Global Warming: The Rich Opt Out

[donsu]

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071210/howl


Noted with interest: the very rich people are indifferent to climate change, global warming and the exhaustion of natural resources. Kyoto? What's that? The new report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change? Never heard of it. The upcoming meeting of the world's energy ministers in Bali? Makes no difference to me. Where's my private jet?

The rich have decided to opt out of global warming and its effects. That's for the little people, as the following from the Wall Street Journal illustrates:

The American Southeast has been suffering from one of its worst droughts in years. But you wouldn't know it from looking at the emerald-green estates of Palm Beach.

 There, despite water restrictions and low reservoirs, lush lawns and verdant hedges line the Florida island's biggest mansions, awaiting the start of the annual winter "season" after Thanksgiving.

  Consider Nelson Peltz. The investor and food magnate's oceanfront estate, called Montsorrel, is among the island's biggest water consumers. His 13.8-acre spread, which combines two properties, used not quite 21 million gallons of water over the past 12 months--or about 57,000 gallons a day on average--at a cost of more than $50,000, according to records obtained from the local water utility.
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maybe the next cat. 5 will hit Palm Beach (the owners won't stay for the storm but their property will.)

[aquart]

1. Even a mansion can be destroyed by a cat 5.

Let's see what they say then.

[JCMach1]

2. Dude, they don't care... the land is what's valuable in Palm Beach

A friend of my dad's was doing electrical contracting there... They tore down a 5 million dollar home and built a 20million dollar home.

:(

Waste is how they operate...

[MadHound]

3. 57,000 gallons A DAY? I mean really now, what the fuck is he doing?

Turning on every single tap in the house and leaving them open all day? How does one use that amount of water in one day?

I have an orchard that I water during these dry summers. But I also do drip irrigation, use mulch, all that fine stuff and I don't use that much water in a year, much less a day.