Robert Redford urges global action on climate change

[webfact]

Robert Redford urges global action on climate change
By EDITH M. LEDERER

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Robert Redford said he came to the United Nations Monday not as an actor but as an environmental advocate, father, grandfather and concerned citizen to urge the world's nations to take action now on climate change.

The 78-year-old Oscar winner said his environmental activism began more than 40 years ago and has grown stronger as he has seen the threat of global warming grow.

He told a high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on climate change that "the time for half measures and climate denial is over."

"It is the overwhelming judgment of science that climate change is real — and the result of human activity," Redford said. "Everywhere we look, moderate weather is going extinct."

The mission of the 193 U.N. member nations, he said, "is as simple as it is daunting: save the world before it's too late."

Redford urged world leaders to adopt a universal climate agreement in Paris in December to keep global warming from rising to dangerous levels.

"Nothing less than the fate of our planet will hang in the balance," he said.

Redford told a news conference later that he hopes to be in Paris to keep pressing for immediate global action.

Redford recalled growing up in Los Angeles near the end of World War II when it was a beautiful city with clean air.

But he felt "the city that I loved was taken away from me" because of the pollution, skyscrapers and freeways, so he moved and discovered the Sierra Nevadas and Yosemite Park where "I was introduced to the beauty of raw nature."

"And that's when I decided I want this to be part of my life, whatever I do," Redford said.

Since then, he said, "I divided my life into my two greatest interests which were art and nature."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-30

[Usernames]

But he felt "the city that I loved was taken away from me" because of the pollution, skyscrapers and freeways, so he moved and discovered the Sierra Nevadas and Yosemite Park where "I was introduced to the beauty of raw nature."

Hmmm. Maybe LA is filthy because its population has soared from 1.5 million to almost 4 million during this time??? Not to speak of outlying areas. And much of it recently fueled by Third World immigration, which carries a complete disdain for air quality, water pollution, urban density, and building codes.

[ABCer]

Ah, Robert Redford!

Liked him as an actor in almost every good movie role.

And I must hand him this - he rarely played in a bad script - he was selective.

Too bad he selected "nature" as his second greatest interest.

I would rather go and see "Out of Africa" once more...

Wondering: does he pay "the fart tax"? If - yes - who manages his money? And how effectively?

[canuckamuck]

Nothing wrong with being anti pollution. But since the temperature has only risen about .5 celsius since the 1930s, I hardly think that it Global warming can be blamed for LA's smog.

[ABCer]

Sorry... I thought we were talking about climate change...

Well, if it's pollution, - we say: "save gas, fart in a bottle".

Ozzie.

[GanDoonToonPet]

Here we go again. Cue the AGW conspiracy theory trolls who the GW proponents somehow delude themselves into thinking they can change their minds with evidence, even though the AGW trolls don't form their opinions based on evidence; only political ideology & scientific illiteracy / innumeracy.

That said, I detest it when these 'celebrities', who have a fantasy prone personality & have lived most of their life in a fantasy world anyway, ally themselves to a cause, proclaim themselves experts & say stupid things like '...the fate of our planet hangs in the balance.'

[RickBradford]

.. don't form their opinions based on evidence; only political ideology & scientific illiteracy / innumeracy.

Are you referring just to Robert Redford? Or to Leonardo di Caprio, the Pope, Bob Geldof, Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt, and Bono as well?

[GanDoonToonPet]

.. don't form their opinions based on evidence; only political ideology & scientific illiteracy / innumeracy.

Are you referring just to Robert Redford? Or to Leonardo di Caprio, the Pope, Bob Geldof, Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt, and Bono as well?

I was thinking more Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Isaac Hayes & (I just found out last week) Alex from Orange is the New Black; shame as she's a babe...anyway back to the inane GW debate.

[RickBradford]

Yes, the list of celebrity climate nitwits is a long one -- Chris Rock, Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Jared Leto, Kiefer Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Desmond Tutu and Prince Charles spring to mind.

