Coca-Cola.
The soft drink giant joins other businesses and governments worldwide who are dealing with the economic impacts of climate change on water supplies, other raw materials and their bottom lines, reports The New York Times:
“Increased droughts, more unpredictable variability, 100-year floods every two years,” said Jeffrey Seabright, Coke’s vice president for environment and water resources, listing the problems that he said were also disrupting the company’s supply of sugar cane and sugar beets, as well as citrus for its fruit juices. “When we look at our most essential ingredients, we see those events as threats.”
Now I don't have any conflict-of-interest here. I don't own any Coca-Cola stock (and I haven't read the fine print of my mutual funds to know if they do), and, though you may not believe it, I have never drunk one down - - so I'm in no way touting something I hold dear or trolling for a case of samples from the manufacturer through this posting.
Have I had sips to please a doubting friend here and there?
Yes, but never more than a taste that always confirms my question: "How can you drink that?"
No offense meant.
Why the avoidance, besides disliking the taste?
Why the avoidance, besides disliking the taste?
As a boy I watched the older kids in my neighborhood clean the rust off their bikes' handlebars with Coke on a cloth, and I resolved right then and there never to drink the stuff.
(Nor a Pepsi either, or just about any other carbonated beverage, if you must know, so I'm not carrying water for any drink or supplier except what the Milwaukee Water Works sends through my residential spigot.)
But if a business as big, mainstream and ubiquitous worldwide as Coca-Cola understands that climate change is real and happening and isn't the figment of professorial grant-writers or liberal imaginations, what are the rest of you/us waiting for to tell the deniers to get educated and stop spreading misinformation?
And by the way: there is far, far more up-to-date information about climate change on the corporate Coca-Cola corporate web pages than there is, for example, on the Wisconsin DNR's web page titled "Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts.
That page hasn't been updated since June, 18, 2012, and its sole link takes you principally to a 2011 report.
Also among other businesses (Bayer, Nestle, the company that owned Guinness) already taking note of climate change and trying to minimize it impact - - and also educating the general public and policy-makers: The insurance industry - - as it has to make the payouts after storms, in all seasons, that are accelerating in scope and severity.
Payouts that are being processed right now in California, where the summer fire season began in January this year and where more Western US drought continues unabated.
As Coke's 1922 advertising jingle put it back then: "Thirst Knows No Season."
Cross-posted at Purple Wisconsin.
Have you ever used something made by Dow Chemical?
ReplyDeleteDeny global warming or climate change?
ReplyDeleteThe debate is predicated on whether either is man made, or not? Right?
I personally believe climate change happens, continuously.
It can and will affect man's habitation on this planet.
However, if you consider the ice age, medieval warming period, or the little ice age, as man made or man influenced you might win me over if you can prove either of those climate change periods had an impact on global climate change caused by human activity.
I see no leadership from the supporters of climate change doing a fireside chat with the nation. Good thing though. Burning natural gas is less harmful to the environment that burning logs. True supporters should turn their furnace off and grab more blankets.
If you think it is getting cold outside right now, Scott Walker wants you to know Wisconsin had the best weather in the country for two days in a row back in July of 2012.
ReplyDeleteThe debate is predicated on whether either is man made, or not? Right?
ReplyDeleteNo.
There's no debate among knowledgeable people.
Anthropogenic global climate change is real, and it is accelerating. Your personal beliefs have nothing to do with it.
if you consider the ice age, medieval warming period, or the little ice age, as man made or man influenced you might win me over if you can prove either of those climate change periods had an impact on global climate change caused by human activity.
This is, frankly, one of the stupidest arguments against AGW ever. All of those periods, man-made impacts on the environment were miniscule compared to the last 100 years.
Your beliefs on this have absolutely no impact on the actual science.
The saddest part is that this kind of argument is what passes for wonkery on this issue within the halls of Congress, particularly amongst Republican Modern Know-Nothings.
Burning natural gas is less harmful to the environment that burning logs.
ReplyDeleteLies and obfuscation. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. The only way this is true is if you ignore the impacts to the environment of the increasingly destructive methods of liberating natural gas from the ground.
Of course, you have set up a false dichotomy in service of your obeisance to the fossil fuel industry, and it is always curious why Internet Nonnies are so committed to sucking the knobs of the extraction industry, who don't care if your tap water kills you? Is it just because youhave such an inculcated knee jerk, anti-hippie response to anything that smacks of environmental concern?
You do realize that Nixon is dead, don't you?
You're a loon.
"You're a loon."
ReplyDeleteThe problem with hypocrites is they never 'do', they 'say' and preach to everyone else while living the same lifestyle of human comfort.
"Of course, you have set up a false dichotomy in service of your obeisance to the fossil fuel industry,"
You write this in sub-zero weather in the comfort of your warm home and gladly pay the bill to the industry you so greatly despise.
Nice.
Where the heck is global warming when you want it?
BTW -
ReplyDeleteJ/S online is reporting that even your hero is stopping in Waukesha to laud and praise the manufacturer of natural gas engines for the natural gas industry which has explosive growth thanks to the fracking industry. So the your guy evidently has changed his position in favor of "------- --- ----- of the extraction industry?
Irony here is that he's following in the very footsteps of Governor Walker where GE has a seat on a state economic growth committee.
I'm glad he supports Scott Walker's economic development plans and is here to tout success!
Where the heck is global warming when you want it?
ReplyDeleteTalk to Australia, you anonymous loon.
Bored now.
natural gas industry which has explosive growth
ReplyDeleteespecially explosive is the tainted water supply.
Not that logic and data ever has any impact on the "It's cold out now, so glabal warming hurr durr" crowd, but two clear and cogent explanations; one of the gradual change of averages, and one on the physics of AGW creating the polar vortex.
ReplyDeletehttp://xkcd.com/1321/
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2014/01/27/weather-and-climate-2/