IRONY ALERT - We have standards; at least double most

Just had to pop this one in to Aunty and SKY:

Watching today's news.

Some entirely welcome, and valid coverage on Copenhagen, and the issues at stake.

Then a few more pieces, followed by a commercial for favoured son Richard Branson and his next moneymaking scheme taking the uber-rich into space for a quick Kodak moment.

But it's all ok it seems, as the design of the craft is, according to the [at least in the case of the BBC, astoundingly] reporter, 'fuel efficient'.

Dancing to the tune of PROs of your mates and issuing news by press release does the BBC little credit. Especially when it is contradictory.

You either think greenhouse gasses are a here and now issue, or you don't.

Stick Ed Miliband and Richard Branson up together on this and I think your brains would freeze as anything either comes out with gets shared with zero critical thinking attached.

To be fair (if conceding two wrongs makes an MSM consenus) SKY had the same double standards as well. Who gives a sod about the planet if you get invited [to the Mojave Desert] by a ratings-cert Celeb billionaire to play with his rocket?

News generation by PRO and reporting by press release. Unique.

Addendum:

Having taken the broadcast media to task (and found that what was troubling viewers more... at least as claimed by those who select the emails... was a ban on 'pink'. Go figger), it was interesting to move on to their print cousins:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/branson-unveils-his-spaceship-1836142.html

'The environmental impact would be minimal, Branson said.

"It's almost zero carbon output. We can put people into space for less carbon output than say, a flight from New York to L.A. and back, and that's for your particular seat on the flight from New York to L.A. and back," he said. "And I think in time, we will almost definitely be able to get to zero carbon output."

That is almost definitely a meaningless crock of... unsettling science.

Apt as the various debates around reducing GHG's swirl like contrails from a plane taking off from one of Gordon Brown and his government colleagues' (esp. Miliband. E) expanded airports.

But saying that would seem to make me a denier, or maybe saboteur? Too the too-cosy double-standard world some in the politico-media bubble live in, perhaps. Welcome to a Britain where the media is managed, and barely managing professionally it seems, other than via 'news' from press release by government or corporate PRO.

Meanwhile back at Copenhagen...

Telegraph - NEW - Virgin spaceman's flight of fancy

IRONY ALERT - Timing is all

Forbes - Will The World Go Shopping? - today

And tomorrow?..... Buy Nothing Day

Addendum: Buy Nothing day is only the beginning for a new counter-consumer culture

Guess this one (from top right on the page) won't be operational tomorrow:)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/green-shopping

Addendum 2:

Brand Channel - Today's Consumer Is [Insert Adjective]

IRONY ALERT - Warning... nothing to do with 'green'

One man's exclusive interview is another's ratings score

Col. Gaddafi, eh?

Imagine if they had invited him on Question Time.

Red carpet, I'd guess.

Not like he did, or advocated anything 'serious'.

Funny old world.

At least he was elec... er...

Compare and contrast

EU Sides with Corrupt African Governments to Block Stronger REDD Forest Protection Scheme

Saving forests five times better than carbon capture for climate action: WWF Sweden.

But some clown blows $35M (that's a lot of wells) on raising awareness atop a column of greenhouse gasses, and it's wall to wall on the media.

'Space clown' hosts show from ISS

IRONY ALERT - The Jumbo-choppercade

You know I tend to worry about then right messengers for the message..?

ecopolitology - Jon Stewart Points out Irony of Jumbo-Choppercades at UN Climate Summit

Also, and allowing for the rather directional nature of the edit suite, I was rather struck by the fact that these guys were all talking.... er... talking... and talking.

And it's possible that one reason not as many folk are listening is... because they still seem to be saying nothing!

IRONY ALERT - Ways to save planet; with FREE plastic bag

Better yet, you get points if you stick it in your hemp jobbie at the checkout.

I was tempted, but £1.99 just to find out what was within the wrapper was a step too far.

What's (possibly) wrong with this picture?

From a train travel article in the Guardian.

Answers on a postcard.

IRONY ALERT - Fly on the wall

See if you can detect why my eyebrow might be a tad cranked...

Planes, weather pains and ice runways in the Arctic

Choose your cause carefully...

Comic Relief climbers return home

'...after arriving at RAF Northolt in an executive jet.'

At what cost... to planet... and the reduced coffers those they were 'saving'?

Not something the BBC seems to have concerned itself with mu... er... at all.

Hell indeed.

Addendum:

Same posting: 'More bad news' on climate change - yes folks, there next batch of D-listers are revving up their agents to see how to look like they care whilst getting acres of free publicity 'in a good cause' whilst bonding in exotic locations.

You couldn't make it up...REdux

Well, at least one campaigner didn't have to cancel his trip to the protest because of snow.

Gordon Brown: A high-carbon official

Sadly, him having made the trip, it seems his host has. Nasty commute from the Oval Office to the rest of The White House when it's chilly.

Not exactly joined up government, is it?

IRONY ALERT - speak softly, but carry a big budget

I don't know if I'd go as far as accusing it of greenwashing (they are trying to DO something, well, by 2025), but this banner made me giggle.

I don't know if it is complemented by equally large, and expensive print ads, but the TV commercial is certainly pervasive.

So I am a little unclear as to the definition of 'not shouting about it' being used.

And how all that money could be better applied... more tangibly, reducing some more.

Irony Alert - A picture is worth a 1,000 words

Peter in Greenland

A silent prayer from the media scrum covered the religious group paying for climate action.

Check the picture captioned 'At the end of the trip, Peter flies home...'

