Les Jones

Lifestyles of the rich and environmentalist: Thomas Friedman

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 | Environment | Permalink | 10 Comments |

“I’ll start acting as if it’s a crisis when the people who are telling me it’s a crisis start acting as if it’s a crisis.”
– Glenn Reynolds

That’s Thomas Friedman’s house, via Planet Gore. Thomas Friedman is a New York Times columnist and the author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution–and How It Can Renew America. From the Salon book plug interview:

What’s going to make Americans change their energy-consuming behavior? Well, I’ll give you a really lame answer. According to some reviews of the book, this answer’s just not adequate! I say, I’m sorry it’s not adequate, it’s the only answer: It’s leadership. You must have a leader who can frame this problem in an exciting way — not just the answer to these big five problems, but this incredible opportunity. It’s why I say, “Change your leaders, not your light bulbs.” Not that changing your light bulbs isn’t important. We’ve done it. Everyone should do it.

Well, I’m glad they’ve changed their light bulbs. Must have taken weeks. And this:

Yes, “Americans” are popping up all over now — people who once lived low-energy lifestyles but by dint of oil wealth or hard work are now moving into U.S.-style apartments, cars and appliances.

Our planet cannot tolerate so many “Americans,” unless we take the lead and change what it means to be an American in energy terms. Attention Kmart shoppers: the world consumed about 66.6 million barrels a day of oil in 1990. We’re now consuming 83 million barrels a day.

If you think it’s scary to think of “Americans” popping up all over, you must think it’s really scary to think of “Thomas Friedmans” popping up all over.

Previous global warming hypocrites and their giant houses, houseboats, and SUVs:

• Al Gore (house and houseboat)
• Leonardo Dicaprio (house)
• Laurie David (house)
• John Edwards (house and SUVs)

“Hypocrisy is not merely aiming for perfection and failing at it, for we are all sinners, and we all fail. Instead, hypocrisy is not aiming for perfection at all, and lying about it.”
– pogo

Tags: lifestyles of the rich and enivronmentalist