Global Warming...A Choice?

PG&E has taken it upon themselves to run a series of radio ads that manage to combine Global Warming, California environmental smugness and selling washing machines. These commercials all have the same basic format: a series of "real" people come on and share their "sincere" statements about how wonderful they are because they are "choosing" to end global warming...as implying, of course, that they are sanctimoniously better than the rest of us slobs. One woman even comes on and masterfully guilt trips her kids by earnestly saying "I'm doing this for you guys."

But what exactly is she doing anyway. 

Aside by the environmentally-holier-than-thou attitude that smugs its way through every word, there is one big problem here, Global Warming really isn't up to us, its this naturally occurring cycle that we have exacerbated, but it isn't up to us. 

Sure, we can make some personal choices that may reduce our personal carbon footprint, like choosing not to buy that new Escalade (like our masterfully guilt-tripping Mom above) but we don't have the power to stop (much less reverse) global warming.

It is this type of self-satisfied hubris that most annoys me about these types of campaigns. They skirt the true issues by making us feel good about using PG&E and buying their approved appliances.

That's why I turn those commercials off when they come on.