Carbon Charlie Wants The Serfs to Ride Bikes

[Bill Call]

One of my beefs with the global warming crowd is their hypocrisy.

It seems Prince Charles is so concerned about global warming that he wants his staff to start riding the bike to work:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4380658.stm

I'm all in favor of energy efficiency, alternative fuels and bike and walk friendly cities. But I get a little irritated with people like Prince Charles. He has the carbon foot print of a small country but he tells us to live like paupers to save the Earth.

In a personal effort to combat global warming Prince Charles has decided to take his yacht to the Caribbean instead of a plane. The yacht uses less energy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23472031

Then he has the affrontery to say you are a Nazi if you point out that it is cold outside. Earth to Carbon Charlie: Get a job!!

[Phil Florian]

Usually we in the USA reserve worrying about what the Royals say to fans of The View, but I'll bite.

Do you get upset at the hypocrisy of all "crowds" or just the ones you don't agree with? I ask because Prince Charles is hardly the most important or representative member of the community of people who think global climate change is a problem. In fact, he is the exact opposite.

But since the "Global Discussion" section of the LO has become the "Hyperbole Discussion" it seems that anyone can be representative.

You are right about Chuck's "hypocrisy" and it seems England's chief scientist agrees and I would assume that if Chuck really means it, he will make changes over time. This could be said about most people who think that Global Climate change is a problem. The more you hear about it, the more you look for ways in your life to make reasonable changes.

In some ways, maybe he does represent the average person who is starting to, dare I say it, warm to the idea of Global Climate change. Most people are used to living the way they have lived for the entire lives. If people could make instantaneous changes in how they live, we wouldn't have smoking addiction, alcoholics, rising debt, fat people (self included), and so on. But realizing there is a problem and making the adjustments to fix it are two entirely different things. Prince Charles is simply on a scale larger than most of us will ever have to deal with. He is an institution and oddly enough is kind of required to live large. Otherwise, the Brits would have put the Royals into the ground long ago and turned their assets back to the people but for some reason they want to have highly paid flashy representatives of their people. How to do that and make it work is Chuck's job since his ma seems to be immortal (bless her).

So I know this original post was never intended to be rational (any post that includes "Nazi" in it, especially when there are no linked references to such a word being used by Chuck to talk about folks who are, oh, not Nazis leads us to the "Godwin" theory of internet discussion) but let's say it is. Is it more about hypocrisy in general of people who believe in something or specifically the idea of Global Climate Change that irks you?

[ryan costa]

People like Prince Charles use the idea of Global warming as a surrogate for much scarier realities. Rising oil scarcity. Nobody wants to talk about that. With Global Warming you can have a choice to consume less driving. With rising oil scarcity the only choice is the pay much more for a little while, and then have no choice.

In England most people live much closer to work. It costs an enormous amount of money to build roads and parking spaces for all the cars, then keep filling them up with fuel. It is an enormous portion of peoples incomes. The idea that riding the bike means they are "living like paupers" is the root of the problem. I guess anyone who doesn't have most of the stuff on the tv commercials they watch is living like a pauper.

As an added bonus, Water Mains are frequently built under roads. so it is even more expensive and burdensome to repair them.

In America's own experience, the sprawl life style has lead to a lot of social decay. Less formal controls and problem solving patterns decay. Then people have to go to college and come up with ideal solutions that work great on paper.

[Valerie Molinski]

he tells us to live like paupers to save the Earth.

So if you use a bike as your primary mode of transport, you are a pauper? Got it.


I beg to differ... have you priced out bikes lately???? They arent cheap.

[Valerie Molinski]

One of my beefs with the global warming crowd is their hypocrisy.

Then he has the affrontery to say you are a Nazi if you point out that it is cold outside. Earth to Carbon Charlie: Get a job!!

Yay! More sweeping generalizations. It's been a few days and I was starting to miss it.

And I just read both links you posted... could not find the Nazi reference, but FWIW, the Germans HAVE been leaders or sustainable building and enery practices for many years already. They are way ahead of most everyone else.

[Bill Call]

And I just read both links you posted... could not find the Nazi reference, but FWIW, the Germans HAVE been leaders or sustainable building and enery practices for many years already. They are way ahead of most everyone else.

The global warming alarmist applies the term “denierâ€

[Valerie Molinski]

Prince Charles did not compare the fight against global warming to the fight against communism or polio or cholera or cancer he compared it to the fight against Nazism. If you opposed the fight against the Nazi’s what were you?

Ok, well, that is THE LAST TIME I listen to a celebrity or a member of British Royalty before I get behind a cause. Seriously.... to say that the entire crowd of environmentalists are a certain way based on something a talking head celeb says is just ludicrous. Sorry. I don't take too much stock in things like this.

