JC's global warming denial...

speedyvespa

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Just watched the Polar special again, twice now, it is a truly superb piece of television, in any category. That's the secret to the success.. it's comedy, documentary, drama, you name it, and it's brilliant in all of them.

One thing that irks me though is that I can't help suspect that it was done so that JC could yet again rant about 'global warming isn't real' again. Totally entitled to his opinion as he is, it's starting to wear thin.

I agree with him on quite a few points - there is a large misinformed contingent of the general public who seem to believe that if you take all powerful cars off the road, global warming defeated, job done. And the sensible things JC says, for me, is that it's far more complicated than that. If we think that's all we need to do, we're doomed... if you really care about Global warming, turn stuff off when you're finished with it, and go vegetarian.

But what we don't need is JC standing at the top of the world, where it's still very cold, and saying it's a myth. Sorry, but it just isn't. Denying it doesn't make TG a more interesting show... nobody is going to take GT40's off the road.

I suppose the crew are scared of appearing hypocritical or something if they concede that GW something we need to think about, but I don't think that's true. It's just an entertainment show, I think we all know that.

Personally, I'd be happy for JC to say to people - if you're worried about GW, then go vegetarian and buy low-energy household appliances before you start on 4x4's - whose contribution to greenhouse gasses are miniscule compared to so many other things.

I sense this is going to be a controversial thread and I will take my flaming like man....
 
Hippie.
 
I'm not going to get into the debate on the unmentionable G W phrase, but i will say that the special obviously wasn't done so JC could rant. He barely mentioned it. It was just a challenge and he took the opportunity to point out some peoples hysteria. You're seeing things that aren't there.
 
Global warming, happening because of people or natural climate change, is a great thing. You know how cold winter is here? We deserve a break!
 
I'm not going to get into the debate on the unmentionable G W phrase, but i will say that the special obviously wasn't done so JC could rant. He barely mentioned it. It was just a challenge and he took the opportunity to point out some peoples hysteria. You're seeing things that aren't there.

Maybe I am. But it's that on top of a lot of other things. What does please me is when they inform the public on what really matters... like, most people believe that if they take the train rather than drive, they're doing something to help. Whereas in fact, they're not.

My point is... I don't think that the role of TG as a show and the issue of GW are at odds with each other necessarily.
 
Clarkson believes that the modern day hysteria of global warming does not exist. He is entitled to that opinion. But why do I think they mention it a lot of Top Gear? A completely different reason.

The BBC as of late has acknowledged the global warming phenomenon and are promoting events and stuff that try to inform the public of the dangers of global climate change.

That means that the BBC is also being called a hypocrite because they don't reign in Clarkson and have them tote the company line. I'm sure Clarkson is mentioning it more just to tick off the environmentalists that get upset every time he opens his mouth, than he is mentioning it just because he likes to hear himself talk.

Though I have no doubt he likes to hear himself talk :)
 
Jeremy Clarkson is practically a symbol of political incorrectness.
i think he disagrees about global warming just on the principle of disagreeing to any idea the public believes in and may pose a threat to cars.
 
clarkson is I think a believer of the other explanations for the planet warming up, like natural cycles - there were several ice ages etc. These things can happen by themselves.
 
clarkson is I think a believer of the other explanations for the planet warming up, like natural cycles - there were several ice ages etc. These things can happen by themselves.

They can and have! But before you it's definitely NOT due to the activity of humans, you better be goddam sure you know what you're on about...

I personally would take JC more seriously when he buys a big expensive house on the Norfolk coast... ;)

I wonder if the amphibious car special was TG hedging it's bets. Hey, if sea levels rise then we can still cock about in cars....
 
Several, all being towed by AAA.

How's that for an emissions-free car... one that doesn't work!

Only about 100 were ever made, and that includes the race cars and prototypes. I highly doubt that more than a handful are driven at all.
 
I'd agree with speedyvespa...it's either TG having a go (again) the environmentalists or exceptionally poor timing on the part of the beeb - screening it days after the worst storms since Michael Fish said we weren't going to have any (1987 - I think - no doubt I'll be corrected if I'm wrong). It was a cracking programme (in ice terms too) but somebody should have thought about the scheduling as that was pretty bad. Top rate entertainment though and full of emotion and excitement, even though we all had a sneaking suspicion that JC would win in his tonka toy. No doubt the ice cap is a bit less now, too.
 
Finally someone who gets it.

Problem is, when Jezza drove over the ice, he drove over a tiiiiiny little bit of it. That would be like me going to New York and judging all of America for how New York was.

There's NO POINT in saying global warming doesn't exist It does. We might do battle about how to battle it, and banning cars won't do that much. Making one ton of concrete makes one ton of CO2. And if we were to make industries more effective, it might very well do some good.

But cars? They're not doing it. Not at all.

There's TON of evidence of it happening. And even with a freak study saying the opposite, it doesn't change anything.

So let's get cracking.
 
There's been quite a few observations on the show which for me, do a lot of good to really give everyone a wider perspective on the causes and I really wish they'd do more of it. It serves two purposes... one is to say, people like cars and they ain't gonna stop driving them, so let's work something out with that in mind. The other is to say that 4x4-bashing politicians/celebrities are soundbite junkies, and they know nothing about the problem.

I can think of a lot of times they've done this well.... like, pointing out that the emissions from the new 911 are cleaner than the air it takes in, if you're in a very congested city such as LA. Now there's food for thought... my lungs ain't fitted with a catalytic converter. And it's very encouraging that the technology is out there.

Also - exposing the Toyota Prius as being a big fraud. Not only is it not that economical, it's rubbish and also creates a big environmental problem when it comes to scrapping one. The VW Lupo diesel being much more economical and can be run on biofuels.

