Bill Gates uses 10,000 times the energy of the average American, MIT says

[OhioChick]

Monday, April 28, 2008 12:37

Cambridge (MA) – Time to start the finger-pointing again. A class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has begun to track the carbon footprint of different lifestyle in different nations. And the picture painted for the U.S. isn’t pretty: Even the most power conscious people in this country use more than twice the energy of the average person around the world. If you are looking for people with the worst carbon footprint, look among the super-rich such as Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, MIT says.

It is common knowledge that energy use in the U.S. has been at obscene levels for decades and that nations around the world aren’t happy with the fact that less than 5% of the world’s population is consuming almost one quarter of the energy available worldwide. A new study published by the MIT sheds additional light on this scenario and claims that no matter who you are, you are estimated to contribute at least twice and as much as five times as much greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as those living in the rest of the world.

The MIT class said that it compared the carbon emissions of Americans in a variety of lifestyles ranging from the homeless to multimillionaires, from Buddhist monks to soccer moms and compared them to those of other nations. What is interesting is that the group found that your carbon footprint impact rises with your income. The class estimated Bill Gates' impact at 10,000 times the national average.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/37159/113/

[napi21]

1. It really didn't take MIT students to know that! I must admit, I was

surprised to learn that those bog screen TV's consume 4-5 time the poser that the regular TV does. I think we can all say if we had the $$, we'd have one! I know I would. I had to but a new computer, and it's hard to find anything BUT an LCD monitor.

I have replaced all the bulbs in my house with the energy saving ones, never turn on the furnace or the A/C unless it gets unbearable, only use the car when I absolutely have to, limitmy speed to 50MPH when possible, and try every other energy saving suggestion I can afford, but damn it, I'm not giving up my computer, electric stove, refrigerator, toaster, etc.

There are millions of people in 3rd world countries that really distort that study.

[tuvor]

2. That's assuming one's income = one's carbon footprint

Sloppily-written headline, too. MIT students, based on an assumption, estimated Gates' impact; they didn't actually say that his impact is 10,000 times greater.

But why let the facts get in the way of a sensational headline?

[OhioChick]

3. So, You're Assuming that Gates Lives in a Cardboard Box?

Try 90 bedrooms and 45 baths.

The house is a modern design in the Pacific lodge style, with classic features such as a large private library and a big dome-shaped room. The house occupies 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²) on a 5.15 acre (2.1 ha) lot. Garage space and outbuildings may occupy an additional 16,000 square feet (1,500 m²). Property records indicate eight bedrooms and four building levels. According to King County public records, as of 2005, the total assessed value of the property (land and house) is $135,758,169 and the annual property tax for 2006 is $1,012,321.<1> The address of the mansion is 1835 73rd Ave NE, Medina, WA 98039.

The lot was purchased in December 1988 for $2 million, and construction occurred over a period of seven and a half years with nominal completion in 1995.<2> The house is located on the east end of the lot, which is located on a hill.

Gates often entertains the rich and powerful at his home. Once, when Bill Gates had a private party for the National Governors Association at the house, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a "temporary security zone" around Gates' Lake Washington home which locked down all of Lake Washington south of the Highway 520 bridge and stayed in effect for two days.<3>

There are 90 bedrooms. And 45 bathrooms. Talk about needing to pee around every corner.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gates'_house

Lights would automatically come on when you came home. Speakers would be hidden beneath the wallpaper to allow music to follow you from room to room. Portable touch pads would control everything from the TV sets to the temperature and the lights, which would brighten or dim to fit the occasion or to match the outdoor light.

Visitors to Bill Gates House are surveyed and given a microchip upon entrance. This small chip sends signals throughout the house, and a given room's temperature and other conditions will change according to preset user preferences. According to King County public records, as of 2002, the total assessed value of the property (land and house) is $113 million, and the annual property tax is just over $1 million.

Take a virtual tour....


http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/05/inside-bill-gates-home.html

[tuvor]

5. Go and try putting words in someone else's mouth.

The MIT students' estimate doesn't take into account things like wealthy people making use of expensive alternate power generators, for example. All it does is extrapolate.

If Gates uses solar and windmill power generation, for example, I'll bet that factor of 10,000 is off by a smidge.

And whether or not that's the case, it's still a poorly-written headline.

[OhioChick]

6. "Go and try putting words in someone else's mouth."

I Didn't. Show Me.

[tuvor]

8. Apologies.

I see that you weren't putting words in my mouth after all--sorry--but I didn't care for the hyperbole in the title of your reply. After all, I'm hardly one to defend those who don't need defending.

I hope that makes sense.

[ihavenobias]

7. Let's be fair about it

You're bashing the OP because of speculation and then *you* turn around and speculate about Bill's use of alternative energy.

And whether or not that's the case, it's still a poorly thought out argument.

;)

[tuvor]

9. I'm allowed the occasional "poorly thought-out argument," no?

In the meantime, I expect better from MIT.

:)

[budedis]

10. Of course its also a security zone if the President of Crapmanistan visits.

How much energy is attributed to activities of our fearless (except for horses) urban cowboy, GW Bush ?

Gates certainly consumes more than his share, but all that is attributed to him is not for one person or even one family.

[bhikkhu]

11. I used to live in Seattle, where his house (estate, rather) was certainly a topic

His house on Mercer Island, that is; I don't know if he has moved. I recall editorials on his water-usage being several thousand times the average household's based upon public municipal records, and then all the extravagant details of why that was...so I don't doubt the figures here.

[Hannah Bell]

4. "your carbon footprint impact rises with your income."

duh.

so there's what, maybe a couple hundred billionaires in the us?

Multiply by 10,000 for an estimate: They use approximately as much energy as 2,000,000 people, or ~1% of total use.

The rich use more, though they like to chastise the commoners for being hoggish.

[comtec]

12. I would have liked to have seen it broken down into state

Being from the bay area, we're V E R Y power conscious. Ever since the rolling black outs of the 70's and early 80's, I have always known power conservation. Californians use, per capita, the least amount of power of anyone in the US, Hell, over here in holland , I use less power than the average Dutchie it seems. I'm always turning lights off from lack of use, using natural light whenever plausible, etc.

I'd be interested in seeing what they are comparing American usage VS Europeans, and by country here.

I'm getting sick of all the US bashing, we use the most blah blah blah. I'm not saying it's untrue, I'm just getting sick of it w/o numbers to back it up is all. I suppose I'm just a bit sensitive on the subject right now anyway. Y'all really don't know, you can't know what it's like out here.

We're fucking pariahs. If there is a bad thing in the world we're the cause lately. It's so crushing you can not believe it. Even if we invent the cure all for everything, the credit would be given to someone outside the US, just so the rest of the world would accept it.

We can do no right, and it's depressing. :rant: sorry, I'll go back into my corner now :)

[natrat]

13. gates is not stupid, he chooses this