Lifestyles of the Rich and Sanctimonious
posted at 8:10 am on March 7, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Send to a Friend |
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
One of the annoying attributes of global-warming scolds is their inability to practice what they preach. The US Chamber of Commerce produced a very amusing video last month explaining how much in carbon emissions the UN generated by insisting on conducting endless conferences on the issue. Today, the Los Angeles Times takes a look at the travel practices of Arnold Schwarzenegger, another booster of energy-production limits, and notices the stench of hypocrisy:
Like many of the Californians he represents, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now spends more than three hours commuting because he lives so far from the office.
But his ride is a private jet.
After flirting briefly with buying a Sacramento abode for his family, then living alone for a while in a 2,000-square-foot hotel penthouse across from the Capitol, the governor has decided to stay nearly every night at his Brentwood mansion.
The commute costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, which aides say the governor pays for himself. Some environmentalists say the trips expand his carbon footprint enough to undermine his image as a crusader against global warming, despite the pollution credits he buys to offset the damage.
Arnold has his reasons, of course. He has teen-age kids at home and he wants to be with them. That’s not possible in Sacramento, because … well, who wants to live in Sacramento, for Pete’s sake? Even though the state has a 12,000-square-foot mansion built by Ronald Reagan for California’s First Families, Arnold’s Brentwood digs are tonier and closer to the Hollywood power base he courts.The Governator chooses to fly home every night instead, commuting between Northern and Southern California. That’s his choice; he’s footing the bill for the travel. However, instead of catching regularly-scheduled commercial flights between the capital and Los Angeles, he’s traveling by private jet — a huge waste of resources and a large release of the very gases that global-warming activists such as Schwarzenegger claim are dooming the planet.
When global-warming Chicken Littles start living as though the crisis actually exists, then the rest of us will start believing it. Arnold could start by dumping the private jet and flying commercial. Even better, he could show a little sacrifice by moving into that 12,000-square-foot shack that the state has to maintain whether he’s there or not. Global warming activists want to limit our own living choices — they can start with their own.
We may have to dump the term limousine liberals. That came into vogue by describing the type of Hollywood political activist that demanded sacrifice from everyone but themselves. Given the escalation of the hypocrisy here, a better term might be private-jet progressives.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « 1 [2]
Let the liberals care about his Carbon Footprint….I don’t believe in all this crap anyways, why should I hold him to it?
Granted, he’s doing the opposite of what he says, and he’s a prime tartet for commentary on his hypocricy, but please, don’t tell me what his freakin Carbon Footprint is….it’s irrelevant in reality.
Fuzzball on March 8, 2008 at 11:47 PM
The clerics of the Church of Global Warming are worried that low sunspot activity may start a cooling cycle before they have a chance to get the rubes to commit massive resources to keep the planet from frying to a crisp. Of course, if they succeed in getting the cash flowing into the carbon credits Ponzi scheme and the cooling starts they’ll take credit for it even if it can be shown to have started before any of their policies are enacted.
Afterwards the monetary thermopump will reverse direction to scam the next generation into giving more to prevent an impending ice age. In reality, to update P. T. Barnum, many suckers are born every minute.
Annar on March 9, 2008 at 6:45 AM
I’m completing a new oil well down here in Texas.
At 106 bucks per barrel, it’s a lot of fun, believe me.
And those phoney santimonious bastards like Gore et al can kiss my very large carbon footprint!!
TexasJew on March 9, 2008 at 2:14 PM
As an organic chemist I say the larger the carbon footprint the better!! Carbon is our friend!!!!!
Global warming ranks right up there with warp speed and silicon based life, science fiction. While warp speed and silicon based life make for great science fiction stories, global warming is just plain nuts.
I have not explored the literature on the subject in depth and those out there with detailed knowledge of the subject may amend my words, but I understand there is some excellent work out of Russia showing that certain types of rocks, when exposed to high heat and pressure as found deep in the earth will produce hydrocarbon mixtures similar to oil. This work, if it pans out, really knocks the liberals for a loop as the oil supply, which for the past 30 years we have all been told would run out in 20 years (we should be be oil dry by now!) is actually much larger than previously thought. This is in addition to the oil that can be obtained from shale (sp?), of which Canada has huge supplies.
I do not begrudge Arnold his jet, he’s paying the cost. However, if I lived in Sacramento I’d be a bit peeved (what’s wrong with 12,000 square feet in Sacramento!?, at the tax payer’s expense!)! I also HATE this “do as I say, not as I do” attitude of the libs.!!! Screw them!! I love my SUV!! Is Arnny running for re-election?
Bubba Redneck on March 9, 2008 at 4:16 PM
Comment pages: « 1 [2]