Paris Hilton and the End of the World
Britney Spears is a great artist. Paris Hilton is very talented.
It seems the yawning gulf between perception and reality has never been greater.
Truer still for how the public perceives climate science. A new poll shows that 41% of Americans now believe concerns around global warming are exaggerated -the highest level of skepticism in over a decade.
This is a shocking figure given the latest scientific findings being reveled, even as we speak, at a gathering of 2,500 of the world’s leading researchers on climate change.
This chasm of opinion between the scientific community and the public shows how criminally irresponsible many in the mainstream media have been about portraying climate science, and how effective the misinformation campaign by the fossil fuel lobby has been in deceiving the average American.
Does public opinion even matter? In a voting (and shopping) society like ours, it is about the hottest commodity going. Right or wrong, any politician goes against it at their peril.
Perhaps Mark Twain said it best: “Its name is public opinion. It is held in reverence. It settles everything. Some think it is the voice of God.”
This ancient principle is not lost on the industries of the world. The Union of Concerned Scientists showed how ExxonMobil “funneled nearly $16 million between 1998 and 2005 to a network of 43 advocacy organizations that seek to confuse the public on global warming science”.
One of those groups was the Heartland Institute that just wrapped up their climate deniers conference in New York. Likewise, the coal industry last year shoveled $45 million on a PR campaign to promote the baseless idea of “clean coal”.
But shouldn’t companies be able to spend their advertising dollars any way they want?
Think of it this way: ordinary citizens rightly resent how massive lobbying efforts in Washington undermine democracy. The only difference between PR campaigns and Capitol Hill lobbying is that the person being lobbied is you.
Do these tactics work? Of course. Exxon did not become the largest corporation on Earth by making decisions that were not in their best interest. And they are certainly not going to part with their hard-earned money unless there is something in it for them.
Consider the recent media coverage of the climate conference in Denmark where 2,500 of the leading researchers on global warming are basically describing how the world is going to end. One would think that would be worthy of a bit of media ink.
Instead papers like the National Post chose to send their reporters to the climate deniers costume ball in New York.
So who was the winner in this latest skirmish for public opinion? As always, the answer is revealed by Google.
A quick internet search shows the real climate conference in Denmark generated 989 news stories. The deniers conference garnered about 112 stories. So truth won, right? Not quite.
The goal of a PR campaign like the one being waged by Big Oil is never to win the debate, just to keep it going. The now infamous 1969 memo by the PR firm Brown and Williamson to their tobacco client perhaps said it best:
“Doubt is our product, since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' [linking smoking with disease] that exists in the mind of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy.”
The enormous time and effort that went into the climate conference in Denmark, as well as all the underlying research, is useless unless it creates political action. The likelihood of that is severely undermined when newspaper editors decide to give equal or comparable coverage to industry-funded hacks saying there is really nothing to worry about.
While the world’s scientists continue to try in their own pedantic way to communicate the latest findings with ever-greater urgency, the forces of dumb are carrying the day.
What is at stake in this war for your mind is nothing less than the fate of the planet. If we are to make the radical shift in our economy that scientists warn we must (and fast), it is imperative that public opinion be onside. Without it, we fail.
Vested interests that would loose big if the world became a greener place know that very well. They are apparently succeeding in confusing the public about climate science - even as that science becomes more compelling, urgent, and terrifying by the day.
The vehicle for this heinous campaign of misinformation is of course the media itself. Mark Twain had some thoughts on that subject as well:
“That awful power, the public opinion of a nation, is created in America by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditch digging and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse.”
By the way, CanWest stock is now trading at 31 cents.
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The trouble with the truth is that it is immutable. Al Gore was right, the truth really is inconvenient, it is neither malleable, nor able to be reinterpreted.
Facts are expensive and take time to discover.
Whereas lies are capable of being tweaked and tailored for any audience and to meet any desired result. And if there isn't a lie suitable for your purposes, you can easily invent a new one!
