Branson offers $25 mln global warming prize

Reuters UK ^ | Fri Feb 9, 2007 | Jeremy Lovell

[listenhillary]

LONDON (Reuters) - Sir Richard Branson announced on Friday a $25 million prize (12.8 million pounds) for the first person to come up with a way of scrubbing greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere in the battle to beat global warming.

Flanked by climate campaigners former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and British ex-diplomat Crispin Tickell, the airline tycoon said he hoped the prize would spur innovative and creative thought to save mankind from self-destruction.

"Man created the problem and therefore man should solve the problem," Branson told a news conference to reveal the Virgin Earth Challenge.

"Unless we can devise a way of removing CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the earth's atmosphere we will lose half of all species on earth, all the coral reefs, 100 million people will be displaced, farmlands will become deserts and rain forests wastelands."

Branson rejected suggestions that he, as an airline owner, was being hypocritical in announcing the prize.

[camle]

well, they had that big vaccuum cleaner on "sapceballs"...

[rhombus]

"This is the world's first deliberate attempt at planetary engineering,"

Uh huh. Sure. And bringing democracy to Iraq was an over-reach?

[trickyricky]

Up here on my mountain, it's 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
I'm burning "fossil" fuels like crazy.
Anyone who can warm my part of the globe to spare me this expense wont get $25 mil,
but a hearty West Virginia "Thank You!"

[Izzy Dunne]

the first person to come up with a way of scrubbing greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere

I win! I win!

[Thermalseeker]

Hey, Sir Richard, if man created the so-called "Global Warming probem" how's about sending me some warming this morning? It's 17F here on the mountain in SE Tennessee.......

[WestTexasWend]

My first thought was Branson, MO.

My second thought was there's a lot more wisdom in Branson, MO than in Sir Branson's offer.

[darkwing104]

Branson is doing something most libs don't do.

Using his own money.

[ClaireSolt]

If the C02 level is caused by the warming by the sun, then removiong C02 would just create conditions for attracting more CO2.

[Fresh Wind]

Did you ever notice that "Global Warming" and "George Walker" start with the same letters? Coincidence? I think not.

[listenhillary]

[akorahil]

Eh, I am not so sure.
Keep in mind, he has to approve this method, in order for the inventor to be paid...
Methinks he will be keeping his money for QUITE some time.

[akorahil]

Eh, I am not so sure.
Keep in mind, he has to approve this method, in order for the inventor to be paid...
Methinks he will be keeping his money for QUITE some time.

[dforest]

Pretty safe bet. Is he going to donate to God? Maybe Al could just take a deep breath.

[darkwing104]

Give him credit, he's not asking for tax-payer money.

Methinks he will be keeping his money for QUITE some time.

Without a doubt.

[akorahil]

Give him credit, he's not asking for tax-payer money.
Yet.

< /cynic>

[camle]

all we need to do is turn the sun down a few degrees is all. the hard part is finding the thermostat;-)

[beef]

Well, it's his money, and as long as it doesn't involve me living in a mud hut, I'm OK with it. I am interested to see if they come up with anything that is acceptable to enviros. I think not.

[GreenAccord]

Yeah, if we can only get rid of that pesky water vapour [sic], the predominant greenhouse gas.

Space heaters? Those things seem to dry the air out pretty well. Wait, we have the ultimate space heater already. It's called the Sun

[OESY]

HOLD YOUR BREATHE!

.