The Doom Of Profit

The happy couples at the Oscars - Tammy Lynn Michaels, Melissa Etheridge, Al Gore, Tipper Gore - Image Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com

The Doom Of Profit

It strikes me that the posting below should be titled "The Doom Of Profit".

It certainly put an end to the perceived purity of this (truly) evil man's character.

Just think, maybe this will put an end to all of this crazy talk about giving this guy the "Nobel Peace Prize"! Give us all a break from his overbearing and lecturing ways.

As he stated very clearly - This (his profiting from his own "doom prophecy") IS a moral issue. Hey, Al, go back to growing tobacco!

This posted at Now Public -

The Profit of Doom
... and it gets worse
by robert galbraith - February 28, 2007

"As the controversy over global warming doomsayer Al Gore's voracious energy-eater mansion rolls on, there's an angle I think merits deeper investigation than it is currently getting. While much of the focus has been on whether or not Gore is an environmental hypocrite, the story has raised the profile of the role of "carbon offsets" in achieving a "greener," more environmentally friendly world.

In its original story, The Tennessean reported that Gore buys "carbon offsets" to compensate for his home's use of energy from carbon-based fuels. As Wikipedia explains, a carbon offset "is a service that tries to reduce the net carbon emissions of individuals or organizations indirectly, through proxies who reduce their emissions and/or increase their absorption of greenhouse gases."

Wikipedia goes on to explain that "a wide variety of offset actions are available; tree planting is the most common. Renewable energy and energy conservation offsets are also popular, including emissions trading credits."

So far, so good. But how Gore buys his "carbon offsets," as revealed by The Tennessean raises serious questions. According to the newspaper's report, Gore buys his carbon offsets through Generation Investment Management:

Gore helped found Generation Investment Management, through which he and others pay for offsets. The firm invests the money in solar, wind and other projects that reduce energy consumption around the globe...

Gore is chairman of the firm and, presumably, draws an income or will make money as its investments prosper. In other words, he "buys" his "carbon offsets" from himself, through a transaction designed to boost his own investments and return a profit to himself. To be blunt, Gore doesn't buy "carbon offsets" through Generation Investment Management - he buys stocks."
Reference Here>>

Well, we just finished reading the website for Generation Investment Management.

As Simon Cowell of American Idol fame is prone to say when he gives his best critique ... "If I am going to be honest" - the website for a company that was "established" in 2004 is Nothing But A Bunch Of Fluff ... there is no "there", there ... this company should be based in Oakland! Jerry Brown would fit right in.

The richest statements on the site are:

Our Chairman, former Vice President Al Gore, has assembled Generation's Advisory Board which consists of global leaders and thinkers from capital markets, industry, sustainability, economics, and geopolitical fields. The Advisory Board plays an important part in establishing our long term thematic research agenda into global sustainability issues, such as poverty, climate change, ecosystem services, biodiversity, pandemics, demographics, migration, public policy and responsible lobbying.

We, at MAXINE, really love that word - SUSTAINABILITY - it actually sounds ominous and that we humans have the power to not just have control as to what happens here on earth - as if, but beyond.

And this:

Generation's Advisory Board consists of global thinkers who help us anticipate the changing context for business.

It makes one think, if Al Gore became President of the most powerful nation on earth, how would he use his power to Change The Context For Business!