And about the 'naysayer' scientists who are 'denying' climate change? It goes both ways...those researching it get threats and pressure from Big Oil, its connected lobbyists, and the politicians in its pockets. Also, I've learned for every study I read on EITHER side, I look up the group who commisioned it or paid for it. You can come to just about any conclusion if you have a partisan thinktank backing your reasearch.

[Phil Florian]

If you opposed the fight against the Nazi’s what were you?

Charles Lindbergh?

[Bill Call]

You are right about Chuck's "hypocrisy" and it seems England's chief scientist agrees and I would assume that if Chuck really means it, he will make changes over time. This could be said about most people who think that Global Climate change is a problem. The more you hear about it, the more you look for ways in your life to make reasonable changes.

The global warming alarmists have no intention of changing their life style. See this about Arnold Swartzenager:

http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/772916.html

You are right You are right You are right You are right

[Jacob Ott]

I beg to differ... have you priced out bikes lately???? They arent cheap.

I would like to say that bikes are a lot cheaper than a car, and even though this is America, I don't see the widespread run for the compact cars, mini cars, and hybrids like in Europe. People wonder and guess why GM and Ford are down the tubes.. its because people nowadays spend money on the big gas guzzlers still. Relative to mini cars, our F-150s and Explorers.. and those Hummer people just make people like Prince Charles want to encourage biking. He's worried that we Americans will out-use his oil. As a larger nation though.. that is already assumed.
But, I prefer bikes. I'd have a license by now.. but besides that it is more efficient.. and cleaner for the environment.. it is a way to enjoy the world. How are people to enjoy nature when they are in a car with the windows rolled up? Cycling helps get people outside and helps them exercise going to work. It works in China... who is now becoming possibly more powerful than us in the world.
But again.. long story for a short quote.. cars are way more expensive in the long run than a bike. You can always find a cheap bike somewhere.. be it ebay, Spin, Century Cycles, Performance bikes.. you name it. A few repairs here and there is a whole lot easier than a monthly car payment to me.

[Valerie Molinski]

I beg to differ... have you priced out bikes lately???? They arent cheap.

I would like to say that bikes are a lot cheaper than a car, and even though this is America, I don't see the widespread run for the compact cars, mini cars, and hybrids like in Europe. People wonder and guess why GM and Ford are down the tubes.. its because people nowadays spend money on the big gas guzzlers still. Relative to mini cars, our F-150s and Explorers.. and those Hummer people just make people like Prince Charles want to encourage biking. He's worried that we Americans will out-use his oil. As a larger nation though.. that is already assumed.
But, I prefer bikes. I'd have a license by now.. but besides that it is more efficient.. and cleaner for the environment.. it is a way to enjoy the world. How are people to enjoy nature when they are in a car with the windows rolled up? Cycling helps get people outside and helps them exercise going to work. It works in China... who is now becoming possibly more powerful than us in the world.
But again.. long story for a short quote.. cars are way more expensive in the long run than a bike. You can always find a cheap bike somewhere.. be it ebay, Spin, Century Cycles, Performance bikes.. you name it. A few repairs here and there is a whole lot easier than a monthly car payment to me.

Um , I was saying that as a tongue in cheek remark here. We have bikes, a bik trailer for our kids. We use them a lot to get around town.

[Robert Bobik]

Heard an interesting commercial on the radio. I didn't hear the whole commercial, but one of the questions it asked was "Are you prepared to accept that not all vehicles are designed to get 30 miles to the gallon?" It was a commercial for Hummers. Seems like, according to this commercial, you have to be a pretty special person to be a Hummer owner.

[Jerry Ritcey]

I think it's irrelevant what some extremists on either side of the political debate call each other. If people are being denied tenure or fired for presenting papers, I'd be interested in reading about those specific instances. As far as Prince Charles goes, obviously people with more resources have a bigger carbon footprint. Whether this is hypocritical like getting advice on staying sober from a drunkard is one thing, but I'm hesitant to daub a brush of foolishness across the idea of global warming itself based on how some famous people who think it's true behave.

As far as global warming goes, the only thing that matters is the scientific data - I don't much care who's presenting it. Evidence that humans are causing the warming seems to be the prevailing theory right now:

The detailed causes of the recent warming remain an active field of research, but the scientific consensus[17][18] is that the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases due to human activity caused most of the warming observed since the start of the industrial era.

Citation

One can disagree with interpretations, although I think we're in a dangerous area by adapting conclusions based on what we hope is true versus what the scientific method actually tells us.