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Britain
The Tories have lost their minds or have been replaced by pod people
2007-09-10
The Conservatives will propose banning plasma TVs and other energy-guzzling electrical goods in a report to be unveiled next week. The proposals target white goods like fridges and freezers, as well as TVs, personal computers and DVD players that use too much energy or operate on stand-by.

The ideas come from a Conservative group set up by David Cameron to develop policies to protect the environment and although the measures to make household electrical appliances more energy efficient are not binding on Mr Cameron, they are thought likely to be warmly received by the Tory leader.

The group will also suggest scrapping Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of the nationÂ’s success in favour of a model that measures peopleÂ’s happiness drawn up up by Friends of the Earth.
Posted by:Seafarious

#21  I am calling B.S. on this one. I know a piece by the Onion when I see it and almost nothing you can say will convince me otherwise.

Sadly, no. Did the article also mention that Cameron has changed the Tory's symbol? It's now a tree.
Posted by: Secret Master   2007-09-10 22:55  

#20  Well, every pile of sh*t has some truth in it, and from Seafarious' link to the Happy Planet Index, it seems that the HPI people got Zimbabwe right when they scored it on the bottom. Red Lantern Prize for Zim-bob.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2007-09-10 22:53  

#19  It's been measured that way for 30 years in Bhutan, but the whole "friends of earth" does reek of an Onion artilce.
Here's a run down on Bhutan's methods or madness, whichever you prefer.
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=2982339
Posted by: NOLA   2007-09-10 22:21  

#18  When you live on an island, where the north end is hit with really rough winds, one could consider using wave or wind power generation. Israel does it in relatively calm waters. Floor heaters once used 1500 Watts; now 1000 is usually the Max. In the 'fifties, few homes had double glazed windows; now they are standard in new construction. Energy efficient products are being produced.
Posted by: McZoid   2007-09-10 21:51  

#17  The group will also suggest scrapping Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of the nationÂ’s success in favour of a model that measures peopleÂ’s happiness drawn up up by Friends of the Earth.

I am calling B.S. on this one. I know a piece by the Onion when I see it and almost nothing you can say will convince me otherwise.
Posted by: Grumenk Philalzabod0723   2007-09-10 21:08  

#16  Anyone who listens to the environazis shouldn't be surprised. They'll come right and tell you that they want a 17th century agrarian world.
Posted by: Iblis   2007-09-10 19:26  

#15  It must require some sort of truly profound inferiority complex to defer one's own existence in favor of the environment's. As Barbara notes, these anti-industrial Luddites always propose that others should deprive themselves. This sort of "you first" mentality is best illustrated by the imams who are always so ready to strap someone else into a bomb vest. It is impossible to overstate just how much these Luddites and Islam share in common.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-09-10 18:23  

#14  `Happy Planet Index'

Dear God. I got halfway through that steaming heap of bullshit, laughing at every sentence, before it finally dawned on me: they're not joking. It's not satire, they're actually serious about that shit.

Each day the assholes take a little bit more of the "great" out of Great Britain, don't they?
Posted by: Dave D.   2007-09-10 17:27  

#13  I think The Young Ones became the new Tory leadership.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-09-10 16:13  

#12  What happened to the Tories of the Iron Lady, Maggie Thatcher?
Posted by: OldSpook   2007-09-10 15:59  

#11  Here's your happy planet index: It's the rent on land. Or does a willingness to pay for a square foot of territory not adequately measure how delighted I am?
Posted by: Perfesser   2007-09-10 15:28  

#10  These clowns have to give up THEIR "energy-guzzling electrical goods" first.

After they prove they can live happily with NO electical goods - no TV, no fridge or freezer, no computers, etc., then they can propose it to the proles.

But what they really mean is "no TVs, etc., for anybody except us." Are you sure they're conservatives? Sound like Leftists to me.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2007-09-10 14:39  

#9  Sounds like the next step might be to have those despied items deposited in the town square for 'redistribution' ala Chavez.......
hope this idea sinks quicker than the Titanic.
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2007-09-10 14:22  

#8  Are your people unhappy ? Do you lead long boring resource consuming lives ? Well, today is your lucky day because we have the answer.
HEMP ! Yes, grow hemp for profit and stay zonked longer. Bored ? Turn up the music, and fog your brain with burning bud. Cut down on driving to work and other resource using habits. And happy ? You'll laugh and laugh and laugh, *cough* oh, till your face hurts.
Oh, and be sure to get your food shopping done first.
Posted by: wxjames   2007-09-10 13:42  

#7  The group will also suggest scrapping Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of the nationÂ’s success in favour of a model that measures peopleÂ’s happiness drawn up up by Friends of the Earth.
Did someone add snark without a background color here ? or is this just a Tory kind of joke ?
I know I'm laughing. I am high on the Friends of the Earth happiness chart.
Posted by: wxjames   2007-09-10 13:29  

#6  In the lifecycle of any social organization, there comes the point where senesence sets in and retirement with a nice drooling cup is the only answer.
Posted by: Cluger and Tenille1034   2007-09-10 13:25  

#5  A new global measure of progress, the `Happy Planet Index'
Posted by: Seafarious   2007-09-10 13:25  

#4  Stick a fork in England; she's done.
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-09-10 13:20  

#3  This is as good a way as any to remain the opposition party.
Posted by: RWV   2007-09-10 13:12  

#2  Everybody should go back to great big CRT screens. Put your leftover pizza on top and turn it towards the wall and you can have hot pizza for breakfast.
I suppose plasma screens are less efficient than LCDs, but they have to be better than CRTs - so if you can get people to switch from CRT to plasma you should be able to 'carbon offset' those who switch from LCD to plasma, right?
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-09-10 12:24  

#1  David Cameron is a felching moron.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2007-09-10 12:15  

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