Bush's Ranch is More Environmentally Friendly Than Al Gore's House?

These were the first words that I uttered after reading about Al Gore's home outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Far be it for me to lavish praise upon our president. Yet in this case, it seems that George Bush has Al Gore beat.

Al Gore may win Academy Awards for documentaries on climate change, but does he really practice what he preaches? You can decide for yourself after reading this article.

Al Gore's home in Tennessee boasts an impressive 20 rooms, which doesn't include eight bathrooms. This home is heated by natural gas, as are the home's guest house, pool and pool house. Just in terms of natural gas alone, Gore's Tennessee home consumes 20 times the national average.

While Gore instructs Americans to conserve as much as possible on electricity and to use it wisely, it should be known that Al Gore's home uses more electricity per month than the average American household consumes in an entire year. That is a damning indictment alone.

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research has stated that Al Gore pays $30,000 each year in electricity and gas bills.

Compare that with George Bush's home in Crawford, Texas, which was designed by an architectural professor. George Bush's single-story limestone ranch features 4 bedrooms and is 4,000 square feet. Bush has adopted many eco-friendly measures with his ranch.

Rainwater that accumulates upon the roof is funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern, while wasted water from showers, toilets and sinks heads into underground purifying tanks, and then into the cistern afterwards. Water from this cistern can then be used to irrigate the landscaping outside of the ranch.

George Bush's ranch also has geothermal heat pumps in a central closet that circulate water through pipes that are buried 300 feet in the ground which helps to keep the temperature at a steady 67 degrees. This way the water is able to heat the house in the winter and cool it in the summertime. This scheme alone helps to use only 25% of the electricity that normal heating and cooling systems would use up.

Someone stated that that George Bush's "4,000 square foot house is a model of environmental rectitude." After comparing the two men's homes, I have to agree, and wonder why it is that those that talk the loudest about the environment are usually the worst at practicing what they preach?

Sources: hubpages.com/hub/A_Tale_of__2_Houses, archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/3/1/74130.shtml?s=icp, www.thatpoliticalblog.com/serendipity/permalink/George-Bushs-home-more-environmentally-friendly-than-Al-Gores.html