Do as I say, not what I do?

Sunny Hundal is off to a protest called the Camp for Climate Action. This year the focus is on the aviation industry and the camp is going to be at Heathrow where they will fight to achieve their aim of 90% cuts in CO₂ emissions.

I reproduce one of Sunny's earlier posts without comment:

Hello! As you may imagine, I’m writing this from sunny Los Angeles. I love this place - the people are really friendly, the weather is great and the side-streets are immaculately manicured.

Not that I want to add to your already growing sense of envy, but my preliminary holiday plans are as follows. I’m off to Mexico for a few days just before Christmas. Then the whole extended family gets together for food and presents on Christmas day. Then just before new years eve I’m planning to head down to San Diego for the big beach parties there with a few friends and family. In the new year I’m planning to drive up with a few people to San Fransisco and then over to Yosemite park, and then to a skiing resort nearby. Oh yeah, it’s gonna be crazy. I’m itching to write something about American politics but I think I’ll give it a rest. What are your holiday plans?

 None this year actually, Sunny.

Comments

[Sunny]

Heh, interesting that you pay so much attention to my blog. I'm flattered. But I must point out I believe action must be taken by individuals <i>as well as</i> corporations and governments. I think the latter two have far more influence in being able to shift people's habits.

But... good to see you care about the environment!

[Bishop Hill]

Hi Sunny. Actually I stuck "holiday" and your site name into Google. It was a hunch really.

I'm not sure what you are saying in your comment here though. Corporations and governments have more influence over individuals' behaviour than the individuals themselves?

And are you saying no more jet set tours of the Americas?

[Ian]

I'm not sure I understand Sunny exactly; corporations have shareholders who are individuals, and western governments are voted in by individuals, therefore at the end of the day it's all down to individual action.

I suppose sitting on your bottom at the end of Runway 1 beats going to a boring AGM or perhaps even voting once in a while, and you can pretend you are doing something if you imagine really hard.

[Calvin Jones]

I`m Off there to!

It's going to be amazing since we got so much attention when BAA tried to take out an injunction against an umbrella organisation with 5 Million members! 2 consecutive front pages in one of the nations big two progressive newspapers.

[Ian]

"2 consecutive front pages in one of the nations big two progressive newspapers."

Wow! That's really ... amazing!

You'll have almost as much influence as Big Brother 8 now !

In fact, you could even have your own eviction vote once Plod arrives, that might get attention.

[Bishop Hill]

And once you're done at the demo, you can nip straight off for your hols too!

[Ian]

You're not thinking Bish mate, you'll generate far more carbon driving 5,000 people back home, and _then_ back to the airport again for hols. If you are going in for a bit of unashamed hypocrisy then do it big stylee.

[Bishop Hill]

Silly me! :-)

[Susan]

Driving or flying from San Diego to San Francisco, then driving the four hours to Yosemite from SF (no way to reach it by plane.)

Yeah, that's a heapin' helpful of carbon emissions, all right.

As a native-born Californian I can't say I really appreciate foreigners coming into my state and spewing their unnecessary emissions all around, especially in places like Yosemite. After all we also get China's particulate air pollution belched from their thousands of coal-fired power plants.

Maybe this "Sunny" could drive all up and down rural France next time he wants a "holiday."