From an article about Christmas lights destroying the planet (link via commenter erg):
Dr Glenn Platt, who leads research on energy demand, said Australia got 80 per cent of its electricity by burning coal which pumps harmful emissions into the atmosphere. [emphasis mine]
Which immediately makes me ask: harmful to what? People? Animals? Plants? Dirt? Unicorns?
And even if it IS harmful – and pretty much anything is, in sufficient quantity (“the dose makes the poison”) – is the benefit worth the cost?
Well, I know the benefit of gazing on colored lights twinkling in the darkness is a moment of sublime contentment that’s far too scarce, and a memory that can be forever cherished.
The downside is that 200 years after you’re dead, someone might have to turn on a fan.
Totally worth it, I’d say.
So when I read things like:
CSIRO researchers said householders should know that each bulb turned on in the name of Christmas will increase emissions of greenhouse gases.
The only behavioral change this will make on my end is that, from now on, I will give a hearty battle cry of “IN THE NAME OF CHRISTMAS!” before firing up the incandescent magic.
Just another attempted Christianity beatdown by the f—ing athiests, who while complaining about being offended are running around offending virtually everyone else.
Same strategy used by democrats and liberals btw….
Every time I hear them squeal, I add several more strings of lights.
Good catch, Harvey. The greenhousers love dropping little logic bombs, and we have to call them on it every time.
But I thought you were on vacation, Basil — what happened, Sarah get tired of you moping around the house?
Is that your house, Harvey? Wow.
Here in the NW, all the Christmas lights are melting the snow! The snow piled up before everyone turned-on their lights and then Christmas came. This is proof positive that Christmas lights are E V I L. Besides the carbon (never mind we’re mostly hydropower out here), just think of the HEAT given off by those little twinkly buggers! It’s enough to melt our snow and the polar ice caps!!
However, I am confused about the identity of Socrates versus Barocrates H. Yomama.
By the way, the next admonition is about New Year’s. Here’s wishing
HappySome Kind of New Year to everyone. Personally, I’m in the last phases of Obama denial. I plan to funk out on Jan 20. Maybe start shooting things randomly.So all the dolts aren’t from California?
Just wondering… What do you think would happen if “Dr” Glenn Platt saw one of those videos of Christmas lights being turned on and off to match the background music?
Seflish! Your little twinkly Christmas lights are killing the planet!!!!
Worse, you are offending those innocent, philanthropic MUSLIMS!
PS We are “celebrating” inauguration day at Babe’s (rib place) in honor of mohammed Barry’s spiritual leader. Will get a pic of the giant pig statue out front. Someone with photoshop skills could have fun with it.
What the article you are commenting on was REALLY about was as follows as highlighted by the salient bullet point talking items
-1- global warming is a religion
-2- christianity is also a religion and as such a competitor with the Church of Latter Day Warming ( as opposed to 100 million years ago warming when man was not around )
-3- As per point 1,2 the High Cardinal Dr Platt is poo poo’ing on a competitor religion. He is not high ranking. I say high because you have to be smokin’ something to believe in the Chicken Little Religion of MMGW. It is subtle but nonetheless the dynamic behind this criticism.
I say we print up paper license plates with his number on it and go 140 kph past a traffic camera. When he complains about the traffic fines local conservatives should say “What? You drive car??? You have sinned. Now you must pay.”
Ummm…
So just how many carbon offsets are the taxpayers buying for The One’s generators in the “natural” power outage in Hawaii?
I’m just sayin…
cincinnati_bob says:
December 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
“beatdown by the f—ing athiests, ”
I don’t appreciate being lumped together with Gaia worshippers and other mystics and nihilists who occasionally, mistakenly, call themselves Atheists.
AR also stands for “Aspect Ratio.” Bet you didn’t know that being lumped together with Atheists and all! 🙂
you know what – I’m going to hurt all your feelings here and point out that Christmas decorations tend to be a gaudy eyesore and also I will complain about the fact I’m going to have to vacuum up all those dead tree needles in the lobby…. under protest by the way.
down with Christmas decor! – down down down!
cincinnati_bob says:
December 27th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
“beatdown by the f—ing athiests, ”
I don’t appreciate being lumped together with Gaia worshippers and other mystics and nihilists who occasionally, mistakenly, call themselves Atheists.
Well, if you’re being serious…, I have no problem with athiests who have no problem with me. I don’t seek them out and bitch to ‘management’ about their habits. I expect the same courtesy from everyone else. And when I don’t get it, I label them f—ing whatevers. In short – don’t tell me what to do and I won’t tell you what to do. I’ll ignore the symbols of -fill in the blank- and expect mine to be ignored as well. Change the channel, hit Next, etc.
What are we ALL supposed to live in fear of what other people think of our celebrations ? Sounds like middle ages to me…
Dr Glenn Platt should practice what he preaches and stop emitting greenhouse gases.
Christians have the cross. Shouldn’t the “church of green” have a symbol. Why not a helmet? Yep, protective head gear. It should be mandatory for greenies (Mother earth worshiping dirt people) just like seat belts. It could even be a soft forest green like United Nations blue. Protecting soft brain tissue and brain damage is Important! These people are incapable of protecting themselves. It is up to all of us to look after them. If they fight the helmet then for their own good a matching forest green staitjacket. The helmet could also be a symbol to place in the rear window of a car implying CAUTION–IDIOT ON BOARD.
