Live Earth Concerts Blow Hot Air

WASHINGTON – "Al Gore's Live Earth concerts on July 7, slated to draw the attention of 2 billion viewers, will be the largest political rally in history, yet they will accomplish nothing but feel-good environmentalism," says Dr. Patrick Michaels, senior fellow in environmental studies at the Cato Institute. "Gore wants concert-goers to sign a pledge calling for industrialized nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide 90% by the year 2050 and for a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.

"There is no politically and technologically acceptable suite of technologies that could reduce US emissions 90% in the next 42 years. But the cost of any attempt, absent the proper technology, will be enormous.

"The legacy of Live Earth will be one of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and decreasing wealth -- wealth that could be saved and used to invest in the technologies of the future, rather than being frittered away in a futile attempt to change the earth's temperature today."