'Dere was dese two fellas

And I am sure there will soon be another. Thing is, do we deserve, or need them?

Charles launches campaign to save ravaged rainforests

So to the multi-billionaire Mr. Eliasch and his Cool Earth, we can now add HRH. How long before Al decides to add saving the forests to his portfolio of investment opportunities... and hence things to get us to support?

Now I am all for awareness, so long as it gets things pointed in the right direction. But three (well, two, so far) white, rich, 'not really practical for us to do, but say, why don't you guys try?' chaps splitting the whole forest saving gig into ever-more fractured, labour intensive, camps (offices, staff, jollies, etc, before a twig gets any money - unless they are joining forces (if so not mentioned in the piece), which seems unlikely as there are egos that need to be spared before anything else)seems to suggest we are heading down a familiar route... again.

Watch this space. Not knocking trees down is now 'in'.

Sleeping Partners?

Or strange bedfellows? Ok, enough of the bed metaphors. Well, one more. I don't really care who hooks up with whom and will sleep easier so long as the intent is genuine and the results tangible.

Much has been made of Johan Eliasch's move (note: I'm pretty sure they mean 'donate' and not denote in the write-up) from Tory to Labour camp, and as is they way with the navel-gazing, feral beasties of the Westminster Village the environmental issues have taken second billing to the 'defection'.

But if... big IF... this means a guy who does seem to be smart and committed gets to whisper in Mr. Brown's ear then it looks a pretty good thing. If... Mr. Brown listens.

It will be interesting to see how this trend for multi-millionaires advising political leadership on motivating the masses in matters green pans out.

In this case, as I have always seen merit in Cool Earth as a quick, big fix (well, delay), I am hopeful.

BBC - Ex-Tory donor to be Brown adviser

BBC - A welcome hand - to which i added this above, with a couple of additions:

But if... big IF... this means a guy who does seem to be smart and committed gets to whisper in Mr. Brown's ear (rather obvious point about talking in opposition vs. doing in government taken) then it looks a pretty good thing. If... Mr. Brown listens.

It will be interesting to see how this trend for multi-millionaires advising political leadership on motivating the masses in matters green pans out. The whole jet/offset thing is a pity, as the concept of buying off excess shouldn't be allowed to fly, but I guess I can live with it so long as Mr. Eliasch doesn't end up on air at every stage telling us what to do even though 'it would not be, like, you know, practical for him not to'.

In this case, as I have always seen merit in Cool Earth as a quick, big fix (well, delay) after the Newsnight piece, I am hopeful.

I can see the forest... and the trees!

If there is one thing to check out, I'd say it is this. To my initial way of assessing enviROI, it does add up, and could be the most exciting thing for a while in actually DOING something to help the planet: Cool Earth

Well, assuming we don't go up in a nice, quick nuclear ball of flame thanks to the new generation of small-willy testostocrats, if we are to avoid a slightly slower cook to oblivion maybe Mr. Eliasch has a more attractive long term plan to consider.

As I can't figure and/or trust most carbon sink enterprises, whose PRs get sent to my enviro site almost daily, I am prepared to give this one serious consideration.

Buy a bunch of suits' daft notions to skim off a major wadge of wonga claiming they go and plant something that will take decades to grow (assuming it works)... vs. paying a suit to help ensure an existing chunk of Earth's lungs - that's doing a nifty job already - doesn't get chopped down to make way for bio-fuel crops. The chart of the US carbon emissions vs. the consequence of deforestation says it all.

Well, D'uh.

I just hope that he's doing it for the right reason and not to make a vast killing, but even if he is it seems waaaaay better (though I shudder to hear Carbon Credits mentioned) than most alternatives.

Assuming Messrs Bush, Putin and Blair don't get us first, I'd say it seems a pretty decent idea to pursue.

I haven't seen it advertised anywhere as yet, and look forward to being pointed at it (if your PR agency is reading this, Mr. Eliasch, I'm at info [at] http://www.junkk.com, willing and happy to help - or I'm sure Google will get me there. I really like the idea of a live feed of my acre to help with the monitoring).

How it is the new colonialism is an interesting, if odd question in the circumstances, and just seems a tad of a PC stretch the way I saw it billed.