Forgetful men everywhere rejoice! You now have the perfect excuse if you forget to give your significant other flowers this Valentine's Day. Just say you didn't want to contribute to global warming:
The Valentine's Day bouquet — the gift that every woman in Britain will be waiting for next week — has become the latest bête noire among environmental campaigners.
Latest Government figures show that the flowers that make up the average bunch have flown 33,800 miles to reach Britain.
In the past three years, the amount of flowers imported from the Netherlands has fallen by 47 per cent to 94,000 tons, while those from Africa have risen 39 per cent to 17,000 tons.
Environmentalists warned that "flower miles" could have serious implications on climate change in terms of carbon dioxide emissions from aeroplanes.
Andrew Sims, the policy director of the New Economics Foundation, said: "There are plenty of flowers that grow in Britain in the winter and don't need to be hothoused.
"Air freighting flowers half way round the world contributes to global warming.
"You can argue the planes would be flying anyway but the amount of greenhouse gases pumped out depends on the weight of the cargo."
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
"Air freighting flower
February 12, 2007 - 12:57 ET by Dyne"Air freighting flowers half way round the world contributes to global warming..."
So does flying Nancy Pelosi, her family, and her "supporters" between SF and DC non-stop in a 757-sized plane, but we won't be seeing that anytime soon.
So does Al Gore with his giant houses and private jet he uses to go everywhere to spread his GW cult, but we won't be seeing that anytime soon.
Come on, MSM, these statements are getting so ridiculous that it'll be a wonder if anybody takes you seriously about the issue after a few more months of this. 'course by then you'll be saying that Halloween pumpkins and Christmas- <sarcasm>I'm sorry, "holiday-"</sarcasm> trees also contribute to global warming.
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try to please everyone." - Bill Cosby
Good points, Dyne. Queen Bee
February 12, 2007 - 14:19 ET by the_red_stateGood points, Dyne. Queen Bee riding aboard Broomstick One and Al Bore jetsetting around the country promoting his crockumentary waste the earth's resources, but in such a selfish, self-absorbing way that considers their needs only...rather than caring about the feelings of your spouse or significant other by giving them flowers on Valentine's Day. The pompous, condascending arrogance of the limousine liberals is disgusting.
IBD had a really good editori
February 12, 2007 - 17:06 ET by Chicago RepublicanIBD had a really good editorial this morning about Virgin Atlantic's $25 MM reward for the best Global Warming solution. The editorial suggested shutting down Virgin Atlantic. It will only reduce something a fraction of the "goal" of reductions, but the point was to show the absurdity of draconian lifestyle changes to "save the planet".
Heh. This is an example of
February 12, 2007 - 12:58 ET by Dave in TexasHeh. This is an example of one of my favorite natural phenomenons: "When Liberal Causes Conflict With Each Other".
The last sentence in article just hints at it: "He said the boom in Third World flowers would help poorer countries to build schools and boost the economy."
There was another recent article that put more emphasis on the conflicting goals: Food miles may be green, but are they fair?
Dave,You know, it is quite po
February 12, 2007 - 13:18 ET by Dave RDave,
You know, it is quite possible the flower growers in The Netherlands are the behind the scenes string-pullers in all this. I mean, given the current hysteria over all things environmental, what better way to regain lost market share than to shame people into buying from you instead some poor guy in Africa. So what if the children in Africa are stariving, you're helping to save the planet!
I hate newspapermen.....I regard them as spies.....If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast. -Gen. William T. Sherman
Socialism solves shortages of 3rd world flower producing states
February 12, 2007 - 16:53 ET by Eric TurnerThis does not cause any conflict for them. Their simple remedy is worldwide socialism. See, the money the Brits would have used to buy the flowers from the 3rd world nation can now just be sent directly to them without any return on the money. Additionally (and actually more likely), the large Dutch corporations that grow flowers and send them around the globe squeezing out the 3rd world sellers and contributing to gw are now going to be taxed disproportionately and that money will be sent to the 3rd world nations who can then keep the flowers and romance will blossom among the African nations.
See? Socialism solves shortages!
Oh, come on now! This is gett
February 12, 2007 - 13:01 ET by Indiana JoeOh, come on now! This is getting ridiculous! 33,800 miles??? That's more than once around the world, AT the equator!
The only possible way this number can be even approached would have to be to act as if each flower arrived on it's own plane. As in, one rose came 6,000 miles, and there are 5 roses, therefore it's counted as 30,000 miles.
What inane insanity. These people are getting laughably desperate.
GW
February 12, 2007 - 13:06 ET by iveseenitallThis is exactly what the Global Warming freaks want. If we accept this lunacy, they'll have more power to force this crap into our lives. Liberals want to take away our freedom. Don't trust them. Algore is the enemy.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Uuugghhh!! Where does it all
February 12, 2007 - 14:28 ET by MivvisUuugghhh!! Where does it all end?!
Could this insane and ever in
February 12, 2007 - 14:50 ET by TheTruthCould this insane and ever increasing LIBERAL lunacy and constant push towards Socialism/Oba•ma•ism (Noun) and Communism/Hil•lar•ism (Noun) be the reason that our Forefathers left us with the second amendment in the bill of the peoples Rights?
