Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's a tough job...

Ethical dilemmas: is walking more polluting than driving?

Not to mention flying hither and thither in the name of 'awareness', it seems.

What a dilemma! Two hours relaxing in the soft leather seats of a billionaire's private jet or 20 hours behind the wheel of a hire car

One faced by many around the world, daily, I'm sure. Along with the other daunting choices faced. Has Mr. Harrabin got back from his scuba diving trip yet? Message and messengers again spring to mind.

2 comments:

Dave said...

If you read through the entire article, you will also note that 'ethical man' had to fly back to the UK too, but just for the weekend!

He did pay an extra £40 as a carbon offset though. Bless.

Emma said...

Yes, he says, through gritted teeth... I did.

It's the old 'message vs. messenger' thing again.

I simply have problems with entities, and especially their spokespersons, happily doing pretty much what they are raising awareness of the rest of us not doing... because... they are busy folk and 'it's their job'. Wagging a finger from a corporate jet... or its ethically-agonised over next best thing, is not really cutting it.

And trying to distract from the facts by showing how bad the agonising was is almost adding insult to injury.

And I am sure 'he' did pay to offset. Do whom? What did that actually achieve?

I'm sorry, but using my licence fee to get various eco-luvvies some face time with billionaires who kinda fancy exposure on the BBC really doesn't seem the best use of funds, even if it does help 'awareness'. Who in the UK has seen this programme and/or the blog complement, whatever its merits... or.. not... as a discussion piece?

I am betting the first a Daily Mail reader gets wind of it will be a trash job on hypocrisy and waste that certainly will sideline anything of value in middle to low income Britain.

And I am betting that when this jaunt is over, his various commitments will be dropped, just as they were last time, as he heads off to broadcasting pastures new.

Nothing worse than an ex-smoker trying to convert others. Nothing worse than a temporary media greenie trying to convince by brief example.