As you say, their motive has nothing to do with "saving the planet", but in most cases simply to feeding their egos by allowing them to see themselves in the noble role of "planetary hero" fighting the evil monolith of Big Oil and Big Business.

[godden]

Global warming biggest scam to date, especially if you live in a country where they can tax you for BS.

[GanDoonToonPet]

...fighting the evil monolith of Big Oil and Big Business.

I was with you until the above - knew it wouldn't last long. The likes of Prince Charles & movie stars don't give a hoot about the above. They're like lost little children, often found in student halls of residence embarking on undergraduate humanities degrees; once they're exposed to the post-modernist philosophy they're finished.

They lead pampered lives, devoid of meaning so try to find 'causes' to occupy their time & to enhance their social standing, status or place in history.

Rebels without a (scientific) clue.

[sdanielmcev]

Ever see a !movie being made, Bob? Must be the most wasteful industry I've ever seen, Bob. Good thing about cgi, less waste. Hides your wrinkles, too, Bob. Think he rode his bike there?

[RickBradford]

The likes of Prince Charles & movie stars don't give a hoot about the above.

di Caprio also told the UN General Assembly in a speech that 'it is time to end the free ride that industrial polluters have been getting in the name of the free market'.

Now, you may be right that he hasn't really got a clue what he's saying, and cares even less, but many of them certainly make it a major plank in their activism

[Merzik]

But he felt "the city that I loved was taken away from me" because of the pollution, skyscrapers and freeways, so he moved and discovered the Sierra Nevadas and Yosemite Park where "I was introduced to the beauty of raw nature."

Hmmm. Maybe LA is filthy because its population has soared from 1.5 million to almost 4 million during this time??? Not to speak of outlying areas. And much of it recently fueled by Third World immigration, which carries a complete disdain for air quality, water pollution, urban density, and building codes.

As a LA resident for 26 years I can vouch for your statement's accuarcy. The numbers are probably much higher than that if anything. Nobody really knows how many there are now: but our open-border policy has totally transformed Los Angeles from what it once was. Los Angeles and the state of California were once a first-world paradise; now much of it is distinctly a third-world , dirty, crime and gang-invested slum with a population heavily dependent on numerous welfare payments. Middle class Americans who once flocked there are now fleeing in droves , I have no plans to ever return.

[Tywais]

[Merzik]

The likes of Prince Charles & movie stars don't give a hoot about the above.

di Caprio also told the UN General Assembly in a speech that 'it is time to end the free ride that industrial polluters have been getting in the name of the free market'.

Now, you may be right that he hasn't really got a clue what he's saying, and cares even less, but many of them certainly make it a major plank in their activism

Leo DiCaprio has a fondness for taking private jet trips around the globe and even hitched a ride to the last World Cup on one of the largest private yachts in the world ( owned by a Saudi no less) He has numerous very large and lavish properties to dwell in around the US ; and has expressed his desire to go on a private space-ride. Austerity is for the peasants it seems. How does a guy with a GED education like him get invited to speak to the UN about a science matter? At least Gore earned a "license to steal." I guess an encounter with an iceberg is all you need to be a global warming expert if you are a liberal trendy on board with this ridiculous crusade. He is a hypocite and an attention-whore ( no offense to sex-workers intended)

Edited June 30, 2015 by Merzik

[BuaBS]

Yes, the list of celebrity climate nitwits is a long one -- Chris Rock, Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Jared Leto, Kiefer Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Desmond Tutu and Prince Charles spring to mind.

As you say, their motive has nothing to do with "saving the planet", but in most cases simply to feeding their egos by allowing them to see themselves in the noble role of "planetary hero" fighting the evil monolith of Big Oil and Big Business.

Prince Charles will never get too hot , he can flap his giant ears to keep cool.

[thaibeachlovers]

Does Redford travel by a car, aeroplane, use electricity generated by carbon? If so he is a hypocrite.

