Private jets for climate change!

[greg334]

Today is live earth and what a joke it is. If you really think that this is a promotion of real global warming issues and going to really help, think again.

Someone somewhere is making (a lot of) money off of this at the expense of others who think it will help. But the great thing is I am not the only one who says it is a rather misplaced event; a lot of others also think so. Some include artists who say that the real change comes from examples, some include experts who question the need to have concerts to promote anything and there are some who will ignore all of it and lead by example which is not what any of the participants will commit to because they are at the event to begin with.

I for one side with Bob Geldof who called the event pointless and the Artic Monkeys (who ever they are) “It's a bit patronizing for us 21-year-olds to try to start to change the world, especially when we're using enough power for 20 houses just for stage lightingâ€, imagine what that amount of electricity is and how much carbon is produced to create it!

Bob Geldof also mentioned that ALGORE is not the right person to be speaking this message or organizing the event, which I totally agree with. As I see it, he had his chance to make real changes in our government about this issue, being the VP, the second in command after Hillary that is, in what the press has touted as the most popular presidential administration the US has ever had, he could have made a big impact ESPECIALLY with a republican congress who was passing things the Clinton administration wanted to really see passed.

While he was in power, he did not push for any creation of any fuel consumption reduction acts for the government (the biggest users of Fossil fuels by the way), he did not trim the aircraft fleet or force some of the cabinet members to fly commercial (some got military escorts on their junkets). Yes you can say that the repubs also don't do much but I don’t see them screaming about how we are going to die in 50 years unless we do something now quick (and give up a lot of money doing it) while getting on their private jet to fly somewhere to say the same thing to another group of ten brain dead people.

• How many millions has ALGORE been making off of all of this?

• How has he really reduced his Carbon Footprint other than purchasing some questionable (some say phony) ‘Carbon Credits’?

• Has he been purchasing land and stopping development and urban sprawl or directly committed to planting trees here where it counts?

• And finally to me here is the really big issue; ALGORE wrote a book, filmed a documentary (which wastes a lot of energy doing) and seems to believe in this entire issue, why is it that if he is trying to reach people, he is charging to speak to them, charging for his book and to watch his film? I would think that if you have a message you truly believe in, you will get that message out anyway possible, right?

And as I have said in the past, the idea of some very rich person who actually derives their wealth from destruction of the planet, like producing millions of CDs or be part of a film or jetting around in a private jet to sell his book/film or video should not tell me or anyone else what we should do but put their wealth to work by living an example for us to follow. For example Madonna, the leader of nuevo rich sc*m headliners for the London concert and seems to live way beyond what should be held up as an example for anyone concerned about the planet. Reading about her and her energy use, you can substitute her name with any other rich person and there is no difference in energy use. It seems that she only flies private, here entourage consists of a rather large fleet of SUV’s and the houses (yes plural) she owns are not the most energy efficient things on the block. Do you actually expect her to change to save the earth? I would think that she got something out of this other then the feeling she was doing the right thing for the planet.

The event also has sparked a lot of criticism with the amount of energy used to hold the event, the energy used to get people to and from, apparently there are a lot of cars, buses and SUVs traveling across our country to go to the Washington DC event (and why is there only one event for NA?) and there is a concern that there is too much waste produced at the event so here we have even more energy used to clean up the mess – not saying Brazil will dispose of it the right way, they may just dump it in the shanty towns.

 

[Moot]

A little off the subject but I find it somewhat ironic that Al Gore's son gets busted for drugs that he bought of the very internet his father invented.

 

[letzrockexpress]

Greg,
If I understand what you are saying here you are complaining about someone or some people "engaging". What would would you rather have them do???

 

[Moot]

Al Gore is making money from the global warming crisis. But more importantly for him, he is getting the media attention he craves. He is the main man on this gig. No more number 2.

If you buy into this global warming rubbish, then go to the concert, support these artists by purchasing their cd's, tee shirts and other doo-dads. And read some P.T. Barnum quotes. I think he had something relevant to say on the subject.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Moot..I happen to believe in this "rubbish" BUT not as a "crisis" but a natural occurance in the cycle of the planet and abit of help from us.
I wonder if no one bought thier T's and CD's and no free press coverage, would they still put on a "free"concert

I happen to believe we are still ending an ice age and things are just warming up...

