Every movement has its hero and, as we all know, Al Gore is the champion of the global warming crowd. After losing the U.S. Presidency by a few hanging chads (if, indeed, he lost at all), Al fired up his career as the guru of global warming, produced an award winning documentary and has been travelling about the planet to promote his cause.
But, like Gandhi heading for Vegas, his life style seems to obscure the message. A bloated image of his former self, Al turns up at celebrity galas, mingling with the most extravagant consumers that human society has ever known. His own palace, while said to utilize the latest tools of green technology, hardly fits the image of a devoted conservationist and his world travels surely burn more fossil fuel than that used by most oil company executives.
This rant is not an effort to diminish Gore's message about global warming. Rather, it is inspired by the hypocrisy that often exists among the rich and famous of human society. Wealthy, pompous evangelists live in luxury, reaping donations from an impoverished congregation that is drawn to their message of faith, hope and charity. Hollywood celebrities host telethons for the victims of earthquakes or famine and then return to their opulent estates in private jets. Oil barons buy up tracts of rainforest, using the carbon credits to avoid an expensive commitment to pollution reduction technology. And King Al jets across the globe, attending parties and spreading his message of global warming.