I can't believe it wasn't staged. Very subtle if so. Or maybe he just got on the, er, plane first or off last.

First Irony Alert of the Year

And, bless, it goes to.... The Guardian...

Tell Obama what his inauguration means to you and win a ticket to the proceedings

Winners will be given airfare...

Trailer Trash

Green film festival: the best clips

I almost switched off when I saw some odd movie with Ricky Gervais in it.

But then it clicked. Trailer... then Trash.

I was interested in 'Garbage! The revolution starts at home'

Not now.

This is old territory. We are trying to inspire folk and get the majority onside. A 'P-EU' rant is not going to do that, sorry.

If this is one of the best... oh, dear.

FWIW, my family has barely thrown out anything in several years. Thing is, we separate it out and either Green Cone, compost... or reuse (a few things piling up that have us currently stumped).

No stinky. No messy. Much savey. Even a bit of ma£ey.

Maybe I should film it. And then fly, Irony Air, to get my award in Turin.

Bless.

Civil exchanges online. A rare pleasure.

I got a reply (well, with a few score others) from a celeb jounro!

The piece in question is below, and I'd popped in a sarky one liner more to keep the author on his toes. He's better than most in the green arena, though can, has, does and will still err on being a bit 'thee and me' in the who's in and who's out of Greeleet VIPdom.

But I did swing to his defence a wee while ago when he came out the the nuclear bunker. Not so much for the nuclear bit, but for his right to speak.

Green shoots of recovery

I was just teasing (some of these posts can come across as a bit worthy), and actually really appreciate the fact that an author here a) reads what they have set in motion and, b) better yet takes the time to reply/engage. Few do. Major kudos.

However....

'marklynas
Oct 08 08, 3:18pm

- Junkketeer - We're talking pretty small beer, just a Shares ISA. Without revealing my entire personal finances, I ain't rich, despite having written a couple of excellent books which everyone on this site really ought to rush off and buy. (there, I have shown there is no better thing than repeated publicity)

- youngpretender - you're quite right, of course. RBS is horrible, and their investments in fossil fuels are indefensible. I'll offload those (small quantity of) shares just as soon as they regain some value...'

I, too, am pondering the penning of a eco-book, with all the recycled, natural-inked, 'just had to fly there to find out how flying there was killing us' pitfalls.

But with this being the Grauniad and all, and there being about 20 articles daily on what to do and, more controversially what NOT to do (or else) du jour, it must surely have occurred that fronting up on investing in a company that invests... etc.. was kind of what a lot of folk get lambasted for/finger-waved at by commentators here all the time. Bit like Mr. Monbiot lobbing up (he didn't I hope) in his new motor for the 'hundreds drive round the UK in cars to show how much fuel we can save by being more careful driving' irony event winner today.

Especially if many seem to figure they'll just have one last, wafer-thin PR-jolly to Antarctica to see.. er ... report on how tourism is killing the polar bears before the ice melts. Or hell freezes over. Or those shares gain enough value so a profit can be made first before any enviro-breast-beating kicks in on a per word basis.

Ain't easy, is it, caring about the future but also trying to be pragmatic? Keep up the good work.

IRONY ALERT - Driving misers crazy

It's a tricky one.

Competition throughout history has driven innovation, and innovation in driving is the competition here.

However, I had to crank a slight eyebrow at a piece on the news today about a driving competition that is based on the lightest foot winning.

I would just wish that there had (if there was I missed it) been a slight tilt towards the fact that, whatever the awareness, there are still an awful lot of cars gadding about the country burning fuel. It's better, but to me still erring on F1 trying to allude to eco-status by thinking about bio-fuels.

So far all I have gleaned as a consequence is that a smaller car uses less fuel, plus if you don't accelerate or break hard. Well, D'uh.

I do wonder what box-ticking effort this latest exercise in awareness might really be serving.

Addendum - Just watched the lunch news. The objective is, apparently, 'to use the least fuel'.

I wrote in and asked if, as a local participant (they went past my home), I could claim a prize, as my car used sod all fuel today as I didn't get in it.

Sadly, no reply. But fear not, this is so popular that there are plans for many more. Gaia breathes easier, I am sure.

Addendum 2 - Just watching the BBC Breakfast News about some noble race or other across the Antarctic. I am sure TV show and book to follow.... on BBC Worldwide.

Now, I am all for all these 'higher, faster, stronger' celebrations of the human spirit, but do wonder how the irony alert gets disconnected because some staffers are on to plug the thing.

Were we not being lambasted for how all we are up to is messing up the wildlife in colder climes? And how do all these guys and their teams get there... kayak?

I am still trying to get my head round yesterday's well-publicised 'eco'-race (one of many to come, apparently. Maybe F1 will get in on the act) where hundreds of folk drive around the country to show how little petrol they used. I was the clear winner by not going out at all in my car, and if I did only for something I really needed it for.

Consistency, Aunty, consistency. Next you'll be vying for a slot on Virgin Galactic... oh.

Join Captn. Fishtock's 'Polar Bears need more settees to rest on icebergs' now!

And the joint award for irony and best use of funds goes to..

Sweet home Alabama?

I appreciate the underlying humour that prompted this, but was more interested in the simple facts of.. 'The council spent £15,000... The leaflet was meant to thank residents for helping the city achieve its 2007-2008 recycling target early.'

Let's get our heads round this. They spent an extra £15k to thank folk for helping meet a target early.

Write on!

Words of warming

Nifty, if a smidge irony-free.

I must rush to print, this online free stuff is killing me (if not as many trees - i know, I know, they are from FSC-certified managed forests and act as a carbon sink).