George W. Bush Vs. Al Gore - Who Has the Greener Home?

After narrowly losing the 2000 Presidential Election, former Vice President Al Gore changed the focus of his life to save the planet. An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's Academy Award winning documentary, was created to dispel myths and misconceptions on global warming, and bring a halt to environmentally destructive behaviors. In an attempt to further draw attention to his cause, Gore also announced a series of music concerts on each of the seven continents.

However, shortly after An Inconvenient Truth received the title of "best documentary" from the Academy, the "inconvenient truth" of Gore's personal residence began circulating online and in the media. Consider these facts from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR):

* 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. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore's average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

* 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.

Gore Strives to Improve His Home
Since these facts have come to light, Gore has made changes to his home in an effort to make it less environmentally damaging. Gore presented a response detailing his actions to Think Progress, a liberal blog, stating:

1) Gore's family has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power through Green Power Switch, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.