In one of the strangest turn of events the world has ever seen, arch-Conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch addressed climate change in a big way. He now wants his entire company to go green. He got himself a hybrid Lexus and is set to turn News Corp. carbon-neutral by 2010. That is an enormous amount of carbon reduction due to the massive size of his empire. It is great news of course, but what led this enemy of change to wake up to the world's reality?
From The UK Independent:
In one of the most unexpected conversions since Saul of Tarsus hit the road to Damascus, Rupert Murdoch is turning into a green campaigner. He is making the whole of his worldwide operations carbon neutral and setting out to "educate and engage" his readers and viewers about global warming.
He believes his companies' "global reach" presents "an unprecedented opportunity to raise awareness and to stimulate action around the world". A former sceptic who confesses to having been "somewhat wary of the warming debate", he laid on his first global webcast for all his employees on Wednesday to tell them that he was "changing the DNA of our business". He added that he had started with himself, buying a hybrid car.
Mr Murdoch's conversion, which may surprise employees like Jeremy Clarkson, was heavily influenced by his son James - who took BSkyB carbon neutral a year ago this week - as well as by Tony Blair and former US vice-president Al Gore. All three attended his annual meeting for senior executives in Pebble Beach, California, last year where he was convinced to take the lead on the issue.
Well if this is the new thing to do for media moguls, I am all for it. Murdoch is planning an array of solutions that help lessen the impact that News Corp. has on the environment. Everything from using recycled paper for books to producing TV programs that advocate a new way for society to combat the problem. The one thing that will be amusing to watch (if this really isn't just a dream) is the conversion of all Fox's conservative "journalists" going from spinning for neo-cons about the fate of the planet to speaking actual, dare I say it, truth.
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