On the February 26 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter argued that proponents of energy efficiency “want to kill humans” and that energy efficient refrigerators are “not new energy” but, rather, a sign that “humankind is dying.” Coulter also suggested that environmentalists' energy policies are based on “spend[ing] less” and “us[ing] candles.”

In addition, when co-host Sean Hannity, who referred to former Vice President Al Gore's best-selling book, Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit (Plume, January 1992) as “Earth for the Unbalanced,” asked about the book's suggestions of eliminating the internal combustion engine in 25 years and levying higher taxes on fossil fuels, Coulter responded that such suggestions are “anti-human” and show that environmentalists want to create a world “where they -- the beautiful, rich people -- live in their homes, and there are a few maids. Well-tempered maids will come in and take care of them, bicycling to work. But they want to destroy the middle class of America.” She added: “I know they hate the middle class of America, but it would also wipe out their little friends in Chad and Darfur, who need energy to eat, to live, to have -- to go to the bathroom indoors in winter.”

From the February 26 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:

JON COIFMAN (spokesman, Natural Resources Defense Council): That's a surprising lack of faith in the American system and the ingenuity that we have in this country to develop better solutions.

COULTER: OK, but you don't have it.

COIFMAN: You know, the refrigerator you have today is --

COULTER: You're the ones who want to kill humans.

COIFMAN: -- 75 percent more fuel efficient than that old harvest gold one that your parents --

COULTER: And that does nothing.

COIFMAN: -- had at home in Connecticut, and it saves us three-quarters of the energy of times --

COULTER: No, you don't -- that is not new energy. That's saying that humankind is dying.

COIFMAN: -- times 300 million refrigerators -- is power plants that don't need to be built. It's pollution that doesn't need to go into the air.

COULTER: That's [unintelligible].

COIFMAN: It's electric bills that don't need to be paid by ordinary --

COULTER: And apparently candles.

COIFMAN: -- middle-class American families.

COLMES: Ann, are you listening? Are you listening to this man?

COULTER: Yes. You can --

COIFMAN: You can -- you can keep your beer cold. You can keep your --

COULTER: -- that is not producing new energy for new human beings.

COLMES: But you failed -- but you failed to respond --

COULTER: To say that we can spend less or that we can use candles is not an energy policy.

[...]

DARYL HANNAH (actress): Nobody has mentioned candles but you, Ann, I'm afraid.

HANNITY: All right. But let me go to Al Gore's book, Earth for the Unbalanced [sic]. He said higher taxes on fossil fuels is the first logical step in our policy, you know, et cetera. Then he talked about eliminating the internal combustion engine in 25 years.

What is the agenda, in your mind, behind the hysteria? Because I think it's an anti-capitalist agenda.

COULTER: It's anti-human. They want all of America to look like Amagansett [New York], where they -- the beautiful, rich people -- live in their homes, and there are a few maids. Well-tempered maids will come in and take care of them, bicycling to work. But they want to destroy the middle class of America.

And, I might add, I know they hate the middle class of America, but it would also wipe out their little friends in Chad and Darfur, who need energy to eat, to live, to have -- to go to the bathroom indoors in winter. It has nothing to do with Priuses or candle power. The energy is what allows humans to live.

COLMES: I have a way to reduce everything: Don't exhale. Thank you for being with us.

HANNITY: That's good advice for liberals.