by John Goetz
I just ran across the following news article from Pitchfork Media:
Jarvis, Feist Sail to Arctic to Investigate Global Warming
Laurie Anderson, Robyn Hitchcock, Martha Wainwright, and Ryuichi Sakamoto too!
Feist, Jarvis Cocker, and a bunch of other artists board a ship to the Arctic to investigate climate change. It sounds like a strange reality show, but it’s actually straight-up reality.
Yesterday (September 25), a crew of scientists, artists, engineers, and journalists boarded a science research vessel in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland bound for Disko Bay. Soon, they’ll travel across the front of the Jakobshavn Glacier, “one of Greenland’s largest glaciers moving at a faster rate than ever before, losing 20 million tons of ice every day,” according to the description from expedition organizers Cape Farewell.
The point of the trip, in addition to scientific research, is “to inspire the creative team to respond to climate change both in the Arctic and on their return.” Apparently, at the airport, “Feist checked her guitar (Robyn Hitchcock requested that everybody who has one bring it for a little Arctic jam).”
In addition to Feist and Jarvis Cocker, the list of musicians on board includes Robyn Hitchcock, Martha Wainwright, Ryuichi Sakamoto, KT Tunstall, Laurie Anderson, and…Vanessa Carlton. How fitting!
I admit I am not hip. I have never heard of these artists. But it appears this trip includes a veritable who’s who of today’s influential artists.
- Luke Bullen, an English drummer and percussionist. Bullen joined the band Addict in 1995 and later formed the band Zanderman with Addict’s lead singer Mark Aston.
- David Noble, a youth leader, consultant, researcher, writer, speaker, activist and “something of a rogue” with a crazy vision of an entire generation of young people contributing all they can in the collective response to the global climate crisis.
- Tracey Rowledge, an artist who works with the traditional materials and techniques of bookbinding and gilding, making books and wall pieces that explore the line between spontaneity and the deliberately crafted.
- Julian Stair, a potter, academic and writer.
- Graham Hill, a self-described serial entrepreneur, do-gooder and designer, who started TreeHugger.com in 2004.
- Nicole Krauss, the author of the international bestseller, The History of Love, which won France’s Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger and Amazon’s #1 Book of the Year, and was short-listed for the Orange, Médicis, and Femina prizes.
- Marcus Brigstocke, a stand-up comic, writer, presenter and actor, who hosts The Late Edition, a live topical TV show on BBC 4.
Of course, all of the artists have obtained advanced degrees in climatology, which is why we should pay attention to their trek north and respect any conclusions they draw.
That’s so right Anothony .We dare not disagree with anyone who’s on the global warming wagon but now if we disagree with all the global warming nuts then we are narrow minded.
More suckers for a bad cause. But very media saavy. As a targeted attack on the minds of today’s youth, this is very effective.
From the Good Book (Luke 12:51-53) and 2nd Thessalonians 2:11
“Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
11 “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie”
Out of context, yes, but appropriate to the situation.
Gee, I hope somebody warned them about all the starving polar bears.
The song “Ride, Captain, Ride” comes to mind..
“Ride, Captain, Ride, upon your mystery ship…”
It is always so strange that the warmers pick the coldest place on the planet to demonstrate global warming.
I have no idea why ice and snow has become the symbol for global warming. Obviously, this is a place that could benefit from a little warming. Why don’t they go to the Sahara desert or Death Valley or something? Why do people fall for a photo op on a glacier or a frozen Arctic ocean?
That saddens me. Artists, writers and musicians are the “soul” of a society. The AGW sickness has struck deep within our very core when they go along with a lie.
[snip none of this kind of talk -Anthony]
Oh spare us these activists and eco-tourists.
The Greenland Ice Sheet receives about 3 feet of fresh snow per year. If the glaciers around the periphery didn’t discharge huge amounts of ice, after ten thousand years there would be a mound of ice taller than Mount Everest. After a few million years it would go all the way to the moon.
AGW brings out a lot of stupidity in people, but nowhere is it more evident than around Greenland.