I like JC as a presenter. But I just thought that his closing comments on the Arctic special were really unnecessary and not based around any facts. The danger is, it'll only take a few more freak natural disasters such as the one in the UK right now, and TG will find itself more and more marginalised.

I love the program, I don't want that to happen!
 
I agree it is happening, but many documentary makers would leave you to belive the artic has all broken up, into small melting islands and polar bears have nowhere to live on these floating islands of ice. This show showed that the arctic is still there, and it is still mile upon mile of polar expance, with hills and mountains thrown in. Of course, the edges are eroding away. Like every other country.

But I'm not saying global warming isn't happening. It irks me that people say it caused the recent bad weather and floods however. They didn't. It was caused by torrential rain, and floods like that happened here ten years ago, then ten years before that, then five years before th....

..no. It rains it England. It didn't rain anywhere near as much as usual last year. It rained too much this year. It varies. Always has, always will, and everything will always be blown out of proportion.

Believe it or not, I do care a lot about the envionment, I love wildlife as much as anyone. But the bombardment of propaganda from bloody everywhere that I simply MUST care and change my ways just makes me want to buy an old Cadillac and cruise around smoking a big fat cigar, not giving a stuff.
 
I agree it is happening, but many documentary makers would leave you to belive the artic has all broken up, into small melting islands and polar bears have nowhere to live on these floating islands of ice. This show showed that the arctic is still there, and it is still mile upon mile of polar expance, with hills and mountains thrown in. Of course, the edges are eroding away. Like every other country.

Something of an oversimplification, I don't think many people believe that the polar ice cap is virtually gone. But if you look at the comparisons of satellite pictures from today and 20 years ago, you have to say it's alarming. But that's not really my point...

But I'm not saying global warming isn't happening. It irks me that people say it caused the recent bad weather and floods however. They didn't. It was caused by torrential rain, and floods like that happened here ten years ago, then ten years before that, then five years before th....

Don't think we've seen anything on this scale in a long time, but you're right to say you just can't simply blame GW, much less V8 engines, JC or 4x4s.

..no. It rains it England. It didn't rain anywhere near as much as usual last year. It rained too much this year. It varies. Always has, always will, and everything will always be blown out of proportion.

Yeah, the media works off scaring people and it always has. That's annoying because people just don't know the facts and don't know what they should be doing. And I kind of understand JCs attitude somewhat because he must feel like the show is under siege and is being blamed. I just think that the response could be better aimed. It was interesting to note that on the TG on Southern Counties radio show when interviewing that Liberal Demoprat MP, JC was very accepting of the fact GW is a reality, but questioned what is causing it. That's the debate that we should be having. I find it weird that he's now saying GW isn't happening at all.

Believe it or not, I do care a lot about the envionment, I love wildlife as much as anyone. But the bombardment of propaganda from bloody everywhere that I simply MUST care and change my ways just makes me want to buy an old Cadillac and cruise around smoking a big fat cigar, not giving a stuff.

I think that's the stance JC takes too. And fair enough, I understand it, like I say. But I don't think he should appear in front of 3.5m people and say point blank that it's not happening... he really isn't qualified to say, any more than Sir David Attenborough is qualified to comment on Mercedes build quality.

Call me a liberal lefty Guardian reading environmentalist (yawn) if you will, albiet one who has a weakness for the 3.5 litre M-series engine, but if GW is a reality and the least worst predictions are true, then it's not me or JC who will be worst affected.

I just think the closing comments work against that mentality and that's why I think TG should really take a neutral stance. Like, if you want neck-straining power, this is your car/this isn't your car. If you care about the environment then this is your car/this isn't your car.
 
speedyvespa,


agreed, his anti-environment stance is going a bit far at times and getting old.
but i think you should be even more careful and take even more of clarkson's comments with a grain of salt. top gear is an awesomely entertaining car programme, but we all know that some of it is staged and some of the stuff they say is made up...

in general, trains are more environmentally friendly than cars. of course there are trains who aren't, but these are isolated examples. those british diesel-propelled high speed trains are probably some of the worst offenders. they're extremely old and inefficient. compared to a modern electric engine its a difference like day and night, especially since a great part of the used electric energy is produced in relatively clean nuclear plants and because electric engines have a great energy conversion efficiency. but even modern and light diesel multiple units are a lot better than the older machines.

apart from that it of course also depends on how many people are carried by the train. a packed train during peak time is extremely efficient, while some off-peak train used by only three people on early sunday morning is extremely inefficient. on average however, traveling by train is still more efficient than traveling by car.
 
speedyvespa,


agreed, his anti-environment stance is going a bit far at times and getting old.
but i think you should be even more careful and take even more of clarkson's comments with a grain of salt. top gear is an awesomely entertaining car programme, but we all know that some of it is staged and some of the stuff they say is made up...

I don't think everyone knows it's made up. In a country where the most popular tabloid is The S*n, people will buy into pretty much anything. If it's knowingly plain wrong, then that's even more worrying.

in general, trains are more environmentally friendly than cars. of course there are trains who aren't, but these are isolated examples. those british diesel-propelled high speed trains are probably some of the worst offenders.

OI! Leave our lovely old trains alone ;) Germans having a pop and British inefficiency again. Tsk! :D

apart from that it of course also depends on how many people are carried by the train. a packed train during peak time is extremely efficient, while some off-peak train used by only three people on early sunday morning is extremely inefficient. on average however, traveling by train is still more efficient than traveling by car.

Y'see, I would assume that an unqualified statement (such as the one made on TG) was accounting for all factors and was based on average figures. If they're cherry-picking the facts, and I hope that's not the case, that's not good.

Maybe I place too much trust in the Beeb.
 
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