So as Pat Michaels demonstrated when he testified on July 27, 1998 before the House Committee on Small Business about Hanson's forecasts: Lies really are better than the truth!
If Pat Michaels had been restricted to telling the truth, he would have had to admit that Hansen was right! And that would have been most inconvenient to him and his paymasters! They might even have stopped paying him! So instead, he revealed his artistic side and just invented a new version of the truth! And his audience were bamboozled by his mendacious science-fiction.
Pat Michaels: "fraud, pure and simple"
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2006/06/pat_michaels_fraud_pure_and_si.php
Paul Krugman on James Hansen
http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2006/05/paul_krugman_on_1.html
They’ve only been dating for a short time, but Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt seem to be very eager to take the next step in their relationship.
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What's up with the reference to Paris Hilton? :)
The 41% skepticism figure isn't too good, but I won't worry too much about it. Most likely many of the newer skeptics are people who heard too many Al Gore jokes, and don't really care too much about climate regulation one way or another... and they can probably be reached.
Meanwhile, the number of people who actively oppose climate regulation seems to have stagnated. The inactivist lobby still needs to rely on its apparatus of mindless link propagation websites, Washington chattering heads, and Rush Limbaugh sock operatives to create the illusion of widespread dissent.
A Gallup poll that asks, "Do you think James Hansen should be fired? (Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree)" should make this clear.
-- bi
Not sure exactly what talent she has but maybe that's the point of the post. Seemingly unrelated things bring relevance. Remember the old idiom "perception is reality" and that really is the point. Because there is big bucks involved from those that are on the wrong end of the discussion, we can see the disinformation crew is getting results.
Perhaps this attitude to Global Warming is down to the fruitcake ex-President Bush - perhaps his influence will live on to taunt the US.
Wake up!
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Aside from the Govt and the Big Companies covering the facts we also have the Media to blame by not exposing the truth to the people.
What garbage. The mainstream media is so in synch with the AGW lobby it is not funny. Virtually no skeptic can get a word in because the media will not brink any dissent against the polemic of global warming.
Wrong.
-- bi
Steckis, don't inflate your ego any more than it is already. You and your ilk are DENIERS not skeptics. I also like the word "septics" as is used by some commentators to describe liars like you.
You are a disgrace to the scientific community.
Ian,
I would take your comments on board if I had a sense of them having any usefulness in this debate. They do not.
Bollocks.
There is no "this debate". Except in the sense that one side (the climate scientists) is doing science, and the other side (the 'skeptical' gullibles) is just making noise.
And no, the noise-makers aren't being suppressed, although they keep making a lot of noise about how they're being suppressed.
-- bi
Steckis,
Have you been abducted by aliens and PROBED?
You certainly show signs of being a classic whack job!
The hotel heiress is so smitten with ‘The Hills’ star Doug Reinhardt that she can’t bear to be apart from him so he accompanies her wherever she goes.
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My take is that people like P.H. manage to 1) dupe people that they are worthy of any attention - although they are not; and 2) draw people's attention away from the real issues and into a phoney make-believe world.
That aside, I agree that the turkey called Bush with his disbelief in facts (maybe he'd rather read Genesis to get a clue of how things work in the 21st century) -- has surely done harm in this matter. However, the People DID after all vote for Obama, who seems to have been already well known to take a diametrically different view of the global warming than Bush. Which I think is hopeful.
Obama makes a strong statement in his inaugural address about renewable energy, and this was really music to my eyes (I read a printed version).
Paris Hilton has a name but what costs. If I were looking for a spokesperson it certainly wouldn't be her. She is laughable and has no credibility. It's ashame the American public is looking in the wrong direction, but in time they will realize where the truth lies. Lets hope it's just not to late.
Best to all and learn how to make money on the internet and begin enjoying life.
Paris Hilton herself has become a BRAND of celebrity. Is it all her father efforts?
