For those of you who think Algore's environmental clap-trap is purely altruistic, think again. He's got a vested interest in it, and even set it up as a 501(c)3 to re-invest:
Al buys his carbon offsets from Generation Investment Management LLP, which is "an independent, private, owner-managed partnership established in 2004 and with offices in London and Washington, D.C.," that, for a fee, will invest your money in "high-quality companies at attractive prices that will deliver superior long-term investment returns." Generation is a tax-exempt U.S. 501(c)3. And who's the chairman and founding partner? Al Gore.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/steyn/281949,CST-EDT-STEYN04.article
He sure got a lot of good free publicity from the Oscars and has managed to make "Carbon Neutral" the popular buzzword of the week.
More details of his lifestyle here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-09-gore-green_x.htm
I like the fact he gets a royalty check from a company operating on his property that he has been vocally opposed to for illegal dumping.
He's got money. Why no geothermal, solar, and wind energy? No wonder the channels didn't fly, not even al gore could pull it off.
Can't say if it's true or not, but:
There was a rumor when CFC-based refrigerants were first identified as "ozone-depleting" that it was leaked by DuPont's marketing arm. The patent on freon was about up and DuPont had developed some quite profitable new refrigerants. At least this was the contention of a lot of disgruntled HVAC contractors who had to invest in a lot of new equipment and technology.
The surest way to get a product or industry off the ground is to say there is a problem.
Surest way to get people to invest in companies in which Algore has an interest is to say that if people invest in them, the world will be better off.
This is one case in which I do not trust the messenger. This guy is a pathological liar.
I don't know. I made some money last year off a company I'm relatively certain was not environmentally good to Canada.
I don't condone what they do, but I know what they do, and I did take the money. Right now, I'm in another company with equal or greater environmental questionability. Equal or greater profit potential too.