FIFA is the international body that selects the host city for the Football (Soccer, to us) World Cup. Recently they made the decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Soccer is huge in Europe, as are Green mandates and an obsession with global warming among the intellectual class. Nuclear and coal plants are routinely pilloried in the press and there is a large investment in alternative energy as well as the purchase of carbon offsets.
In reviewing the Russian award, from wikipedia:
“The Russian bid proposes 13 host cities and 16 stadiums, thus exceeding FIFA’s minimum requirement. Three of the 16 stadiums would be renovated, and 13 would be newly constructed.”
Let’s think about the vast amounts of resources and construction that will be needed to build these soccer stadiums, especially since they aren’t needed today (they have obviously gotten along fine without them for decades) when there are a multitude of stadiums that already exist that could be used throughout the rest of Europe. All of this construction represents a waste and you’d think that the recycling collectors and global warming zealots would raise a stink about this.
Even worse is the 2022 bid award to Qatar. While Qatar recognizes that these permanent stadiums aren’t needed and plans to donate portions of the five stadiums being built to other countries after the game, the stadiums will be built with some sort of outdoor air-conditioning technology needed in order to bring down the daytime temperature into something that spectators can stand. I can’t imagine how outdoor air-conditioning on this scale can be remotely environmentally friendly, and that additional power generation capacity will be needed in order to meet this need.
It would seem that the best way to conserve resources would be to utilize existing capacity rather than to build new capacity, from scratch. Or maybe that just applies to things less important than soccer.
This serves to illustrate the massive disconnect that has occurred between true environmentalism and “greenism” over the last ten years or so.
Ten years ago I considered myself an “environmentalist” and I don’t think my feelings have changed but I now have virtually nothing in common with the “greens”. I am in favour of common sense measures that reduce humans’ environmental impact while not substantially affecting wealth, quality of life, etc, as is Carl.
The “greens” on the other hand just seem to be interested in being self-righteous.
“Or maybe that just applies to things less important than soccer.”
Except for the fact that this is an empty set, sure!
Being in the air conditioning industry I for one will be interested to see how they cool these stadiums in Quatar. I would imagine they will use some sort of evaporative cooling technology since it is so dry in the desert. I read that the AVERAGE temp that time of year in Qatar is something insane like 96 degrees f. That is a lot of heat to remove – I can’t even imagine the btu load on a stadium but if they make the stadiums small, it won’t be impossible. And they only need to bring the temp down to a decent level, say 80 and don’t really have to worry about humidity removal so that helps as well.
Exemptions from rules form the hierarchical ordering of society. Obedience to rules marks the inferior; exceptions, the superior. Three examples: universal health care for all Americans, except Representatives and Senators, who have their own, superior health care; restrictions on carbon, gasoline, food for all Americans, except for Al Gore and other especially moral promoters of environmentalism; celibacy and chasteness applies only to heterosexual priests. Add a few of your own.
Tehag, don’t forget those companies and unions that were granted the waivers on healthcare by Obama’s Administration. Good to be the King.