TT,Funny you should mention
February 12, 2007 - 15:00 ET by Dave RTT,
Funny you should mention that, as misterbill and I were just discussing that very thing.
This GW garbage is definitely the new fascism of the 21st Century. The vehemence the leftiy eco-kooks are employing to go after their detractors is frightening and bears watching closely. Our basic rights are at stake.
I hate newspapermen.....I regard them as spies.....If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast. -Gen. William T. Sherman
Carbon Dioxide
February 12, 2007 - 14:49 ET by slpHave the environmentalists considered the amount of carbon dioxide being eliminated from the atmosphere by the roses growing in the Netherlands and Africa?
That settles it, I'll buy my
February 12, 2007 - 15:00 ET by taznarThat settles it, I'll buy my wife a dozen carbon credits instead.
I just hope she doesn't take it the wrong way...
That's if you don't forget to
February 12, 2007 - 15:44 ET by NortonalecThat's if you don't forget to buy the credits. There is always a rub...
With this line of thinking, what, if anything is enviro-friendly? First cars, now flowers. Where does it logically end? (redundant question). If I have to grow my own food, my wife is not going to get any flowers.
Nortonalec
Dandelions grow quite easil
February 12, 2007 - 15:48 ET by Matthew SheffieldDandelions grow quite easily I hear :-)
I used a non-organic weed kil
February 12, 2007 - 15:49 ET by NortonalecI used a non-organic weed killer on mine.
Nortonalec
taznar - Better yet, just pri
February 12, 2007 - 16:18 ET by RunningBeertaznar - Better yet, just print this blog, put in a nice envelope and give it to your sweetie. That's what I'm doing. She'll be fine with that, won't she???
I suspect this story is just
February 12, 2007 - 16:06 ET by Roger the ShrubberI suspect this story is just some venting by the angry, bitter, Camryn MANheim-ish, combat boot-wearing, former softball-playing, never-went-to-the-prom, don't-shave-their-pits, Harvard president types who never got roses for Valentine's Day anyway.
Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.
Is that what this gw is all a
February 12, 2007 - 17:05 ET by Eric TurnerIs that what this gw is all about? Are we finally witnessing the real-life version of "Revenge of the Nerds"? Did they just not get the attention they sought in high school and are now taking it out on all of us?
Geez...and to think I thought computers were just a passing fad.
Hah, it's all about the Omega
February 12, 2007 - 17:42 ET by Roger the ShrubberHah, it's all about the Omega Mu's? Interesting!
I'm going to send my wife a
February 12, 2007 - 16:44 ET by dabalI'm going to send my wife a copy of this blog and
two dozen red roses.
;-)"I'm going to send my wi
February 12, 2007 - 17:02 ET by RunningBeer"I'm going to send my wife a copy of this blog and two dozen red roses."
So she'll know you love her no matter the cost? I think someones gettin' some tonight... you dawg you!
They say Valentine roses help
February 12, 2007 - 17:24 ET by Chris NormanThey say Valentine roses help cause Global Warming (uh-huh). We know that lack of same surely causes Bedroom Freezing...
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I'm gonna let the enviro nazi
February 12, 2007 - 17:37 ET by Clear thinkerI'm gonna let the enviro nazis and PETA fight this one to the death. If I don't get the wife a table full of roses I will be sleeping on the couch until I buy her a mink (real, not man made fuzzy stuff). Since I'm a clear thinking male I'm going with the roses!
Let's just cut to the chase:
February 12, 2007 - 17:53 ET by kathleenirishLet's just cut to the chase: what do they really want, these environmentalists? They want the end of humankind altogether, period. Go back to a hunter-gatherer society, if that at all. They have nothing but contempt for human civilization, end of story. All these issues add up to: humanity and all its ways are evil, and worse: bad for our beloved Earth. Get over it, loonies. Humans rule and we like flowers all year round.
"He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, and he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere" -Ali ibn-Abi-Talib, 4th Islamic Caliph
kathleen...During the hunter-
February 12, 2007 - 18:01 ET by Clear thinkerkathleen...
During the hunter-gatherer period only the strong survived, so I suggest we help our environmentalist friends revert back to that period and start hunting down the weak-minded enviros immediately.
We don't need.....
February 12, 2007 - 18:47 ET by misterbillWe don't need.....no stinkin' roses
To come and fill our stinkin noses
Some people may find it charmin'
But it really contributes to global warmin'
So leave those flowers where they lay
Keep the earth fresh for another day,
So let's make do without the scent
Those stinkin' flowers would have lent.
Happy Valentine's Day sweeties!
An ugly American is one who does not support his country.
Once again these liberal idio
February 12, 2007 - 21:26 ET by KalihiwaiBeachOnce again these liberal idiots who supposedly want to save the Earth and the Flora & Fauna from Man's evil existence are wanting to starve the very Flora from the CO2 they need. Those flowers and trees and weeds and ocean plants need all the CO2 we can give them back to make us & the Fauna more oxygen. So what is it? Are the greenie left-wing wackos trying to save us or destroy us? Confusing it is I say.....