I think they started a little late – maybe they ought to talk to the kayaker.
such a shame – there’s never a submerged iceberg around when you need one. (aplogiies to John Derbyshire)
Of course, they purchased appropriate carbon credits from Gore. Considering their proximity to the very thing they claim they want to protect, those credits should be very expensive.
At last! Thank the Lord that at last we have a bunch of climate experts who can finally resolve this warming dillema!
Sorry! Dilemma!
Tom in Texas (17:31:58) :
I think they started a little late – maybe they ought to talk to the kayaker.
Yeah, but they’ll have a better chance of getting stuck in new ice.
What was the name of those two women that went to the arctic to see the damage from global warming? They brought special suits so that the could swim between icebergs. Both ended up with severe frostbite having found themselves stuck in -100 F temps.
I wonder if this bunch of coconuts will suffer a similar fate? Or will they bother even getting off the boat? Any chance they end up like Ernest Shackleton?
“Of course, all of the artists have obtained advanced degrees in climatology, which is why we should pay attention to their trek north and respect any conclusions they draw.”
Well, at least we know Laurie Anderson is an expert:
Chris D:
Aaaaah! My ears!! MAKE IT STOP!!
That saddens me. Artists, writers and musicians are the “soul” of a society. The AGW sickness has struck deep within our very core when they go along with a lie.
Don’t let it bother you. Those bazoos have been wrong about every important issue from foreign policy to demographics to the environment for as long as I can remember.
This is one of those “the more things change the more they stay the same” things.
And no, they will never admit they were wrong, and no, they will not learn from the experience.
No point losing any sleep over it. What is, is.
[snip none of this kind of talk – Anthony]
The Greenland Ice Sheet receives about 3 feet of fresh snow per year. If the glaciers around the periphery didn’t discharge huge amounts of ice, after ten thousand years there would be a mound of ice taller than Mount Everest. After a few million years it would go all the way to the moon.
Not to mention that Disko Bay has been dumping huge amounts of ice for a century. Moerner (IIRC) commented that the only difference is that the rate is slower now than it was in the past.
I’ll betcha they’ll all be wearing state of the art extreme cold weather gear, brought to them by the evil oil empire.
Seriously though, what the hell do they expect to “investigate”?? It’s cold and there’s ice. Done. None of them are qualified to “investigate” anything except the inside of a rubber room.
Artists should always team up with scientists and other experts. Not a kumbayah moment or anything but that’s always my stand. They are not going there on their own, I believe. At least they are walking the walk not just talk. These aren’t your regular annoying celebrity good-doers or do-gooders with an image to propel, like Sharon Stone.
Wait a minute, Ryuichi Sakamoto ??? I just saw Furyo a while back and he was in that movie with Bowie (dunno who he was but his name was on the credits). Cool! I thought he was like dead or anything, coz that film is so old. Now, that makes me want to check out their voyage.
Hey folks, its simple really –
They go up there, see some harp seals and polar bear cubs and write songs about the poor threatened animals due to CO2 production. They do it as a benefit album complete with high power pics and maybe a special case. Charge a mint for it – you know, to save the animals. Our kids buy it and make it a best seller. The grammies trip all over themselves to give these artists an award for bring the truth about gorbal um global warming to the masses and it’s all over prime time TV. Your teen turns to you and says “Thanks for screwing up the world for me pops.” You have a stroke and go to the hospital.
Simple really….
Mike
I would be fascinated to hear Ted Nugent’s take on all this.
I am always very annoyed when the spin doctors trundle out a bunch of ‘stars’ to support whatever it is that they are promoting at the time.
It happens in politics endlessly and every campaign to save some cuddly little (or big) creature, or some swamp or river valley or whatever has its own bunch of ‘star’ promotors.
Of course they can do whatever they like and they are entitled to be heard as much and however they like.
But what makes the opinion of a warbler or string plucker or actor or …( whatever) any better than Joe Blow’s opinion on any subject?
Do people really listen to them? Does it change the way they vote? Are ordinary people really that silly?
I hope not! But I’m also afraid that the spin doctors wouldn’t trot them out unless people really did listen to them and form their own opinions accordingly.