You've heard the rumor before: Al Gore's house sucks up more power in one month than the average American uses all year long! This is nothing new. You probably also read that Gore took these criticisms to heart and set out to make his house "Green." End of story.
The story picks back up as competing groups rehash the argument with numbers, trying to prove their case -- either that Gore is a Dirty Profiteer or a Real Hero. On one side you have Drew Johnson, the president of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. He claims that Gore's Tennessee mansion uses 213,210 kilowatts of energy last year and that, since he's added sustainable properties like solar panels to his house, he now uses 17,768 kilowatts per month (compared to the average American's 11,040 kilowatts). He also complains that Gore added $100 million onto his salary in public speaking tours and prize money.
On the other side, Gore spokesperson Kalee Krieder says the numbers don't accurately reflect the reality because renovations weren't completed until November of last year so it's too early to tell. Additionally, she says 33 solar panels provide 4% of the home's energy. She argues that the geothermal heating and cooling system has actually decreased the home's energy consumption by 40%.
So who do you believe?
