January 14, 2006
QUIT THE GROUP INSTEAD:
Globetrotter Palin brought down to earth by eco-lobby (Ben Webster, 1/14/06, Times of London)
MICHAEL PALIN is facing moves to oust him as president of a leading environmental group because of his passion for long-distance air travel.The Times has learnt that senior members of Transport 2000, which campaigns for sustainable travel and against growth in flights, believe that Palin sets a poor example.
He has flown more than a quarter of a million miles in the past 17 years while making his six TV series, which began in 1988 with his attempt to retrace the fictional footsteps of Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days. He has travelled across every continent, visited both poles and, most recently, climbed the Himalayas.
On screen he is seen riding dog sleds, camels, elephants and hot-air balloons. But few viewers will have realised how many air miles he clocked up making the programmes.
As Michael Crichton says in State of Fear: the only thging worse than a limousine liberal is a Gulfstream environmentalist. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 14, 2006 12:04 AM
If he wants to make ammends with the group, he can team up with fellow Brit thespian Emma Thompson, who believes "We should all not be flying any more because of global warming". And that flying is bad for Gaia.
Her six-year-old daughter Gaia, that is.
Posted by: Ed Driscoll at January 14, 2006 3:13 AMSeveral of the Python alumni have either found farce or unintentionally created it themselves since taking out on their own over the past 30 years. Too bad they don't have time to get back together and do some skits about it.
Posted by: John at January 14, 2006 9:16 AMThre are few things more amusing or satisfying than to see the Religious Left turning on their own for being insufficiently pious,or for publically flauting the tenents of the faith.
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at January 14, 2006 1:54 PM