Gore vs Democracy in the Developing World
Filed under: Africa ~ Philosphy
You might find this hard to believe (then again, you might not find it surprising in in the least): Al Gore is a horrendous polluter.
Yep, that's right, Mr. Green is Unclean. As Charles Krauthammer wrote in a recent column in Time magazine, Gore's "Tennessee mansion consumes 20 times the electricity used by the average American home. Last August alone it consumed twice as much power as the average home consumes in a year." That's to say nothing of the fact that he spurns public transportation for limosines and airplanes.
Al thinks this pollution he spews out is OK, however, because he bribes others not to pollute by purchasing "carbon credits" -- so it's a wash. Krauthammer explains that even if you think this is morally acceptable in the context of pollution (shouldn't role model Al reduce pollution rather than just trying to break even? is bribery really OK?), and even if it actually works (Krauthammer says it won't, and may in fact make pollution worse), the net result is to destroy democracy in the developing world. How? Krauthammer writes:
For example, GreenSeat, a Dutch carbon-trading outfit, buys offsets from a foundation that plants trees in Uganda's Mount Elgon National Park to soak up the carbon emissions of its rich Western patrons. Small problem: expanding the park encroaches on land traditionally used by local farmers. As a result, reports the New York Times, "villagers living along the boundary of the park have been beaten and shot at, and their livestock has been confiscated by armed park rangers." All this so that swimming pools can be heated and Maseratis driven with a clear conscience in the fattest parts of the world.
Now, let's leave aside the obvious fact that trees in Uganda won't do a blessed thing to "soak up" toxic runoff from an American power station or other industrial facility like what was discovered at the famous Love Canal (is it only warming Mr. Green cares about, and not pollution in general?). Let's forget about whether the smoke from Al's chimneys is really going to fly all the way to Uganda rather that being inhaled first by some poor little kid in Nashville. The point is this: people don't want to give up carbon. Carbon is delicious. From Al's own egregious actions, that's plain to see. Ergo, you have to force them to, by undemocratic means. Naturally, forcing Al himself to do so is out of the question. So Al chooses to force some helpless Ugandan farmers instead. He's inviting (no, causing) dictatorship for profit.
Looks like Al is realizing what Kermit knew all along: It's not easy being green!
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