From The Providence Journal:
Not everyone agrees with Friedman’s vision that innovation is the path to climate and energy salvation. Just seconds into his speech, he was interrupted by two environmental activists, who stormed the stage shortly after Friedman stepped up to the microphone, tossing two paper plates loaded with shamrock-colored whipped cream at him.
Friedman ducked, and was left with only minor streams of the sugary green goo on his black pants and turtleneck.
He stood in bewilderment and mild disgust as the young man and woman bolted from the stage and out the side door, throwing a handful of fliers into the air to relay the message they apparently were not going to deliver personally.
“Thomas Friedman deserves a pie in the face…,” the flier said, “because of his sickeningly cheery applaud for free market capitalism’s conquest of the planet, for telling the world that the free market and techno fixes can save us from climate change. From carbon trading to biofuels, these distractions are dangerous in and of themselves, while encouraging inaction with respect to the true problems at hand…”
Well he saved himself from being hit in the face, but perhaps he wanted a different flavor of pie. What people who oppose him want is something better for our world. The Earth is not flat and it does not deserve to be spit upon over and over again by corporations that only care about their bottom line and environmentalism is an adventure is tokenism.
The protesters may have only grazed their target, but the real fight has to be waged with the corporations and not the mere messengers.
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