 

[letzrockexpress]

So am I to believe that it is not o.k. to make money off of something just because it is a "cause"?? Why would you begrudge somebody making money off of something? You may not agree with the cause, and that is fine, but you expect to get paid for your efforts,right? Did this take money out of your pocket? If it helped to raise awareness to a global problem ( which by the way I am not convinced this is one)Why shouldn't those who invested money,time and effort raising this "awareness" benefit from it?? At the end of the day it is no more than Free Enterprise. Get over it.

 

[greg334]

Moot, yea how ironic, but he is in treatment and justified the drug use and illegal drugs. It must be a b*tch growing up rich and having everything handed to you.

OVM, a lot of it is rubbish, so to speak.

The facts on ‘Man Made’ global warming point to the fact that it is exclusively ‘Man Made’ and “nature has absolutely nothing to do with it†Dr. Heidi Cullen, weather channel (it is funny that she goes against scientist who have said otherwise for 30 years). The sad thing is we can not change anything except clean up our own mess.

letzrockexpress

If I understand what you are saying here you are complaining about someone or some people "engaging".

No, what I am saying here is that rich people should not tell us, us who don’t have the money to put up the solar panels the wind mills and to make serious changes to our dwellings and life styles, to preach to us about how we are supposed to change at the same time making a living in an industry that pollutes 40 times the amount of the average person for each ‘artist’ that has in it (those numbers come from some Carbon foot print group).

What would you rather have them do???

SHOW US what they did first and be examples to all of us before opening their mouths.

So am I to believe that it is not o.k. to make money off of something just because it is a "cause"??

I think that making money off a cause is one thing, there are standards that one should expect, like being able to feed ones’ self and provide shelter, but we are not talking about making $125K or even $250K off of a cause, we are talking about millions. ALGORE for one has wealth to begin with to give away a copy of his book and film but he is wealthier because of his book, film and speaking engagements, which goes beyond the idea of being devoted to a cause.

Why would you begrudge somebody making money off of something?

Nope, read my previous answer.

You may not agree with the cause, and that is fine, but you expect to get paid for your efforts,right?

Well I do agree with the cause to a point, we live in the cleanest industrialized nation on earth, we have led the way to clean up our own mess but we fail to recognize that some things are out of our control and climate change is one of them. But again I do expect people who tell me that we must do something to lead before expecting someone to follow. No where have ALGORE, or the environmental movement showcased common people who have made a difference. I read about Di Caprio’s place, about how some one planted a tree in Malaysia or how this movie star or that drives a hybrid (that actually pollutes more than my truck). When did ALGORE sell his houses or fly commercial? Last I heard he still had that compound with all those servants.

Did this take money out of your pocket?

Not yet, what you may not understand is that ALGORE is pushing for a Carbon tax on us, the people to force us to conform to his ideas and standards. What you need to be concerned about is people like him, self-appointed experts who will tell you what they want you to do all the time doing the opposite. The head of NASA pointed out no one made him or others the spokesman of this cause and that something this big should not reside in the hands of anyone self appointed for any reason.

If it helped to raise awareness to a global problem ( which by the way I am not convinced this is one)Why shouldn't those who invested money, time and effort raising this "awareness" benefit from it??

I agree with others, like Geldof when they say the awareness already exists. Our schools are pushing this agenda before the basics, watch the tv in some markets and see the Global Warming PSAs, The investment of money is not to raise awareness but to make a profit and the ‘seriousness’ of the problem should not be one that is cheapened by profit mongers.

At the end of the day it is no more than Free Enterprise. Get over it.

Well in a way it is and in a way it is not, I wouldn’t mind it if I saw the action of the people preaching. The one fact is free enterprise should not work with lies and deceit, which is what they are selling here to force people to conform. If they all put the same effort into say taking the money and buying land to preserve or setting up wind farms, ok then there is a seriousness about this that would make me listen more.

Like I mentioned the Carbon tax, there is a need to shift wealth from one place to another, a.k.a. Kyoto treaty, and it seems that everyone looks at the US as the bad guys here when in fact we are moving ahead of the EU (who is ahead of the rest of the world).

As for government involvement, I don’t want my government to be involved outside of what has been done. I want to see people involved, that is the only way change should take place in our society.

 

[letzrockexpress]

I can get with most of what you say. A couple comments though...A carbon tax would involve even those involved here paying too, i.e., Al Gore, etc. You say you would like to see people, not the government involved in the process. I wholeheartedly agree with that but it must be brought to the people's attention and repeatedly enforced. Extravaganzas such as this concert can help to do that.I think we need to focus on the message, not necessarily the messengers....Regardless of the fact that most things that cause global warming are natural events, we should do what we can to manage the ones caused by humans.

