How to react to celebrities speaking out about global warming?

[Ottawa Mike]

Our (Canadians) very own Neil Young recently got national news coverage for his tour to promote awareness about global warming, native rights and the Alberta oil sands. And by awareness I mean complete opposition and a funding drive to launch a lawsuit against the oil sands with David Suzuki at his side.

However, this national coverage also brought to light comments he made a few months ago about the oil sands town of Fort McMurray, Alberta:

“The fact is, Fort McMurray looks like Hiroshima. Fort McMurray is a wasteland. The Indians up there and the native peoples are dying. The fuels all over – the fumes everywhere – you can smell it when you get to town. The closest place to Fort McMurray that is doing the tar sands work is 25 or 30 miles out of town and you can taste it when you get to Fort McMurray. People are sick. People are dying of cancer because of this. All the First Nations people up there are threatened by this.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on...e14213233/

Well the residents of Fort McMurray, if they weren't aware of his rant back in September are certainly aware of it now. And they have lashed out in several places like Twitter using the hashtag #myhiroshima: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23myhiroshima&src=tyah

And there are plenty of news articles in a similar vein to this: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/18/...reloaded=1

There are quite a few ways I could go with this question and I expect comments regardless of what I ask. But I am truly curious about this:

When a young environmentalist who has either gone to see Neil Young (and David Suzuki) at a concert and maybe contributes a few bucks but then finds out what the residents of Fort McMurray have to say, what goes through his/her mind? Do they just block out the Hiroshima reference and stick with the "oil sands are bad" meme? Do they consider what else Young (and Suzuki) might be exaggerating or even lying about?

Do celebrity rants like this actually change anybody's mind or just reinforce the already committed?
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Here is the recent national news coverage: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ne...-1.2502895

"Keep on rockin' in the dumb world,"
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Another common celebrity eco-activist theme:

"While Neil Young spoke to a Calgary news conference at the Jack Singer Concert Hall prior to his Sunday night show, five rock star-style motorhomes were left running outside, spewing fumes into the Calgary air, even though they were mostly unoccupied." http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainme...story.html
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@JeffM: Well, I am certainly concerned about people's health whether it's oil sands or wind farms. Like here: http://rt.com/usa/cape-cod-wind-turbine-syndrome-560/

A responsible rant would be a concern for health listing both oil sands production and wind farm operations as examples.

An irresponsible rant would be cherry picking oil sands and throwing in a "Hiroshima" reference while leaving five luxury buses idling while you do it. Do you see the difference?

[MAXX]

This Teddy Bear knows a whole lot more about climate science than Neil Young does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq4Bc2WCsdE

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[Gn Lee]

He must of got a kick back to promote a HOAX

[Fg56Jker34]

Don't support them in any way. Don't go to their movies. Communicate to any sponsors that may be indirectly supporting them.
That's all you can really do.

[rio]

Personally I can't find fault with promoting awareness. Suzuki however does have a vested interest. That's if his carbon management fund/firm is still functional.

[Mike]

David Suzuki announced that he thinks environmentalism has failed. People should declare that they wish to pay $10 a gallon for gas. Then there is the wasteland where they produce Prius batteries.

[Jim Z]

Well I hope Neil Young will remember, a southern man don't need him around anyhow and I wouldn't mind if he stayed north of the border. I'll still listen to his songs even if he does have a weird voice. It is pretty obvious, listening to his
"Keep on rockin' in the free world. We got a thousand points of light. For the homeless man. We got a kinder, gentler, Machine gun hand."
that he is an ultra lib. I don't care too much for Daddy Bush who is whom Neil is denigrating because he is one of those moderates (as are all Bushes) but Neil Young is way out there in left field. Canada in general is way to the left of the US in general IMO except maybe some of the bigger cities such as NY or LA.


There is something about being a celebrity that makes many of them think they are experts on things they clearly know nothing about. I ignore them. I recognize that they believe, like most alarmists, because they are left wing wackos who believe whatever they are spoon fed by the media.

Edit. Jeff links to a sensationalized article that is more about trial lawyers circling a carcass than it is about science but scientific objectivity never seemed to be one of his priorities.

[Jeff M]

yeah. I mean why be concerned about the oil sands when peoples health may be at stake right?

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/health/So...story.html

Edit: I am, of course, concerned with peoples health regardless of cause as I am sure anyone is. My point is, don't try and play this off as a sham or non-existent. Personally, I don't care what Neil Young says or does. If he supports this then more power to him. Of course toxic fumes from oil sands production is not exactly the same as people claiming they are having headaches due to air disturbances are they? Regardless, I do think both health problems should be addressed and rectified. Whether that mean more control for oil production or finding someway to decrease air disturbance.

JimZ: Yes, it is well known in here that you are an 'oil geologist' and have taken almost every argument the oil industry puts forward as your own. Take abiotic oil for example. And it seems that anything left of extreme right is sensationalized in your eyes.

[Sagebrush]

Laura Ingraham wrote a very good book on this subject, JUST SHUT UP AND SING.

These elites are the 'Do as I say, not as I do.' crowd. Their 'actions speak louder than words' and these actions just prove it.

[Chem Flunky]

I think anyone with sense realizes that celebrities aren't truly authoritative sources on any scientific matter, by and large. If you want to know what's going on in the real world, particularly with a potentially complicated issue like the environment, you really need to talk to actual scientists, not singers, politicians, talk radio hosts, or the like.

Sadly, not all people have sense. Some people will hear some flaw in a celeb's explanation of (or response to) some environmental phenomenon, realize it's incorrect, and assume the celeb in question was lying or wrong about all of it. Others will assume that the celeb is right and reality is wrong, if the two disagree. Only sensible people will treat a celeb's word as... interesting, but inconclusive in and of itself.