Fly the green skies

Last updated on August 8th, 2017 at 04:12 pm

Another environmental frequent flier:

We must be “conscious of our global contribution”. We must “act responsibly”. Saving the planet “means making radical changes to how we live our lives”.

The green message from the Scottish Executive is clear, but practising what you preach is never that easy.

Scotland on Sunday can reveal that the head of the Executive’s department in charge of lowering the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions is commuting to work by jet every week from his home in the south of England.

Add this to the bulging file marked “green hypocrisy”.

1. Over time I began to understand the Biblical verse “Judge not, lest thou be judged”. It was usually when I was being incredibly self righteous and overly interested in the activities of people other than myself. Upon self-examination I usually discovered myself to be lacking in the same area, and usually moreso. I’ve tried, as a consequence, to become less worried about the outer morality of others, and more libertarian about what they do in the privacy of their own homes. And I’m usually deeply suspicious of anyone with rigid guidelines meant to favour God, the community or the environment.

   That the Scotch minister for flying everywhere to tell others not to fly is one such, should be no surprise to any of us. At least in the old days, when the Scottish Presbyterians told you dancing was evil, you didn’t catch them dancing reels in the South of England.

   Posted by AlburyShifton on 2006 12 24 at 04:00 AM • permalink

1. To put this into perspective for people who live in large countries, this is a journey of 250 miles or less.

   Posted by Clankylad on 2006 12 24 at 04:34 AM • permalink

1. Perhaps he could be delivered to work by trebuchet or catapult? This could be adopted by all Green politicians.

   Posted by CanberraNeoCon on 2006 12 24 at 06:00 AM • permalink

1. Where is the head of the ABC Comedy Unit, with such comedic veins of gold waiting to be mined?
   They’ve got a soft spot on Wednesday nights just waiting to be filled.  Get me GNW! Dave, Wil & Corinne are at a loose end….

   Posted by lotocoti on 2006 12 24 at 06:16 AM • permalink

1. Naah. A Trebuchet or other catapult lacks the range.

   BUT THERE IS HOPE!

   Ground charcoal, all natural sulphur from Gaia’s very own volcanoes, and saltpetre from piles of dung (he IS a politician remember).

   Mix as appropriate. Using recycled paper make a really, really huge tube with a hand-carved wooden phallus-like device on top. Fill with the all-natural powder, wedge the politician firmly on top using the hand-carved attachment mechanism, light the blue touch paper and stand clear!

   Not only is is environmentally friendly and made form all-natural products, it would provide entertainment to the masses while making a statement about eco-friendly transport methods!

   I’d pay to watch that takeoff.

   MarkL
   canberra

   Posted by MarkL on 2006 12 24 at 06:22 AM • permalink

1. I can’t remember the Green Hypocrite’s name or specific organisation, presumably Greenpeace or the Sierra Club, but one such luminary of the Green Left worked in Vancouver, B.C. but lived something like 3 hours car drive away in the Rockies. He justified this by saying that he did so much to save the environment in his work that he made up for his long, daily commute. (Sorry, but I can’t recall if the news story said anything about him dancing the Hypocrites’ Hornpipe, Albury.)

   Posted by andycanuck on 2006 12 24 at 12:57 PM • permalink

1. Perhaps the good man is carbon neutral, Al Gore style?  Perhaps he’s paying someone else to live in a wattle hut, bucket drinking water out of a river, and burn corn cobs for heat.  In that case he can surely justify his own use of fossil fuels, because he’s doing good for the planet, you know.

   Posted by RebeccaH on 2006 12 24 at 01:37 PM • permalink

1. Just have the son of a bitch shot out of a circus cannon in the general direction of London.

   Posted by ushie on 2006 12 24 at 03:26 PM • permalink

1. Couldn’t they at least send him home via the bombards on Edinburgh Castle?

   Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 12 24 at 03:28 PM • permalink

1. Richard… you have apoint. Is not Mons Meg still there?

   Long distance cretin commuting might not be what Mons Meg was built for in the 15th century.

   But I say it has to be tried, for Gaia’s sake.

   MarkL
   Canberra

   Posted by MarkL on 2006 12 24 at 08:52 PM • permalink

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