A Japanese government website crashed Wednesday as people raced to take up an offer of a half-price McDonald's hamburger in exchange for pledging to fight global warming.
...
People were asked to check up to 39 boxes on a form they could download from the environment ministry's website, each listing a way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions blamed for global warming.
...
The 39 measures range from cutting air conditioning use to reducing shower time by one minute to simply wiping water off the bottom of a kettle to save energy when heating it on a stove.
Customers can print the forms or show them on their cell phones. The McDonald's campaign lasts for three weeks starting Friday. [emphasis mine]
I'm sorry, what?
Not only is Japan handing out Big Macs to fight global warming (can you say counterproductive?), but people are being rewarded for checking boxes on a form. Does it get any more "voluntary" than that?
I know Live Earth followed a similar format with a seven-point pledge (sans burgers, of course), and maybe people really do follow through on them. But color me skeptical about any campaign that involves "special sauce."
Is there anything left for America to manufacture?
Natural gas as a near-term CO2 mitigation strategy
Comments
View as Flat
amc89 Posted 12:28 am
06 Sep 2007
Permalink
sjc224 Posted 2:57 pm
06 Sep 2007
Permalink
Delay And Deny Posted 2:06 am
07 Sep 2007
Good point sjc224.
Increased cardiovascular problems will reduce world population and hence pollution.
John Bailo
Sutext:
Permalink
Pinetree Posted 8:00 am
07 Sep 2007
Permalink
Biodiversivist Posted 1:33 pm
07 Sep 2007
Obesity is on the rise all across the affluent pockets of the planet. Not on my list of battles to fight.
McDonalds has been doing a pretty good job lately, thanks to pressure from environmentalists.
http://mfile.akamai.com/5594/wmv/164.109.35.32/media/podc ...
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
Permalink
caniscandida Posted 5:24 pm
07 Sep 2007
Still, to build on the points of AMC and SJC, one of the environmental tips on the form ought to have been to eat less meat. Reducing the demand for beef in particular, in the hopes of reducing the numbers of domestic cattle, is one of the most environmentally powerful things we can do.
Anyway, while this Japanese promotion looks a little silly, I guess it is possible that a fair amount of people will be impressed by a few of the tips on that list, and seriously consider following them.
Chickens are our cousins!
So are other sensitive animals!
Enough is enough!
No more factory farms!
Permalink