Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix
Albert Park Grand Prix Circus
Someone tell me how as we head deeper into this Century that the Grand Prix is still allowed to exist. I live just around the block from the Melbourne Track and I can hear the engines and see the flyovers of RAAF and Red Bull and Roulette’s aircraft zooming over the yard.
According to a report from F1 corporate, the organization caused about 256,000 tons of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere every season. The report broke down the emissions this way:
45 percent from air, sea, and road transport
27.7 percent of business travel, including hotels impact
7.3 percent from event operations
19.3 percent from facilities and factories
0.7 percent from power unit emissions.
Soccer, American Football, Golf, Cricket, and Tennis all have their footprint to look after and minimize but automobile racing, well, simply the sport itself is a fuck you to the environment.
It proceeds today because the F1 Overlords say they will make it sustainable and they will buy carbon credits to make it all green.
Mostly, it goes ahead because of one word:
CAPITALISM.
The global sports market is worth about 600 billion dollars.
During my decades on the planet, I spent many hours watching and participating in sports. As an elder now, I want to let you know, that participation is much better than watching.
You do know that don’t you?
Are you going to the F1?
Maybe you should ask yourself what your politics are about the environment.
Do you have children?
Maybe you should ask yourself and your children what your family’s politics are about climate change.
If you are a climate change denier, you my kind reader, are a fucking idiot.
Globally, live music touring racks up more emissions in a year than the F1. Do we stop Live Music or just let acts continue to buy carbon credits?
To me, carbon credits are like the act of contrition or prayers you had to do after you confessed your sins to Father Murphy.
They may make you feel good, but you have still sinned.
Let us see what John Oliver has to say about Carbon Offsets.
Some of you may believe it is all too late to do anything.
I am not a nihilist.
There is still hope in my heart and soul and words. But I do know that recycling, driving less, eating less meat, etc. will have an impact.
Will this impact be enough to turn things around?
Probably not.
Big changes are going to have to take place. Long-distance travel on big ol’ jet airliners, decreasing our usage of fossil fuels greatly in everything we do, and ensuring the people who believe what we believe are in power are just some things that need to be done.
We also have to hold all the corporations accountable for their toxic hit to our home.
Now.
People have been talking about how we have raped and pillaged our home for decades now.
Talk is cheap. We only have one Earth. Uninhabitable means we are dead.
We cannot stop everything we do as humans but we do need to take a big pause. I do believe that long-haul international travel, some sports, and other entertainment will need to take a break. We need to pause and see how we can improve how we live and how we treat this planet.
But money talks and nobody walks. Everyone is on a train, plane or automobile.
We do have collective power as global citizens who care for our Earth for our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, etc.
We have become huge consumers of ENTERTAINMENT. We need to re-learn how to entertain ourselves. We need to build a better place before we have nowhere to breathe.
There is no way I will live long enough to go to Mars with Musk or some other pipe dream. These technological goals to solve our problems are just distractions. We, as a human race, need to work together to solve the biggest issue facing us.
Or we can just change the channel, turn on the F1, and shop until we die.
All of this is your choice. If you have children, I hope you think long and hard about your choices. I know mine have not always been perfect but I am doing what I feel I can do and have tried to be as Green as I can.
My overconsumption of concerts and festivals has not been very GREEN. That is probably my biggest sin as a consumer.
We are all part of nature. It is not separate. I hope my great-grandchildren can live on a planet that brings them great joy. I cry for them as I watch what goes on.
We all have a choice.
Let’s try our damn best to choose things that do not impact our environment for a moment of pleasure. Yes, it is hard to re-learn.
But it is better than extinction.
Sat, 23 Mar 2024, 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm is Earth Hour.
Register Below.
