Bill Gates has 10,000 Times the Carbon Footprint of an Average American
June 13, 2008 · Print This Article
Americans already have large carbon footprints: where the world average is 4 tons, the American average is 20. A study at MIT found that no matter what you do, if you live in America, you’re automatically going to have a large footprint – whether you’re homeless, a child or a Buddhist monk – because our public services and infrastructure create a ‘baseline’ of 8.5 tons, which no American can drop below. But, even though you won’t find someone with a tiny carbon footprint here, you will find people with huge ones – especially the richest man in the country, Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
EcoGeek has it:
Bill Gates, specifically chosen for the study, has a carbon footprint about 10,000 times the average. Of course, he also has produced a great deal of wealth and growth for the world. In general, the researchers found that as income rises, so do emissions. A homeless person, who ate at soup kitchens and slept in shelters, had an average carbon footprint of 8.5 tonnes, still twice as much as the world average. Even monks, who lived half the year in the forest, had carbon footprints of 10.5 tonnes.
Big shocker – the richest techie nerd in the world has a huge CO2 footprint. This guy has more giant, expensive, energy sucking toys than you can possibly imagine. He has a house with a 3-car garage – for his servants. At last count, old Bill was worth $56 billion.
Link [EcoGeek]
Photo credit: Mugshots.org
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I actually drove by his house once to check it out, when I was visiting Seattle. When we got near the place, someone came out of the bushes and took a photo of our car. Is that what he’s paid to do all day? Strange.
Did you at least get a polaroid of yourself?
Also, I’m sure Bill Gates is pretty excessive, but I guess he’s at least giving his servants a place to live, so it’s not like the 3 car garage is going to waste.. I assume the servants use it.
As for other gadgets he has for himself… there’s nothing I can say in his defense.
How big is Al Gore’s carbon footprint? I’ll bet that private jet he uses isn’t the “green” version. What a hypocrite!
@Jeff, you are a moron. Al Gore flies commercial when he can, buys renewable energy for his solar powered home, has completely renovated his house to be super uber green, and has done more than any one person on the planet to thrust the issue of Global Warming in the public’s radar.
While I happen to respect the hell out of Bill Gates for his business acumen and work with on global health issues with his foundation, green he is not.
Al Gore on the other hand is Mr. Fscking Green.
@Jeff, you sound like a Dittohead parrotjob who thinks Sean Hannity is a great ‘Merican and that Bush is doing a heckova job. A typical deadender flatworld ignoramus. I hope you stick around for comic relief.
1. Teecycle.org, I don’t know how your comment relates to carbon footprint
2. Vicky and the author, what gagets are you referring to? Can you name three? I’d like to see the sources of that.
3. Jeff, show some proof when you speak
4. Sorry please show some proof about Al Gore’s house as well.
I just watched Al Gore’s film and want some opposite opinions and that’s how I stumbled upon this site. However, I can’t stand people who file comments without doing research from reliable sources.
Lastly, why don’t you look up the carbon footprint for the Walden (Walmart) family – which combined is far richer than Bill Gates? At least Bill Gates is a phalanthropist.
Certianly there were more deserving recipiants for the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE then a idiot with aover inflated ego and big fat piehole to match