It was a Thomas Friedman column like so many others: the pundit careens through the roads of India, breathlessly marveling at the innovation he sees. Ain’t globalization ... awesome?
But this is Thomas Friedman 2.0, green version; this time, he’s not being squired about by a loquacious and colorful local taxi driver, but rather by a pair of young Yalies in a "a plug-in electric car that is also powered by rooftop solar panels." And rather than gape slack-jawed at some software wizard’s handiwork or a gleaming new factory, the pundit is bowled over by stuff like "organic farming in Andhra Pradesh, or using neem and garlic as pesticide."
And that’s not all. Friedman and his entourage visit a "local prince’s palace to recharge their cars," and discover that his highness’ business was "cultivating worms and selling them as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fertilizers."
Friedman once proclaimed that prospects for world peace hinged on dotting the globe with McDonald’s franchises. Now he’s blustering over organic farming. It’s enough to make you gush about universal progress.
The localization of agriculture
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Do diesel-based farmers dream of electric tractors?
Comments
View as Flat
christophersj Posted 8:45 am
17 Feb 2009
He's been at this for a while now. Besides his excellent book, Hot Flat, and Crowded, he has brought the issue of global warming into the homes of millions via Discovery Channel specials and a now famous New York Times Magazine piece, "Green is the New Red White and Blue", where he reclaims the word "green" as a patriotic word.
In fact, it was in 2006 when Friedman came on Charlie Rose and spent an hour sounding the alarm about the lack of leadership on global warming. It was a very clear and precise public attack on the Bush-Cheney environmental legacy, but was pro-American in its faith about the creative will of the people in the U.S.
http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/395
Now, lets wait and hear the haters chime in below this post...
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amazingdrx Posted 4:04 pm
17 Feb 2009
India has been big into biogas for decades and Tom overlooks that. But is thrilled by worm castings, even though US garbage to worm casting organic liquid fertilizer maker Terracycle has gone all the way into mass production with organic worm fertilizer. Was it the Indian "prince" that thrilled him more than the worms?
Maybe he lives in a cave? Nope, actually Tom lives in at least one huge McMansion. And he still supports the Iraq war, as he has since before it started.
Thanks again NYT. You're living right up to our expectations, given your sickly performace on nergy/climate reporting. Tom has proven once again he has the sort of mind that belongs at the times.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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christophersj Posted 4:01 am
18 Feb 2009
I am sure you and I would agree on 95% of the issues, including the Iraq war and Tom's dumb support of it. But, for this very moment, lets look at the practical impact and efficacy of Tom and his message on the environment.
I guarantee you Friedman's influence in getting people to give a rats ass about the environment is more (in volume) than a Bill McKibben or an Amory Lovins.
Have you seen any of Discovery Channel docs or articles or books or interviews over the past four years?
That has VALUE. I'm not in the mood for being picky about my allies. Are you? Show me how the "pure" path gets us where we need to go.
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amazingdrx Posted 4:25 am
18 Feb 2009
Xenophobic nationalistic hypocrisy is an ugly american habit, second only to actual mass murder in it's name, which Tom still apparently supports, oh well. I can see why your friends are giving you a hard time, hehey.
He's the best we can get through the mass media mass delusional filtration system? Sad but true.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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christophersj Posted 7:35 am
18 Feb 2009
He promotes:
Carbon Tax
$5 floor gasoline price
US becoming leader of green tech
Stopping CO2 emissions
Heavily criticizing Bush admin for dropping the ball on the most important issue of the century
dumbing of America and lack of science emphasis in our culture like during the Cold War.
I think John Doer is sitting in for Charlie. Mr. Rose was recovering from open heart surgery at that time.
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amazingdrx Posted 8:26 am
18 Feb 2009
I wrote a pretty nice post on the blog that they have at the site mentioned in the oped, I think it got lost. Really 80% of US supported the Iraq war so Tom has the same excuse, lots of lies by the bush regime.
It would be nice to see more of him on teevee cisiting smart grid and solar projects here with the team from India. Student foreogn exchange for green causes? Gold!! We need every project like this we can get.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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amazingdrx Posted 8:31 am
18 Feb 2009
Protectionism? Now go too it Tom. Get some green student groups in on it.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
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christophersj Posted 9:42 am
18 Feb 2009
Yeah that Rose link is up in my first post on this page. Its a great interview.
In addition to that interview, Tom's 2006 Discovery Doc, Addicted to Oil came out. Its on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXUnlcLJzLM&feature=Pl ...
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