Gorezilla And Pollution Of The Antarctic

I did not know until I read the Daily Mail slam dunk on Al "Gorezilla" Gore that one of the concerts planned was to be held in the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) base in Rothera on that continent. Let's see, this is a continent that is the least visited by man, one of the most pristine environments on the planet and almost mythical in it's vast expanse of untouched wilderness – yeah, it's pretty much ice, snow and wind. But I remember the excitement when I read about the scientific expeditions there. (I also am purportedly related to Roald Amundsen, at least according to my grandmother who had the same last name, but the name Amundsen in Norway is as common as "Smith" in the US. So who knows.)

But to participate in the concert – even though it is only a couple of songs by the station's "in-house" band – is going to take a number of kilowatts of electricity. Those kilowatts are likely produced by burning a special grade of jet fuel known as AN8. (That's what the US and New Zealand use at any rate. One rather suspects the Brits use it, too.) AN8 is not the cleanest-burning of fuels because of the additives necessary to keep it viable as a fuel in Antarctic conditions. In fact, scientists have to file justifications for using it in the pristine conditions there.

So, if you are a believer in the "Butterfly Effect", what is this little move doing to the planet? If you're a bit more jaundiced, what does this really say about Gorezilla's commitment to the planet? (Oh, hell, Gorezilla is figuring out how to sell more indulgences carbon offsets to the bases down there, isn't he?)

(Incidentally, you can hear the band Nunatak – the one from the BAS - here.

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  By Gary Denton, July 7, 2007 @ 3:33 pm

  Is that the best you can do to slam raising awareness of global climate change?

  Pathetic.

Other Links to this Post

1. Sister Toldjah » “Live Earth” concert updates — July 7, 2007 @ 1:13 pm