Richard Branson setting a wonderful example.

[NNadir]

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/54115

"This unprecedented and extremely generous investment rivals the amounts Branson spent on his many, many failed attempts to circumnavigate the Earth in a balloon," Wall Street stock analyst Madeleine Brauner said. "He's setting a wonderful example for ultrarich environmentalists everywhere."

Branson also reportedly plans to invest billions more on a time machine that would enable him to prevent the creation of Virgin Airways, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by some four percent worldwide.

[Norbu]

1. algae biofuels sequesters CO2

why do people talk/joke about global warming, as if in a bubble of ignorance about EROEI, biofuels, biomass yields, agribusiness, peak oil, etc. oh I know why, because gossipping about politicians and media figures is cool but science is boring.

[NNadir]

3. Nah. Reciting platitudes is cool.

Science is not boring. It involves hard work and the mastery of difficult concepts that involves real and deep personal commitment that cannot be involved with boredom by any stretch.

It is easier to assume that Richard Branson makes a difference - easier to recite a laundry list of cool terms like "biofuels, biomass yields...peak oil" than it is to do science. As it happens, as science is concerned with measurement, it is useful to include an understanding of the scale of the problem in analyzing it.

I generally think the Onion is, as always, right on and rather trenchant in this case. Richard Branson's main commitment is not to science but to the publicizing of Richard Branson. His interest is indeed flightly, like a balloon flight.

[Spinzonner]

2. Ironically, jet airlines may be holding back global warming

by contributing to 'Global Dimming' through their contrails.

Note: This is not the same 'Global Dimming' that is characteristic of Republicans and their leaders. That is actually a shorthand for 'Global Dimwitting'

[hunter]

4. There have been several proposals to enhance this effect...

... by using various jet fuel additives.

They may be doing it now, but I refuse to get sucked into all that chemtrail madness.

[RestoreGore]

5. If he were really serious about this

He would not take any personal profit from these endeavors.

[eppur_se_muova]

6. He spent OVER $3 BILLION on ballooning ?!? Is that accurate ?

What'd he do, inflate them with Helium-3 (more lift than He-4)?

I hope he doesn't read that, he'll probably try it.

[BestCenter]

7. IT'S REALLY TRUE

Satire is dead on these boards.

[hunter]

8. ;)

;)

-- Prometheus