 

[greg334]

I can get with most of what you say. A couple comments though...A carbon tax would involve even those involved here paying too, i.e., Al Gore, etc.

I understand where you are coming from, but do you think that a carbon tax would affect people like ALGORE or Madonna? No way, there will be some exemption in it for them, the beautiful people.

You say you would like to see people, not the government involved in the process. I wholeheartedly agree with that but it must be brought to the people's attention and repeatedly enforced.

Yes the people need to get involved with this, but to enforce what? I mean look at today’s situation and explain to me the advantages of putting up a solar panel, I can’t find any because the government is involved, from taxing the panel production to sales tax on the panel when I buy it. This is one reason I am sold on the FairTax (HR25), because I can make money, not have to be taxed on my labor and than when I need to buy something like a solar panel or a wind mill, I can pay 23% extra and not have to figure what the possibilities of getting a tax break on what I purchased, how can I justify the purchase and what in the long run will this do to my tax liability if I make any money off of it – make sense?

It also is involved with a lot more regulations to prevent you or I from really taking advantage of the using alternate energy or cleaning up the environment or buying land to preserve. Things can happen when you have involvement but for the individual it is something that they have to see a tangible result with, like bottle returns. Telling someone to recycle is one thing, showing them the outcome from it is another. The one thing I am amazed by in my research for my latest project is the amount of un-recyclable waste in packaging of CDs, electronics and other daily useless items. Change needs to be done in that area of consumptionism too.

Extravaganzas such as this concert can help to do that. I think we need to focus on the message, not necessarily the messengers....

Well see here is the point I am trying to make, the massagers overshadow the message. Instead of having Madonna do a bunch of PSAs and give out free stuff, she is putting on a concert that is using a lot of energy because she is Madonna. She is not getting rid of her fleet of Range Rovers, any of her 5 houses or anything else and many go to this concert not to hear the message but only to see her (they actually need professional help). I would also think that localized concerts would have been better in places like the EU and the US, seeing that localization of issues are a better fit for this cause than one concert, one continent concept. The real true global warming religious people out there will tell you (and have criticized this event) that having a concert is one thing but to expect people to travel from all over is not a good thing at the same time they (the real true global warming religious people) are trying to make people realize that localization of food production, housing and other things is what helps.

Regardless of the fact that most things that cause global warming are natural events, we should do what we can to manage the ones caused by humans.

I agree with you, like I said, we are capable in cleaning up our own mess but we can’t change what is happening to the planet, we have no such power to do so.

 

[letzrockexpress]

Al Gore is not one of the beautiful people...in my opinion anyway. I didn't mean "enforce" like in a law. I meant it like keep driving it home until it sticks...

 

[Tennesseahawk]

"I meant it like keep driving it home until it sticks..."

Much the same way Chairman Mao or Stalin drove it home? To state an opinion is one thing. Promoting it with a concert of kumbaya is another. But disagreeing with these ppl is tantamount to being evil. Personally, I don't believe I'm evil just because I don't eat their oatmeal.

This global warming thing is world-wide socialism. The haves (US, EU, Canada) give to the have nots (China, Brazil, India). The have nots don't have to conform to the global crisis, as they are budding economies. Sorry... but as one talk show host I listen to says, science does not discriminate. Either there is a crisis or their isn't. To say the have nots can continue to pollute, while the haves conform is just that... enviromental socialism.

Don't you find it ironic that Algore made (and continues to make) his money on stocks from Occidental Coal and Petrolium? His lipservice about the environment is a soapbox for his "Do as I say, not as I do" mentality. I don't buy his rubbish. Nor do I buy the UN's. Nor do I buy any group that doesn't have the US's best interests at heart. That includes Bush with his opening the southern floodgates. Personally, I can't stand any of em. Whether it's the UN or our own government, they sell out to the highest bidder.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[letzrockexpress]

I mean drive it home til it sticks like "smoking causes lung cancer"
for example.

 

[letzrockexpress]

I totally missed your point about how the global warming thing is some sort of socialism. How so? What do you mean that the have nots do not have to conform to the crisis? Provided there is indeed a crisis, who says they don't have to conform?
And yes, you are right: science does not discriminate....but spin does...I smell O'reily or Glen Beck in your comment.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

No O'Riley or Beck.

