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August 08, 2006
Bolt out of the blue for the environment
Don't be surprised if we see a spectacular ideological pirouette from Andrew Bolt, that expert climatologist who has so frequently proclaimed in the public prints that global warming is a scare campaign promulgated by Green "dimwits" trying to interfere with humanity's right to enjoy and profit from a boundlessly generous planet. Only a couple of weeks ago, the dimwits were making him see red yet again, and making him feel thirsty.
Alas for Herr Professor Doktor Bolt, one of those dimwits is the boss's son. According to The Independent, James Murdoch has made his particular branch of the News Empire - Sky - "carbon neutral" by directing it to switch to renewable energy sources and cut back on air travel and electricity. He's been rewarding staff who switch to bicycles, buy green "hybrid" cars and install low-energy bulbs at home.
Ten days ago, he persuaded his father to screen Al Gore's acclaimed film on climate change to News Corporation executives at their annual summit in Pebble Beach, California. Sources present say the environment was a key topic, and its impact was very quickly felt throughout the Murdoch empire. Last week, The Sun newspaper announced its conversion to the green cause with two dramatic pieces warning about climate change. On Friday, the paper's 8.5 million readers were urged to watch Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, which one writer branded "more hair-raising than any Hollywood horror".It's a particularly inconvenient truth for Bolt. Not only does he have the problem of managing a career-saving epiphany, he's going to find it a real stretch to replace the environmental loony template that's helped him churn out so many of those repetitive "Me Clever, Them Stupid" pieces. And on top of that, he's going to have to learn to ride the company bicycle.
Posted by cw at August 8, 2006 06:35 PM
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Comments
Bolt's Nuts!
Posted by: Robert Ashman at August 9, 2006 02:13 AM
Very succinct, Robert.
Damn you, cw!!!!!. Just as I'd ceased paying any attention to Dolt's self-righteous, poorly researched, selectively quoted, divisive, long-winded [phew!] diatribe, you reacquaint me with him.
Quite enjoyed him being taken apart in this though:
http://timlambert.org/2005/11/bolt-4/
Posted by: extulit at August 9, 2006 12:07 PM
I kinda liked him Bolting on about Climate Change and putting together summaries of PR by polluters plublicists and from academics marginal to the debate. In particular I think of it as having a good affect on his credibility with regard to his other hard right mantras.
However it will be interesting to see if his now apparent dissent continues to be tolerated in the Pravda like institution of the Herald Sun. My guess is he will remain perfectly safe unless Murdoch's weekly missive to his editors (it's not called Thoughts of Chairman Rupert but it might as well be) makes a point that the line is being changed on climate change. Then I would expect his columns on this topic to perhaps fade away. But I think he is too loyal a servant to be banished completely.
Posted by: tflip at August 9, 2006 05:18 PM
"An Inconvenient Truth" was shown at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It's likely to get a release in the mainstream cinemas. When it does, it's a must-see film.
Posted by: Paul at August 9, 2006 08:12 PM
I didn't know anything about this! It's fantastic! And thanks for writing it up.
Posted by: Lawrence Martin at August 12, 2006 09:56 AM