Green Daily

The tirelessly irrational people at the Competitive Enterprise Institute are proud supporters of a variety of uncommon ideas, like allowing companies to spew chemicals unregulated into the environment. However, they're most well-known for their complex multi-layered belief system on climate change, which essentially asserts that a) global warming doesn't exist, but b) if it does, it's not our fault and c) even if it is our fault, it's too expensive to fix and we should just build more dikes and stuff.

Now they're airing a TV ad which takes a new approach to this artificial debate between skeptics and scientists. Instead of offering up facts, which are a little thin on the ground on their side of the discussion, the CEI spot attacks Al Gore for using too much energy in his home, while simultaneously tugging on our heartstrings by relating said extravangance to the sad plight of people in developing nations who can't afford hot water or electric lights thanks to Gore-inspired environmental regulation.

Hmmm...time for a reality check here. Firstly, although Gore came under fire a few years ago for his personal energy use, his spokesfolks point out that the house has been renovated and is now a marvel of green efficiency. Secondly, in a world where the price of oil is $110 a barrel and climbing, the best hope for the not-so-advantaged is to find sustainable and renewable energy sources that can be used at a local level - precisely what environmentalists advocate.

Come on, CEI, you can do better than this. Or maybe not.