No helmets. It will take all the fun out of punching hippies.
My lights stay on until the 12th Day of Christmas, Epiphany, January 6th. If you don’t like them, please take one of the bulbs, shove it up your personal Kaaba, and squeeze.
And the Lord said:
LET THERE BE LIGHT!
I really believe that people who complain about religious symbols, holidays et al have wayyyyyyyyyyy too much time on their hands. Maybe they should put their money where their mouths are and turn off their big screen TV’s, stop driving their SUV’s, turn off their thermostats and eat their food raw and cold or luke warm. Milk is good chunky!
What’s a little food poisoning and hypothermia when the planets comfort is at stake.
Manbearpig is at least as dangerous as terrorism, mostly because he is working under the radar, in that nefarious way common with Lefties. They don;t raise taxes in big chunks; they do it in tiny increments, a dime per c-note here, a penny per gallon there. But we get slowly sucked dry. Ticks don’t go for the carotid artery. Manbearpig is subtle enough to lull us to sleep as he slowly steals all our loose change and the beef in our freezers. There will come a day that we are riding to work in rickshaws, or walking to jobs with methane powered computers if we don’t wake the hell up. The Green movement is the single greatest threat in a world filled to the brim with threats.
Oh no! My Christmas lights are harming the planet and upsetting people!? I’ve gotta go! I hope the stores still have 200-string packs of bulbs left!
Dr. Platt should come to New Orleans at Christmas. They burn huge bon-fires up and down the Mississippi River levees on Christmas Eve to light the way for Santa’s Sleigh. Some of the bon-fires top 40 feet and they burn all night, accompanied with music, food and drink (everything in Louisiana seems accompanied with music, food and drink; but that’s besides the point!). I’d love to see the good Doctor explain to a group of half-wasted Cajuns why they have to put out their fires for the good of some Siberian marmoset!
Now I’m mad at myself for not getting the ladder out and putting up all the light that I normally do. Clarke Griswald style except global warming made it so damn cold here in Minnesota that I decided not to freeze my butt off this year!
These Nazi’s should be shown the door of the United States and send packing! I think that Europe would welcome them with open arms! They seem to relish in navel gazing and self critical thinking over there. We don’t do that here! We are a positive forward can do people! This type stuff is for Commies, Hippies and Homos!
The heck with Christmas lights. I want several of those Tesla tower compounds they have in Russia.
I’m sure, of course, that Dr Platt generated no greenhouse gases in doing and propounding his research. I’m also sure that he doesn’t drive, ever fly, and doesn’t heat his house.
I have a plan that will become a symbol for my new anti-MMGW religion: burning pallets. I have the spot picked out in a national forest, and I’m planning on making my carbon footprint a coal bed in comparison with algore’s.
Haven’t picked the day yet, however. Maybe January 20.
George,
Throw a few tires on there for good measure!
“I don’t appreciate being lumped together with Gaia worshippers and other mystics and nihilists who occasionally, mistakenly, call themselves Atheists.”
I don’t blame you there.
“CSIRO researchers said householders should know that each bulb turned on in the name of Christmas will increase emissions of greenhouse gases.”
Hehe; I leave mine on 24/7, and in the name of Christmas, I’ll buy a s***load more and run them the rest of the year! As a matter of fact, I planned on filling a large glass vase with a string next to my bed anyway; now instead of using the ones from the living room I’ll buy some more strings! Let there be lights!
Sorry, I forget this is a PG blog; make that “buttload” or something.
Great post. LOL. I’m not nearly as afraid of the lack of Christmas lights as I will be when the envrio-marxists start installing those dry toilets.
Will it make a difference when we finally switch to the more energy efficient mercury filled florescent bulbs for Christmas? I’m sure that will make the hypocritical environmentalist wackos REAL happy… “Green, Green… we need more Green!!”
Good God man, don’t you understand! In fifty thousand (or was that million) years we’ll be extinct. We MUST change! THINGS are going extinct! There will be weather! The summers hot! Winters cold! We must CHANGE! Just like generations before us, we will have to change… same song, different verse. Out with the old, in with the new… just like it ever was.
So, let me get this straight…my little Christmas lights are destroying the world, yet these same libs have no problem with the massive light show extravaganza of their gay dance clubs…ummm, okay. Note to myself: Buy twice as many Christmas lights next year.
“Having said that he was an Atheist, I hasten to add that he was a “Rationalist” of the old, high and dry nineteenth-century type. For Atheism has come down in the world since those days, and mixed itself with politics and learned to dabble in dirt. The anonymous donor who now sends me anti-God magazines hopes, no doubt, to hurt the Christian in me; he really hurts the ex-Atheist. I am ashamed that my old mates and (which matters much more) Kirk’s old mates should have sunk to what they are now.”
– C.S.Lewis, Surprised By Joy, chapter 9, The Great Knock (describing one of his tutors).
Rational Atheism I can respect.
Superstitious atheism, which denies God but seeks the comfort Faith provides by embracing ’causes’ or belittling the beliefs of others – – – well, you just can’t trust’em!
CS Lewis is one of my heros. Now there’s a man who thought deep thoughts. He understood that Church is not a hotel for saints but a hospital for sinners. Anyone who doesn’t understand that thought doesn’t understand God.
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