Sep 21 2006
Tales of the Rich and Frivolous
I don’t care how you spend your money. If you’ve earned it by the sweat of your brow it’s yours to do with as you wish. Invest it; go to Tahiti or light cheap cigars with it. Richard Branson, he of Virgin Airlines, has come up with a particularly frivolous way to spend his. al Reuters published a fawning article detailing Branson’s plan to spend every dime of his profits for the next ten years - probably around $3 billion - fighting global warming.
Branson apparently saw the light after a midnight visit from AlGore on his global whining tour.
His decision to commit billions of dollars to the cause came after former U.S. vice president and long-time environmentalist Al Gore visited him in England a year ago.
“He basically said ‘look, you’re in a position where you might be able to make an influence — if you could make a bold gesture then maybe other people will make a bold gesture as well’,” Branson told the Clinton Global Initiative summit.
The piece cites the usual thin statistics on climate change, and makes interesting uses of adjectives to sell their point.
Most international experts say emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly from burning fossil fuels in power plants, factories and cars, are the primary cause of a 1.1 F (0.6 C) rise in temperatures over the past century.
A dwindling group of scientists say the dominant cause of warming is a natural variation in the climate system, or a gradual rise in the sun’s energy output. [My emphasis.]
Subtle, no?
If Richard Branson wants to throw good money after bad that’s his business, but I could think of a few more worthwhile places he could put $3 billion.
