what he does behind the closed doors of his own home," said Drew Johnson, president of the center in a press release last week. "Al Gore is a hypocrite and a fraud when it comes to his commitment to the environment, judging by his home energy consumption."
In the past year, Gore's home burned through 213,210 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power over 19 average American households for the same period.
The center obtained information about Gore's home energy use through a public records request to the Nashville Electric Service.
Gore won an Academy Award for best documentary in 2007 for "An Inconvenient Truth," based on a climate change speech developed by Gore. The day after Gore won the award, the center uncovered that Gore's Nashville home guzzled many times more electricity than the average American household.
The center claims that after they exposed Gore's massive home energy use, he scurried to make his home more energy-efficient, adding solar panels, installing a geothermal system, replacing existing light bulbs with more efficient models, and overhauling the home's windows and ductwork. Now, however, Gore consumes more electricity than before the green makeover.
Since making his home more environmentally-friendly last June, Gore's home devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month—1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations—at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.
"In the wake of becoming the most well-known global warming alarmist, Gore won an Oscar, a Grammy and the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition, Gore saw his personal wealth increase by an estimated $100 million thanks largely to speaking fees and investments related to global warming hysteria," reads a release from the center.
"Actions speak louder than words, and Gore's actions prove that he views climate change not as a serious problem, but as a money-making opportunity," Johnson said. "Gore is exploiting the public's concern about the environment to line his pockets and enhance his profile."
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