Charlton Heston Had A Chill Attitude On Global Warming

9
by Michael dEstries April 7, 2008
Categories: Entertainment
Tags: .

Legendary actor Charlton Heston’s passing yesterday brought with it many stories and recollections from media around the globe. It also brought some interesting email into my Inbox — like this audio recording featuring Heston reading an article on the subject of Global Warming.

The audio was featured on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show. In it, Heston calls the idea that we can destroy the planet a form of “intoxicating vanity”. But he doesn’t specifically state our actions won’t destroy the human race. Heston looks at the big picture — focusing on calamities from Earth’s past and saying how recovery will eventually come — even if it is thousands of years later.

It’s an odd view — on one hand, you kind of accept a fatalist attitude and don’t worry about anything — on the other, you’re completely disregarding the horrible consequences that will befall some generation should the shit truly hit the fan.

Sure, the Earth will be fine someday after a cataclysmic event– but I’d hope as a generally intelligent species that we wouldn’t simply hunch our shoulders and accept the environmental degradation that might one day be our ruin.

Check out the audio below.


Categories: Entertainment
Tags: .

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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  • MAO

    Yeah, I listened to this during my lunch today. Limbaugh played a tape from a Heston call, c.1995, reading not an essay but the opening or pre-amble or whatever to Michael Crichton’s “Jurassic Park”.

    The point: The earth will survive any catacylsm. We, as a species, however wouldn’t be so fortunate.

    (Crichton also asserted as fact that the earth is millions of year old — I wonder how that went down with the Bible literatists who line up on Right and presumably listen to the Limbaugh show).

  • http://lycos.com Chorm

    Like anyone who goes to the trouble to uncover the actual facts, Heston knew that the human contribution to global warming is less than 1%, therefore, humans can do nothing about it.

    The real question is why do you step aside the facts and eagerly join the lemming parade behind those who will spend trillions of tax dollars, make themselves rich and powerful, while being utterly helpless to produce any discernible reduction in global warming?

  • http://www.theclimateparty.org Alex Tinker

    Can we pry a gun from his cold dead hands now?

  • don

    just bury him w/his gun, good riddence.

  • Prof. James Barrante

    Like many people who believe that humans can change the Earth’s climate, it would be nice to get the facts straight. Heston was reading from the introduction to “Jurassic Park.” Those were Michael Crichton’s words, not Charlton Heston’s.

  • http://www.ecorazzi.com michael

    Even though they were Crichton’s words, he still agreed to repeat them.

    I love how skeptics have all these “facts” — from what I’ve read they appear more like theories; many of which have been debunked time and time again.

    And who cares if people get rich? Personally, even if Global Warming doesn’t turn out as bad as they say it will, I still believe the world will be a more sustainable place compared to business as usual. Bring it.

  • Mike

    Don,
    Is that good riddence to the U.S Bill of Rights, the Constitution, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion and the Press, or don’t you think the 2nd amendment is part of that group of rights. If you don’t you’re an idiot and don’t deserve to be protected by any of them.

  • LMCasey

    I love how skeptics have all these “facts” — from what I’ve read they appear more like theories; many of which have been debunked time and time again.

    On the contrary, global warming is just a theory; especially the “manmade” part of it. Let’s see the “model” these people hang all of their predictions on. This model will be like swiss cheese; a lot of wholes. All of this is just speculation. Let someone prove that man is warming the earth. The proof does not exist. The only thing this aversion to CO2 will do is to reduce the quality of life in developed countries.

  • EDJ

    LMCasey has it right. Where is the facts that we should create some fundamental change to our lives that is so drastic. Enviromentalists want to change the world but they offer no solutions as a result of their theory. OK get someone who has your view to fund wind turbines or solar panels. Only then will you see that PETA won’t even let you build those.
    You are advocating the death of society.
    Hope your happy when it all works out.

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