[GanDoonToonPet]

The likes of Prince Charles & movie stars don't give a hoot about the above.

di Caprio also told the UN General Assembly in a speech that 'it is time to end the free ride that industrial polluters have been getting in the name of the free market'.

Now, you may be right that he hasn't really got a clue what he's saying, and cares even less, but many of them certainly make it a major plank in their activism

You criticised me for quoting one website (lomborg-errors) which you consider biased.

Then when I spent several hours independently investigating one of Lomborg's claims in his book, quoting primary sources & giving a well structured argument - you accused me of 'just copying & pasting wholesale from the website'.

Now you give me a simple tweet? How low can your irony go?

Edited June 30, 2015 by GanDoonToonPet

[RickBradford]

^^^

The difference is that this is a direct statement made by the person themselves, not a third party "claiming" something about him.

I also pointed to his speech to the UN, where he makes further statements of the same kind on camera.

The research process was as follows: I googled the phrase "di caprio big oil". The first story that came up was "Watch Leonardo DiCaprio Rip Into Big Oil On The Floor Of The United Nations". This took approximately 3 seconds (I have a slow Internet connection).

The video itself is 2 minutes 44 seconds long and features every fact-free, unsubstantiated and misleading Green/Left whine that could be packed into that timeframe.

Edited June 30, 2015 by RickBradford

[hhinhh]

Why do artists often think that if they perform well on the stage the same must consequently happen with their brain? Look at Tom Cruise who is member of the Scientology Gang or Neil Diamond whos talents ended the moment he became a fundamental muslim.

The climate is stable since several years and non of the wonderful scientists who earn their money with horor stories can explain that. They just demand the climate will warm in 50 years again (haha).

Finally the climate was never stable since the earth existed and nobody has the right nor power to demand that.

The world has a lot of much more serious problems to take care of.

[robertthebruce]

Always remember him in the film The way we were, with Barbara Streisand, they were both excellent...

She was quite a stunner when she was young.....

Anyway, good on you Robert for your continuous work on Climate change....

[RickBradford]

"Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don’t mean to do harm — but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves." — T.S. Eliot

Obviously Redford, diCaprio and the rest don't read TS Eliot -- or maybe they do but they just don't understand it.

[kinmaew]

I heard he is a real diva on the movie set, doesnt turn up or late to keep others waiting but we now must all act because RR has told us so, oh.. ok

[Humberstone]

I don't understand the connection between climate change (on both sides of the debate) and it being something of a left/right politcal split. Painting each and everyone who agrees with AGW as being 'left wing' in terms of their politics is a lazy piece of stereotyping and wrong. This is surely about the science only and not politics. As an example, many right wing politicans agree with AGW and a matter such as this is one of the reasons there are free vote issues in parliament.

[RickBradford]

I don't understand the connection between climate change (on both sides of the debate) and it being something of a left/right politcal split

Because virtually all of the proposed solutions to the climate change "problem" are straight out of the Leftist playbook -- more regulation and micro-management, higher taxes, less democratic accountability, less freedom to dissent. Plus, those who disagree with any part of the climate alarm are routinely vilified as "right-wing nut-jobs"

For example, the mantram of the climate change alarmists has always been: "The debate is over. The science is settled."

The latest book by the Left-wing social activist Naomi Klein is actually entitled "This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate." Klein has just been invited to assist the Vatican on its anti-climate, anti-business crusade.

Climate science has always started at the desired solution (hobble 'development' and the 'evil capitalists') and then worked backwards via a connection ('evil capitalists belch CO2') to a suggestion ('world destroyed by CO2'). Then you reverse the order and claim that since you have 'proved' the suggestion, then the solution must be implemented immediately. Add a layer of moralising, co-opt the press plus some useful idiots, celebrities if possible, and you're good to go.

EDIT: By the way, Klein wrote an article in 2011 entitled: "Capitalism vs. the Climate: What the right gets — and the left doesn't — about the revolutionary power of climate change"

Edited June 30, 2015 by RickBradford