By the have nots, I mean that the Kyoto Treaty does not apply to them. China doesn't have to sign on. India doesn't have to sign on. Two of the worst polluters, and they are not accountable! Science doesn't pick and choose, but the UN does. That's SOCIALISM!

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[greg334]

You know that this has taken the form like some socialistic causes, in some respects it is now considered a religion, Gaia and all that cr*p. this all has unfortunately taken a geo-political form where it should exclusively be a country by country issue with the grassroots movement leading the way – not a UN self-appointed, must control the entire thing project.

I am serious when I say that if you deny that global warming is completely a man made phenomenon or criticize people who are believers in ALGORE, you get a reaction worst than denying that Hitler killed the Jews in the 40’s. When you read some of the literature that is floating around from some of the people who are spearheading this, you get the sense of 1930’s Soviet Union and what we must sacrifice for the party.

People like Dr. Heidi Cullen of the weather channel who demand that metrologist that do not buy into the gloom and doom of the global warming crowd 100% be stripped of their credentials and forever forbidden to be part of that profession.

Even with the disputes within the scientific community, there has been more of castigation of people who say it is not a crisis but rather a natural occurring change. I quoted Dr. Heidi Cullen of what she said “nature has absolutely nothing to do with itâ€.

As with other things like the elimination of racism and bigotry, some of the most prolific promoters of the global warming cause are from the far left and see it all as a way to shift power and wealth from one country to another. One reason I don’t like the people who were taking part of the live earth concerts to tell me what to do but show me. This is the point of the Patricians telling the Plebes what to do.

Take just the Kyoto treaty, if you really read it carefully you will find that beside the caps and the taxes in the treaty, there are other measures to limit specifically the United States economy, which has been the goal for a bunch of socialist for a while. While we must make amends for our sins in one respect, we must also look the other way when these poor third world nations sin. Nations like China and India, both are wealthy and can do with some changes.

As much as I can go on with this, I stand firm that there is no real crisis but one within our government. We can’t do much about the real changes going on, which we can not control what is going on as much as we can damage the entire earth and that it takes people, not governments to solve the problems we face.

 

[letzrockexpress]

I think you are refering to the "Kyoto Protocol". A protocol is not a treaty, it is what the UN calls "diplomatic etiquette". Nations can ratify a protocol but it's not like a treaty where it is almost like a law. It's more like "hey, this sounds like a good idea". I think we have seen the past few years what little influence the UN really has in this day and age.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

When members from "respected" nations get caught dipping their fingers into the oil-for-food pie, does it surprise you they're losing credibility and influence? All this does is make me wonder who in the UN is getting rich from the BILLIONS flowing thru the "global warming" sieve.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[greg334]

Ah.... I do agree with you on most of what you say Letz, but ...

It don't matter what the title is, Kyoto Protocol, Kyoto Treaty, Kyoto toilet paper, most countries have ratified it and treat it as a treaty - the same as GATT and other treaties.

I also think that it shows the weakness of the UN but they will jam us with the latest propaganda publication on this issue. Makes you wonder why they are defining anything, we have had clear and understandable definitions on diplomatic terms for about 300 years.

 

[bamamule]

but how can they justfi thier paychecks without doing this

 

[greg334]

Live Earth, Dead Audience

Some of the information on Live Earth has been dismal to say the least. I find the spin that the AP and Reuters put on it opposite to the truth and I thought it was to be a 'free' concert, someone forgot to tell the promoters in England that £55 ($110) per ticket price should have been £0 ($0) per ticket.

AND Madonna got a pretty good chunk of change to have 'sex' with a guitar on stage. I guess in England, that's entertainment?

Many people paid for a ticket but did not know about the pledge or seem to care about the Earth. No one told them about the message and purpose of the concert or reinforced the message. Others seem not to care, at £55 ($110) a ticket I would not care either.

The best quote of the day was this - Sue Bourner, 38, a health service manager from Hampshire (England). "But frankly, I think it's cheeky of Americans to come over here and lecture us. They are the worst polluters." In truth Sue, the worst polluters are China and your former colony, India.. but I digress

Others said that they could not figure out who Gore was and what he had to do with Madonna, most it seemed were there for her (yuk, they need professional help).

The best outrage of the day comes from Greenpeace in Hamburg, which I have to support their position on their issue and the message that is sent to everyone. It seems that they are very upset at the fact that the concert in Hamburg was sponsored by Daimler Chrysler of all companies.

What a shame!

Sorry but this all stinks and is really really sad....

and proves what I said.