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So Paris Hilton attended a Beverly Hills event Monday night, but it wasn’t the opening of a tony boutique. Oh no, nothing so shallow for Paris. Ms. Hilton showed up at the Beverly Hills Hilton to honor the First Ladies of Africa.
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Britney Spears' hotel demands for her upcoming London residency have reportedly been leaked to the media.
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Paris Hilton is on the defensive now that a lawsuit has been filed against her claiming she didn’t do enough to promote her movie, “Pledge This!” Worldwide Entertainment Group, the production company that filed the suit and actually thinks more promotion would have helped salvage the D-list flick’s DVD sales, is seeking $8.3 million in damages.
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It only took Britney Spears one night of hanging out with Paris Hilton to start running around without her pants.
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The "Toxic" hitmaker parted with $625,000 (417,000 pounds) to pay ex-husband Kevin Federline's lawyers and also handed Federline $178,818 (119,212 pounds) in child support payments for their two children Sean Preston, three, and two-year-old Jayden James.
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Socialite Paris Hilton is in Cannes to promote a documentary on her life, 'Paris Not France'. Hilton flew to the city yesterday to promote a film she once tried to stop being shown, Guardian online reported
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Paris Hilton ain't gonna get an apple pie from her new neighbors ... after one of her late-night parties ended with a vandalism spree on her street.
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The budding friendship between socialites Paris Hilton and Peaches Geldof appeared to be going from strength to strength as they spent another day hanging out together in Cannes last night.
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Both of them having their own ability. I like them at all..
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After starring in 2004 sex tape 1 Night In Paris, you'd expect Paris Hilton to stay away from home videos.
But during her latest night out in Cannes, the hotel heiress shed her inhibitions and put on a sexy show as she was filmed by her latest boyfriend Doug Reinhardt.
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Paris Hilton is most famous for doing nothing and just being pretty, but yet the camera's love her. This site is dedicated to America's Princess
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Your title seems to be like Paris Hilton and Global Warming! Paris Hilton become hoter and hoter and Corncerning Blobal Warming become warm day by day. Now the believers of Global warming become more and more. I think this is the time to take place before it is late.
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Making reduction of climate warming is not just as eating a cheese and growing it. This is a serious problem facing and will be facing. If you and I do not take our weapons we will regret again. Be ready and take action.
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The most climate warming affected countries are Northwestern and northeastern North America, Parts of South America, Northern Europe, Northern Asia, the east coast of Asia, and Southern Australia.
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The city of of the United Arab Emirates, will be the place for an upcoming edition of her reality series "Paris Hilton's My New BFF". I think for this moment, she just ignore the end of the world.
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The difference between truth and lies is one of the distinct traits of our human nature, as we have the ability to lie (as well as other mammals such as monkeys). And we use this ability anything it fits us, hence the truth is nearly impossible to know.
By the way, Paris Hilton has tried many things including poker, but she did not make money. She did not use a pokerstars bonus code, but if she had she would have done better.
People like Paris not so much because a story of truth or lies. Rather not only is she good looking (but there are so many such girls out there). She comes from high class, she is very daring, she has guts, she is enjoyable to be around, she does not get ashamed, she has lots of style, ...
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Paris Hilton seems to have no relation to climate change that everyone is experiencing right now. It is however quite alarming since the change of weather that is occurring is quite unusual. Credit Card Quick.Com
I just wanted to say that I just hope we can all come to a reasonable and correct agreement on climate change (and soon). We all need to work together if we are to save this planet and the poeple who live on it. John, UK - Eco Products
What next from Paris Hilton, last week she was all over Ronaldo... Shocking...
Your blogs are not clear to me, what is the relation there between Paris Hilton and global warming? Are you trying to say that Paris Hilton is campaigning people to stop increasing global warming by using eco friendly products? Or something else? Please explain.
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What is the relation there between Paris Hilton and global warming? Are you saying that she is awaring people to stop increasing global warming.
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last time I saw Paris Hilton she seemed like a good girl.
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