I am stuck in Texas too and I agree with both of you.

Yeah, people who condemn those who fight for the environment (and all too often they vote republican because they care more about conserving the status quo of the recent convenient past and personally comfortable values) cannot be green BECAUSE THEY DO NOT GET IT!!! The time for unrestrained personal freedom is coming to an end even in the USA. North Americans cannot continue to live like we have in the last 50 years. Nobody can. It will end whether you like it or not. If you have not realized this yet - you are part of the problem.

The current fight for peace, justice, and a survivable environment requires all to participate as good as they can. Some are rich and powerful and do not care (those we can do without), some are rich and powerful and do care (and they should use their influence to change others). Of course there are those who have no influence. Ideally they live a low-impact life. Not like Al Gore (who all too often gets attacked while those who consume more and do nothing for change get away without criticism??) and he would be the first to say the same. He knows. What do you want from him? Stop saying what he is saying and disappear in a hole? What good would that do for the environmental movement? We live on a planet where people who have the power to change things only listen to other powerful people. Al Gore is being listened to for a reason. There are thousands of other people who have been saying the same thing for decades. Have you heard of them? Bet not as much.

You do not care about the consumption of the rich and powerful - you want Al Gore to shut up. And that makes you a person who is hindering positive global environmental change independent from what you do personally for the environment.

Sincerely,

Karsten
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http://www.polluteless.com
Preparing North Americans For The World to Come (while hoping to be wrong)