Gerard van der Leun on Papal Indulgences and Carbon Credits
A wonderful post about the
Goricle and his energy use -- Gerard compares it with another house:
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who's the greenest of them all?
Al's house:
"Gore's mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).... The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh -- more than 20 times the national average... Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year.... Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.Gore's extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore's mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year." (Tennessee Center for Policy Research)
George's house:
The 4,000-square-foot house is a model of environmental rectitude. Geothermal heat pumps located in a central closet circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground where the temperature is a constant 67 degrees; the water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. Systems such as the one in this "eco-friendly" dwelling use about 25% of the electricity that traditional heating and cooling systems utilize. A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof runs; wastewater from sinks, toilets and showers goes into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is used to irrigate the landscaping surrounding the four-bedroom home. Plants and flowers native to the high prairie area blend the structure into the surrounding ecosystem.
No, this is not the home of some eccentrically wealthy eco-freak trying to shame his fellow citizens into following the pristineness of his self-righteous example.... This is President George W. Bush's "Texas White House" outside the small town of Crawford." (Common Dreams)
Gerard goes on:
Here we have the new religion of "Save the Earth Not the People" reverting to an ancient religious practice of "buying indulgences" in which the wealthy could assure their ascent into heaven no matter what their sins through cash payments to the Catholic Church (or in this case the Earth Church).
Indulgences occur when the [Catholic] Church, acting by virtue of its authority, applies existing merit from the Church's treasury to an individual. The individual gains the indulgence by participating in certain activities, most often the recitation of prayers. By decree of Pope Pius V in 1567, following the Council of Trent, it is forbidden to attach the receipt of an indulgence to any financial act, including the giving of alms.
The 1567 decision by the Catholic Church took the money out of the sin equation. It is a shame that the much younger Church of the Earth has yet to have this "Reformation" but then again it is a church much younger than Islam and we're still waiting on that Reformation.
Besides, new churches need funding and there is so much money to be made in this new and improved eco-scam.
I am not quoting this so as to deny global warming, it is happening but it is happening as a part of a much larger periodic cycle of climate and to consider, even for a moment that we humans have done anything more than contribute a few percent is pure fucking unadulterated hubris.
The reason I am quoting this is that the environmental 'movement' has veered away from critical thinking and hard science. They cherry pick data and ignore things that do not fit their mindset. They are purposely misleading the general public and any attempts to present a different viewpoint are shouted down, not listened to and discussed.
We need to have the general public wake up a bit here...
Posted by DaveH at February 27, 2007 4:21 PM