Can Megayacht Owners Be Environmental
Activists?
December 2 – Auckland, NZ
Last Wednesday,
we ran a story titled, “Can Environmental Activists Own
300-ft Yachts and Private Jets?” The following are some
of the responses we’ve received:
“Anybody – such as OneWorld’s Craig
McCaw and Paul Allen – who owns 300-ft megayachts and large personal
jets, and calls themselves ‘environmentalists’, can only be described
by one word – hypocrite! I’m sure that OneWorld is only associating
with WaterKeeper for the PR. While I was in San Diego a few years
ago getting ready for the ’99 Ha-Ha, an attendant at the fuel
dock pointed out Allen’s motor yacht – which was much smaller
than the one he has now – and told us they had just taken on
10,000 gallons of diesel. About 100 times more than we took on.”
David Cahak, Fremont.
“I think Latitude is wrong
saying that the WaterKeeper Alliance should be ashamed of themselves
for taking money from OneWorld. Environmental organizations should,
and do, take money from everybody. There are several good reasons
for doing so: 1) If they accept the money, then it’s not being
spent in a way that’s damaging to the environment. 2) Money,
like dice, has no memory. So it’s not tainted because of who
it once belonged to. 3) Vilifying the very rich – or anybody
else, for that matter – just makes an enemy. Accepting the donation
offers the chance to open a dialog that might lead to real and
meaningful progress.” John Pettitt, Sausalito.
“I readily agree with Latitude’s
position. OneWorld is as hypocritical as a militant vegetarian
who wears leather shoes. WaterKeeper Alliance’s position is as
defensible as the NAACP accepting donations from pre-apartheid
South Africa. In short, it stinks on both sides of the transaction.”
Kerry Myers, Mill Valley and Walnut Grove
“Excessive consumption and environmentalism
certainly do seem to be incompatible. And what contribution is
OneWorld going to make to WaterKeeper – I’ve yet to see them
luff up in the middle of a race to pick up floating trash. The
hypocrisy appears to run in the family. John McCaw’s ex-wife
Wendy, always referred to as “billionaire environmentalist
and publisher of the Santa Barbara News Press,” recently
lost her legal battle to prevent the public from walking across
her 500 feet of Hope Ranch beach frontage. On the other hand,
it’s a good thing that environmental causes don’t have to depend
solely on the Bush administration for funding and support, or
there simply wouldn’t be any. I say it’s fine for the ultra-rich
to assuage their guilt and reduce their taxes by giving generously
to worthy environmental causes – as long as the rest of us recognize
where they’re really coming from.” Bear Turpin, Santa Barbara.
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