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Branson made green pledge under pressure from Gore, Turner
Yahoo News ^ | Sept. 24, 2006 | Yahoo News

Posted on 09/24/2006 4:10:08 PM PDT by melt

LONDON (AFP) - British businessman Richard Branson made a multi-billion-dollar pledge to fight global warming under pressure from US media mogul Ted Turner and former vice-president Al Gore, he has said in a newspaper interview.

He told the Independent on Sunday that global warming was approaching "a tipping point" and Turner and Gore had convinced him it was time to act.

"We just have to hope that it has not come already," he said.

"We have to try to do something about it. One way is to try to come up with a clean alternative fuel or fuels."

Branson said that following the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in the United States last year he thought that fuel prices had soared because of a shortage of oil-refining capacity.

"I started to build an oil refinery, but then Ted Turner rang me up and asked: 'Why not build a refinery for clean rather than dirty fuel?'

"He invited me to fly to Washington to meet experts," Branson told the paper.

Branson said Gore told him to "do something big to kick-start the process."

The founder of the Virgin Group of companies last week announced his commitment to spend three billion dollars (2.3 billion euros) on reversing global warming.

Virgin Group is to invest all future profits from airline and train businesses in reweable energy initiatives.

The entrepreneur has denied this is one of the public relations stunts for which he is famed, saying: "If it's good for marketing, that's fine, but it's not my principal reason for doing it."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: branson
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Why not? He's got all that money to burn...

1 posted on 09/24/2006 4:10:10 PM PDT by melt
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To: melt

Branson is a left winged moonbat, and the last thing he'd be doing is caving to Gore and Turner. He told Cavuto his inspiration for the generous donation was Gore's movie.


2 posted on 09/24/2006 4:13:07 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Karl Rove you magnificent bastard!)
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To: melt

It'll be a snowy day in July before I buy anything from a company named "Virgin".


3 posted on 09/24/2006 4:15:45 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative ("An empty limousine pulled up and Hillary Clinton got out")
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To: melt

But didn't I hear Branson would keep the money "in the family" of Branson businesses?


4 posted on 09/24/2006 4:16:28 PM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: melt

A fool and his money are soon parted.


5 posted on 09/24/2006 4:17:02 PM PDT by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

Try to imagine the GOOD 3 billion would do were it devoted to building and staffing fine private schools where all children who wish to learn could flourish, free from ugly influences of ghetto life, parental disinterest, and interferences of left wing government regulations.


6 posted on 09/24/2006 4:21:10 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: melt
His empire was built on Tubular Bells and Culture Club. Let him burn his money on frivolous causes.
7 posted on 09/24/2006 4:21:25 PM PDT by operation clinton cleanup
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To: beethovenfan

A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place.

It is an immoral act to let a sucker keep his money.


8 posted on 09/24/2006 4:21:47 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: melt
   

"Pay up, sucker.   Hillary has your FBI file."

9 posted on 09/24/2006 4:25:34 PM PDT by Libertarian444
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To: melt
Virgin Group is to invest all future profits from airline and train businesses in reweable energy initiatives

A point, no doubt, of great interest to the shareholders. - Who would be his employers.

10 posted on 09/24/2006 4:27:24 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: melt

That picture is the epitome of evil. Clinton's look says Peon, you have money, but I have power, and you know it.


11 posted on 09/24/2006 4:30:53 PM PDT by billhilly (DU Funnies pingee # 911)
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To: bill1952

Remember Ted Turner's pledge to the UN? That went south really fast. Ha. I think this one will too.

If he cared about global warming, he would slow down the flatulence from Gore and Clinton.

Gore must be laughing at the Clinton meltdown on Fox.


12 posted on 09/24/2006 4:31:28 PM PDT by sine_nomine (American is a great country: 20 million illegals can't be wrong. So build that wall, Mr. Bush.)
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To: onyx
Try to imagine the GOOD 3 billion would do were it devoted to building and staffing fine private schools where all children who wish to learn could flourish, free from ugly influences of ghetto life, parental disinterest, and interferences of left wing government regulations.

Put it in the context of it actually doing some good in a urban areas like New Orleans or New York City or even Washington, DC. There was a school in Washington, DC that Anderson Cooper toured. The bathroom was "roped off" as a danger area. The cameraman, Cooper and the superintendent went in the bathroom, the lights didn't work, and the ceiling was coming down in chunks, and the only light in that bathroom was a big hole in the ceiling.

13 posted on 09/24/2006 4:33:36 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Karl Rove you magnificent bastard!)
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To: melt
I started to build an oil refinery, but then Ted Turner rang me up and asked: 'Why not build a refinery for clean rather than dirty fuel?'

It would be hard to overestimate the ignorance embodied in this remark, which seems to be an extension of the "CO2 is pollution" rhetoric: If CO2 is pollution and pollution is dirt, then all we have to do is make clean fuel.

Obviously, these are a bunch of guys that are used to getting their way, but if you can't fool Mother Nature, much less can you bully Father Thermodynamics.

14 posted on 09/24/2006 4:36:21 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: melt

A fool and his money are soon separated.


15 posted on 09/24/2006 4:36:24 PM PDT by My2Cents (A pirate's life for me.)
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To: melt

I think they left out the part where Branson will actually MAKE MONEY on this INVESTEMENT (which is NOT a charitable contribution!). Even Ted Turner admitted it...



Ted Turner on Letterman saying that it was an investment NOT charity, and he will make money.


16 posted on 09/24/2006 4:37:52 PM PDT by kcvl
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To: BigSkyFreeper


I mean private schools where children can room and board tuition free. Separate and apart from parental disinterest, neglect and negative neighborhood influences.


17 posted on 09/24/2006 4:37:56 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: onyx

Ah, yes. I agree.


18 posted on 09/24/2006 4:40:25 PM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Karl Rove you magnificent bastard!)
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To: BigSkyFreeper

What a waste this 3 billion is on global whatever.


19 posted on 09/24/2006 4:41:35 PM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: Libertarian444
"Pay up, sucker. Hillary has your FBI file."

Good point. There is definite Clinton "muscle" behind his butt...

20 posted on 09/24/2006 4:42:08 PM PDT by melt (Someday, they'll wish their Jihad... Jihadn't.)
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