Climate change: What would the celebrities do?

By John Parnell

Bono and Al Gore at the WEF

Bono and Al Gore aren't the only celebrities with something to say about climate change (Source: Wiki/Robert Scoble)

There’s lots of advice out there about climate change, countless dedicated academic institutions, policy think tanks, campaign groups, NGOs.

RTCC looks beyond the traditional sources of information and looks at what the celebrities have to say.

Actress Jennifer Aniston on saving time and water.

“I take a three-minute shower. I even brush my teeth while in the shower.”

Paris Hilton reassures us that hybrid cars do not come with an age limit on their drivers.

“Driving hybrid cars is the new way to go. Anyone can do it, no matter how old.”

Switching to another dynasty, John F. Kennedy was a little ahead of the class with this quote from 1963

“The supreme reality of our time is…the vulnerability of our planet.”

Keeping it in the family Robert F Kennedy Jr. offered his own take:

“Large-scale hog producers are a greater threat to the United States and U.S. democracy than Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network.”

Actor Robert Redford also issues some advice on strategic defence issues:

“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defence of our resources is just as important as defence abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?”

If you’re not sure if he is the best placed person to giving orders to the US military, he is backed up by Four-star General Gordon R. Sullivan, retired, former US Army chief of staff

“Climate change is and will be a significant threat to our national security and in a larger sense to life on earth as we know it to be.”

Former Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has long been vocal on climate change and passed legislation for state-wide carbon trading during his time in office (Source: Wiki/Jurvetson)

Former-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sums it up pretty succinctly.

“We know the science, we see the threat, and we know the time for action is now.”

Staying with Hollywood, do you know what Brad Pitt is talking about? Does he?

“You build it tight, sealing it; you build in the direction of the sun and the wind; and you use solar and water collection. It’s not that hard to do.”

The principles of eco-friendly construction obviously.

Rupert Murdoch contradicts the views of several of his on-screen employees:

“Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can’t afford the risk of inaction.”

Murdoch is not the only media mogul with the environment on his mind, billionaire CNN-founder Ted Turner offers a blunt summary:

“There are too many people, that’s why we have global warming. We have global warming because too many people are using too much stuff.”

Fair enough, but he also once said: “Global warming’ will kill most of us, and turn the rest of us into cannibals.”

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