Below is a photograph of Prince Charles’s ‘eco-friendly’ mode of travel. Charles and Camilla flew to Trinidad to board the private yacht Leander in order to cruise to Tobago, St Lucia, Montserrat and Jamaica, rather than fly, in order to reduce their ‘carbon footprint.’ Personally, I’d have thought it would be more eco-friendly not to go at all, but that’s just me being silly. The normal charter rate is £280,000 per week, but lucky UK taxpayers are assured that there will be an undisclosed discount.
In St Anne’s, Trinidad, on Wednesday 5th March, the Prince gave a speech about climate change at a dinner hosted by the president.
Prince Charles is reported to have said:
Excerpt: “Unfathomably however, there still seem to be some climate skeptics, those who view the case of rapid action to counter climate change is overstated or indeed completely invented,” he added.
“If I may speak plainly among friends, this is sheer madness. The scientific facts are as plain as they are alarming. Worryingly in the last few months we have learnt that the North Polar ice cap is melting so fast that some scientists are predicting that in seven years it will completely disappear in summer.”
Here are some famous quotes from Prince Charles:
“To get the best results, you must talk to your vegetables.”
“I just come and talk to the plants, really-very important to talk to them, they respond I find.”
“Science has tried to assume a monopoly – or, rather, a tyranny – over our understanding of the world around us … We are only now beginning to understand the disastrous results of this outlook.”
Prince Charles
Speech titled ‘Sacred in the Modern World’, July 1996
Finally, a picture is worth a thousand words:
Source: http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/IMAGES/global.daily.ice.area.withtrend.jpg
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
The actual speech can be accessed at
http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/a_speech_by_hrh_the_prince_of_wales_at_the_president_s_dinne_305937718.html
There are also some nice photos on the Prince’s web page
A ‘yacht’ with sails would have been more environmentally-friendly, and much more pleasant.
That does it for me. I’m going to start walking so that Charlie will have enough fuel for his yatch and Algore will have enough for his plane. What was I thinking?
What does Prince Charles have to do with climate science?
This chap could make a republican out of anyone.
What does Prince Charles have to do with climate science?
Well, he’s a sort of royal Al Gore – he thinks there is an impending climate catastrophe – so he is flying and sailing around the world making speeches about the urgent need to reduce CO2 emissions.
Thanks for the link to the full speech Cinders – I’ve corrected ‘climbing skeptics’ from the newspaper article to ‘climate sceptics.’
Just what is Prince Charles involvement in climate Change?
Perhaps a few extracts from a recent speech to the European Union will give an insight into his use of a luxury boat rather than a seat in an airplane:
“Last year’s I.P.C.C. assessment stated that up to two billion people worldwide will face water shortages, and up to 30 per cent of plant and animal species would be put at risk of extinction, if the average rise in temperature stabilizes between 1.5 and 2.5 degrees.”
”millions of people throughout the world are deeply concerned about what is happening to our planet, but they feel utterly powerless. So they look to national governments, the European Union and international agencies to act on their behalf”
“Climate change presents such a threat that, uniquely in history, it will surely require the effort of every nation and every person to find and implement a solution before it is too late? It is a task that calls for the biggest public, private and N.G.O. partnership ever seen.”
“Three and a half years ago I formed my Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change under the aegis of my Business and Environment Programme which I initiated fifteen years ago. More recently, a wider group of major European companies has been formed to support and encourage the development of policies and interventions that will move the European Union towards a low carbon economy, including strong support for the ambitious 20:20 targets announced at last year’s Spring Summit.”
“Just before the Bali Summit these two groups brought together over 170 global companies in calling for a legally binding framework in which emission reductions would be set according to science. They called for an average global reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 50 per cent – that meant 80 per cent in the developed world – by 2050.”
Prince Charles appears to have the same sort of targets as does the recent report for Australia. Even if Australia does become a republic perhaps Prince Charles could be our first president or has AL Gore already been tasked for the job?
The 75m mega yacht – with hot tub, gym and 24-member crew – is just part of his battle to save the environment; this is similar to the sacrifice of the Tasmanian Government members who are to look for carbon friendly cars, a $240,000 hybrid Lexus LS600hL has been suggested for the Premier! (it only puts out 219g CO2/km).
Hopefully all contributors to this blog will drive one, and hire the Leander when next in Trinidad!
Well I for one admire HRH for his magnanimous efforts on behalf of the ‘little people’ of our world community and I have followed his excellent example.
I have instructed Nellie, the maid, to dust and sweep instead of vacuuming, old Joe, the gardener, to use the push mower instead of the ride-on (after all there are only a modest 2 hectares of lawn) and Mrs. Ramsay, the cook, not to warm up the leftovers for her supper. A cold collation can be very nourishing.
We must all play our part in this crisis.
Noblesse oblige.
“If I may speak plainly among friends, this is sheer madness.” Well, at least he got that much right. He’s a royal loon if ever there was one.
Travis,
it could get tricky landing that helicopter on a yacht with sails.
“The normal charter rate is £280,000 per week, but lucky UK taxpayers are assured that there will be an undisclosed discount.”
Actually, I think you will find that the charter fee comes from His Royal Highness, not the UK taxpayer.
And what the hell does what he pays for a trip have to do with anyone else?
Maybe the Royal Family will arrange to have all global warming skeptics sent on a one-way trip through a Paris tunnel. It’s such a convenient way to get rid of people they don’t like.
But firing squads are cheaper.
“Noblesse oblige.”
LOL. I think it is incumbent upon us all to take a pledge never to have a larger carbon footprint than Charlie.
I think all climate skeptics everywhere are thankful that Prince Charles has taken his stand on Al’s side. For my part, I eschew hurling mud so foul at my adversaries.
I think Prince Charles is a lunatic, that’s still got nothing to do with climate science or what he thinks of it.
“Finally, a picture is worth a thousand words:”
The global sea ice anomally has now gone positive, Paul. Antarctic sea ice has just switched to the expansion season. I expect that the positive anomally will grow larger over the next few months.
Nice boat. Wish I could use it on holiday.
Another Charles losing his head. We can only hope that balance reigns, and soon we will see an equally useless post on the beliefs of a climate sceptic. Royals simply dont do evidence, they have to go with faith, so climate sceptics should relate.
Loony Charlie actually is pretty typical of climate hysterics. It’s a religion with them, and has nothing whatever to do with science.