Lifestyles Of The Rich and Shameless

Enviro-hypocrisy: Those with the most green talk the green talk but won't walk the green walk.

Jet-setting eco-villain Laurie David:

Laurie David, the producer of "An Inconvenient Truth" and global warming activist, told Texas A&M students to change their "individual behavior" in order to consume fewer resources and to help battle global warming. As an employee of Easterwood Airport, I would like to point out that Mrs. David flew to our campus in a luxurious private jet, which could be seen from 10 miles away due to the thick plume of smog it left in its wake. I am neither denying nor confirming the epidemic of global warming, I am simply pointing out that hypocrites such as Mrs. David don't care about the environment, only their own political agendas. This is proven time and again by these celebrities' and lobbyist's "do as I say, not as I do" attitude.

And eco-socialites plan to save the world by switching to fluorescent bulbs. But only in the utility closet.

This isn't merely hypocrisy of the standard sort, i.e., the tribute vice pays to virtue. Whenever someone announces any standard -- even one as uncontroversial as "Be Honest" -- he's going to fall short of living up to his standard. But what is the alternative? Non-hypocritical nihilism, selfishness, and amorality?

But this is the moral sin form of hypocrisy, advocating a standard and seeking to impose it on others -- against their will -- when one flagrantly ignores that standard oneself, without even making a pretense of attempting to comply with it.

Fact: Richer countries consume far more energy than poorer ones. Because they're richer.

Fact: The rich in rich countries consume far more energy than their poorer fellow citizens.

Fact: Laurie David is not merely a rich woman in a rich country, but a super-rich woman in the most prosperous nation on earth.

Fact: Laurie David could easily reduce her own "carbon footprint" more than anyone but the top 10,000 richest people on earth simply by scaling back her lavish "lifestyle choices." She could do far more to reduce "greenhouse warming" by merely living as a member of the lower upper class rather than the upper upper class.

Fact: Laurie David refuses, outright, to do so.

Fact: And yet Laurie David demands all of us reduce our standards of living by a few rungs down the class ladder.

If Laurie David cannot even manage to reduce her consumption levels from "stinking rich" to merely "filthy rich," how exactly can this harpy demand that the middle class begin living like the working poor, and the working poor like the destitute?

Sheryl Crow, she of the One World To Live In, One Square To Wipe Your Ass With philosophy, has an oddly energy-intensive lifestyle as well. The riders to her touring contract don't seem very green:

Additionally, when the global warming warrior hits the road, her touring entourage (and equipment) travels in three tractor trailers, four buses, and six cars.

Perhaps Ms. Crow can give up touring -- where musicians make the great bulk of their money -- in favor of relying on the less-lucrative (but less energy-greedy) revenue source of music sales.

Or perhaps she can "teleconcert" -- people can pay a few bucks to watch her perform, not in person, but live on a computer monitor or pay-per-view cable special.

A lot less money for her, of course. Is she willing to actually sacrifice to save the earth?

Well, she is willing to give up paper napkins in favor of "dining sleeves," which allow you to just wipe your face on your sleeve.

Wow. What a martyr for the cause.

posted by Ace at 12:21 PM

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