Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Garbage and Soot to Keep Al Gore Famous
Live Earth came and went and wealthy celebrities will continue to use more energy and produce more pollution then common folks could ever dream of.
'A key point in my extreme dislike for anything left -- IT'S THE HYPOCRICY STUPID!
...anyway, there was a great overview of the hypocrisy amongst many in the Live Earth elite crowd in this article from a couple of day ago in The Daily Mail. Some quotes and statistics from the article:
"...Matt Bellamy, front man of the rock band Muse, has dubbed it 'private jets for climate change'."
"A Daily Mail investigation has revealed that far from saving the planet, the extravaganza will generate a huge fuel bill, acres of garbage, thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, and a mileage total equal to the movement of an army."
"The most conservative assessment of the flights being taken by its superstars is that they are flying an extraordinary 222,623.63 miles between them to get to the various concerts - nearly nine times the circumference of the world. The true environmental cost, as they transport their technicians, dancers and support staff, is likely to be far higher."
"The total carbon footprint of the event, taking into account the artists' and spectators' travel to the concert, and the energy consumption on the day, is likely to be at least 31,500 tonnes of carbon emissions, according to John Buckley of Carbonfootprint.com, who specializes in such calculations."
"Throw in the television audience and it comes to a staggering 74,500 tonnes. In comparison, the average Briton produces ten tonnes in a year."
"The concert will also generate some 1,025 tonnes of waste at the concert stadiums - much of which will go directly into landfill sites."
"Moreover, the pop stars headlining the concerts are the absolute antithesis of the message they promote - with Madonna leading the pack of the worst individual rock star polluters in the world..."
"...Collins says: "It is patently absurd to claim that travel of this nature doesn't have an impact. Each person attending the event will have to make a return journey to the venue, be it by air, rail, bus or car. This burns fossil fuel - precisely what we are trying to reduce."
"There is also the environmental cost of these artists flying around the world - that is absolutely huge."
"Indeed, an audit of the lifestyles of the A-list performers appearing at Live Earth, reveals that they are among the worst individual polluters in the world, as their world tours and private jets billow thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. One hour in a Gulfstream jet burns as much fuel as driving a family car for a year."
"The Daily Mail has found that five of the top performing acts together have an annual output of almost 2,000 carbon tonnes. Madonna alone has an annual carbon footprint of 1,018 tonnes, according to John Buckley."
"Remember, the average Briton produces just ten tonnes."
"The veteran pop singer's Confessions tour last year produced 440 tonnes of carbon pollution in just four months, simply in flights between venues. This does not include the trucks required to transport equipment, the power needed to stage each show, or the transport for fans traveling to each concert."
"Rock group Genesis re-formed last year and are in the middle of their European tour. The three-man band will fit their Live Earth performance into a tour of at least 47 locations across the world. Their carbon footprint last year totaled 195 tonnes."
"James Blunt, another Wembley performer, completed his world tour of the U.S. last year, racking up a carbon footprint of 195 tonnes."
"American band Red Hot Chili Peppers have, like Madonna, flown in to Wembley from the U.S.. They have produced 220 tonnes of carbon dioxide with their private jet alone over the last six months... "
"...So just how does Gore claim that Live Earth will be carbon neutral? He does so by convenient use of 'carbon offsetting' - a trendy new method of absolving yourself of guilt."
"Carbon offsetting involves 'neutralizing' the emissions you are responsible for by buying 'credits'."
"A spokesperson for Live Earth says: "This might involve buying environmentally sound light bulbs for a Third World school, planting trees, or installing solar panels in a developing country."
"A huge industry has sprung up to provide corporations with carbon credits."
"However, critics say that the practice is simply a way for consumerist industries and nations to export their responsibility to developing countries. Others say it simply does not work."
"Carbon-offsetting is, it turns out, how celebrities square green issues with their extravagant lifestyles and use of private jets..."
"...The idea that you can offset the pollution you cause is just ridiculous. What these people at Live Earth have done is defined their boundaries to suit themselves, but there is no sense in which this concert is carbon neutral."
"Planting trees or investing in renewable energy does not reverse the damage of releasing huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the environment."
"It is far better not to pollute in the first place. Carbon offsetting can be a removal of guilt, but it is not an effective one."
It's been said before; "Shut up and sing."
...Nothing changes.
