U.N. talks on a new climate pact resumed Monday in oil and gas-rich Qatar, where negotiators from nearly 200 countries will discuss fighting global warming and helping poor nations adapt to it.
The two-decade-old talks have not fulfilled their main purpose: reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming the planet.
Nothing like fighting climate change by flying people from all over the world to a meeting, burning who knows how many millions of pounds of jet fuel in the process. Have these people never heard of video conferencing? Seriously, look at this: "Over the next two weeks, up to 17,000 people will attend the conference." No massive carbon footprint there.
I'm more than willing to talk about scientific reasons to be skeptical about man-made climate change, but there's also this sickening "Thee, but not for me" attitude that goes well beyond the recurring stupidity of massive climate change conferences. I'm talking about people who have the gall to hector us about our carbon footprints while their lavish actions and lifestyles belie their words.
Start with President Obama, who almost certainly is going to ask to bleed us all with some sort of carbon tax or trading scheme next year. This after spending much of the year criss-crossing the country in a 747 to raise campaign funds, also dragging along all of the planes required for advance security, vehicles, and whatever part of his entourage that doesn't make it onto the big plane. Every time he travels he generates the carbon footprint of a third world nation, and he traveled a lot this year.
How about actor Matt Damon? I guess he's going to participate in a new global warming documentary by James Cameron and Jerry Weintraub. Do you suppose he will do it from his recently purchased 8,890 square foot shack?
If not, I'm sure he can get wherever he needs to in a private jet:
Maybe New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, who, when he manages to unpucker his lips from the backsides of Chinese totalitarians loves to lecture us about global warming, can open up his humble abode for the filming:
How about it, Tom? No? Well, there's still Weintraub's 10,000 square foot hovel* out in Palm Desert to fall back on.
I could go on and on, of course. There is no shortage of the rich and famous and/or politically powerful who are willing to browbeat us about climate change while shamelessly consuming far more in one year than the average American will in a lifetime. I might take their words about a crisis more seriously when they start acting like there's a crisis.
"Might" being the operative word. They've built one heck of a credibility gap that has to be closed first. Maybe a ride in one of their private jets will help.
*(I love this Wientraub quote from that article: "“I have a plane, so I’m in my Los Angeles office by 10, work until three, and by four I’m back in the desert playing 18 holes of golf.” Bwahahahahaha...That's the "fight climate change" spirit!)
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