Another Al Gore inconvenience

jimpeel

jimpeel

Well-Known Member
Al Gore's Inconvenient Stock Portfolio Exposed

SEC Filing Raises Questions About the "Sustainability" of Generation Investment Management's $438 Million Investment Fund, says JunkScience.com

Washington, DC, October. 30, 2007 - Government filings by Al Gore's investment management firm, Generation Investment Management (GIM), indicate that the Nobel Peace Prize winner may be "talking the talk" but not "walking the walk" when it comes to investing in so-called "sustainable" businesses.

"Despite its widely publicized rhetoric, the Gore firm's stock portfolio looks to be that of an ordinary diversified mutual fund," said JunkScience.com publisher Steve Milloy. "If this is 'sustainable' investing, then it is a meaningless term," Milloy said.

GIM, of which Al Gore is the chairman and founding partner, filed its Form 13F-Holdings report with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on October 23, 2007. The report may be viewed at http://www.junkscience.com/oct07/GIM_Holdings_102307.pdf.

According to the report, GIM has $438 million invested in the following 22 companies: AFLAC, Amdocs, Autodesk, Becton Dickinson, Blackbaud, Donaldson Company, General Electric, Greenhill & Co., HDFC Bank, Johnson Controls, Laboratory Corporation of America, Metabolix, Millipore, Mueller Water Products, Northern Trust, Procter & Gamble, SPDR Trust, Staples, Techne Corp., UBS, Varian Medical Systems and Waters Corp.

GIM's top five holdings are Johnson Controls, AFLAC, Becton Dickinson, General Electric and Procter & Gamble.

Al Gore says on the GIM web site that, "Integrating issues such as climate change into investment analysis is simply common sense."

But with the exception of General Electric ─ which actively lobbies for global warming regulation while its stock significantly underperforms the broad stock market ─ GIM's portfolio doesn't seem to have anything to do with climate change. Notably absent from GIM's portfolio are energy and utility companies ─ even those that claim they will benefit from global warming regulation. With the exception of GE, corporate members of the pro-global warming regulation lobbying group called the U.S. Climate Action Partnership are also missing from GIM's portfolio.

"GIM's portfolio is a run-of-the-mill mix of financial service, healthcare, consumer products, technology and industrial materials companies that hardly seems to live up to Gore's rhetoric about social and environmental sustainability allegedly driving GIM's investment choices," Milloy said. "There seems to be no particular focus on energy efficiency, alternative energy, reducing pollution and greenhouse gases, or other so-called 'green' business ideals" Milloy said.

In any event, GIM has probably purchased the stock of these companies in the secondary markets, meaning that GIM's capital is not being invested directly in the companies' operations. GIM can buy or sell its portfolio positions by simply picking up the phone and calling its stockbroker. The companies owned don't necessarily even know GIM is an investor.

"GIM's investments do not appear to be reducing anyone's carbon footprint," said Milloy. "Before falling for GIM's 'sustainability' pitch, investors may want to check out GIM's portfolio first," Milloy added.
 
Uh, oh. Al's at it again.

http://www.junkscience.com/ByTheJunkman/20080619.html

Al Gore’s Epic Hypocrisy
By Steven Milloy
June 19, 2008

Al Gore imagines that future poets will be singing his praises 1,000 years from now. In the meantime back on Planet Earth, he may have to settle for the slings and arrows that he deserves for his epic hypocrisy.

A year after the Tennessee Center for Policy Research exposed Gore’s prodigious personal use of electricity at his Nashville mansion (20 times the national average), the Center reported this week that Gore’s personal electricity consumption during the past year actually increased by 10 percent.

So while he campaigns for Americans to curtail their electricity use -- you should take cold showers, forego air conditioning, and dry your clothes on a clothesline -- Al Gore is plugging in and turning on more than ever.

Gore tried to defend himself by stating that his family “has taken numerous steps to reduce the carbon footprint of their private residence, including signing up for 100 percent green power…, installing solar panels, and using compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy saving technology.”

But aside from increased energy use not being consistent with Gore’s preaching about downsizing our lifestyles, it’s worth noting that his personal energy use increased despite using energy saving devices and solar power. During a time of an alleged crisis, the profile of his personal power consumption is more akin to “greed” than “green.”

Moreover, the environmental impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s “green power” program from which Gore buys high-priced energy are murky if not downright trivial.

Only 0.05 percent of TVA’s power is “green” and TVA acknowledges that its green power program still produces greenhouse gases. All Al Gore really knows about any alleged benefits is that he pays an extra $4 for every 150-kilowatt hours of “green power” purchased.

Gore also says that he has purchased “carbon offsets to offset the family’s carbon footprint.” It’s not at all clear, however, that carbon offsets actually offset anything. Carbon offsets and the industry that sells them are so dubious that Congress and the Federal Trade Commission launched investigations of them last year.

Gore’s electric bill is outpaced only by his amped-up rhetoric and chutzpah.

In his new slideshow, a sort of “Son of An Inconvenient Truth,” Gore ironically chides those who “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk” when it comes to “saving the planet.”

[more]
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i'm sure ALL those companies have sustainability policies. everybody does. everything is green. so, really, there's a lot of meaning there, now.

jim, so, we know al gore is an asshole. are you done yet?
 
2minkey said:
i'm sure ALL those companies have sustainability policies. everybody does. everything is green. so, really, there's a lot of meaning there, now.

jim, so, we know al gore is an asshole. are you done yet?
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Nope. Lest ye forget.
 
You know, if you make the same point over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, the audience will usually get annoyed, their eyes will glaze over, and your point will be ignored.
 
On the other hand, if it's not brought up people ask what you're talking about. Not everyone has time to keep up with the hypocrits.
 
Inkara1 said:
You know, if you make the same point over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, the audience will usually get annoyed, their eyes will glaze over, and your point will be ignored.
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I believe "ad nauseum" is the expression you're looking for.
 
There are times when using as few words as possible best suits the point being made:

"Describe your writing style."
"Terse."

There are other times when really making the point requires a Cathy level of wordiness.
 
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