Cyprus-Forum.com

[cyprusgrump]

Hi,
Recently I came upon an ad by Emirates airline promoting Dubai as a destination. In the ad, they present as a tourist attraction the fact that one can snow ski in Dubai in summer.

I am truly disgusted by the ad and the principle of burning oil to make a winter environment in the boiling heat 45+ of this desert environment.

This to me sounds not just illogical, but also provocative to the millions of people who try to make ends meet, because the price of oil has shot to the sky. But of course it is not just the social aspect, it is also the environmental aspect. Places like Dubai, or Las Vegas are using precious resources (oil/water) to make an artificial environment that is clearly not sustainable. Snow ski and golfing in the desert!!!

Maybe we should get active and make our voice heard. How about boycotting Dubai, Las Vegas, or Emirates airline?

All thoughts are welcome.

Yes, let’s ban every leisure activity because it is unnecessary and therefore bad for the environment.

CyprusGrump has reverted to type since being away

Did you go back to the UK?

Maybe we can cheer you up? ...

BTW ... don't forget to plant some trees to offset your Carbon emissions!

Yes I did... daughter's wedding... but now back home...

I’d like to ask the OP if she discovered exactly how much energy this ‘gas guzzling’ venue consumed before posting?

[Svetlana]

It is an amazing site, seeing the ski slopes from the shopping mall - but it is also an amazing site seeing the verdant grass and wonderful flower beds which surround many of the highways - in a country where it may go a year without raining - how much fossil fuel is used for desalination and pumping all the water to irrigate?

And as for building new skyscrapers - which no-one will ever live in - around 24% of the world's construction cranes are in Dubai (30,000 of them!). I love Dubai to visit (c/o Emirates ) but I would not ewant to live there - it is unreal.

But surely, cruise ships are the real gas guzzlers? The QE II does about 30 feet per gallon - and what do cruise ships do - just drive round in a circle!!

Lana

[Shipwreck]

Hi,
Recently I came upon an ad by Emirates airline promoting Dubai as a destination. In the ad, they present as a tourist attraction the fact that one can snow ski in Dubai in summer.

I am truly disgusted by the ad and the principle of burning oil to make a winter environment in the boiling heat 45+ of this desert environment.

This to me sounds not just illogical, but also provocative to the millions of people who try to make ends meet, because the price of oil has shot to the sky. But of course it is not just the social aspect, it is also the environmental aspect. Places like Dubai, or Las Vegas are using precious resources (oil/water) to make an artificial environment that is clearly not sustainable. Snow ski and golfing in the desert!!!

Maybe we should get active and make our voice heard. How about boycotting Dubai, Las Vegas, or Emirates airline?

All thoughts are welcome.

Boycott Vegas???

Chill out mate, take a weekend to Vegas, play a little blackjack, catch a show, hang out with a few strippers and get wasted at the Bank nightclub...you'll be able to pull the long piece of wood out from inside you on the plane back...(Emirates connects with Continental via Dubai for Vegas...excellent trip)

Couldn't agree more with you dude! Dubai and Vegas are great and a lot of fun, and after all it's there oil, they are not obliged to sell it to anyone.

[Oracle]

It is an amazing site, seeing the ski slopes from the shopping mall - but it is also an amazing site seeing the verdant grass and wonderful flower beds which surround many of the highways - in a country where it may go a year without raining - how much fossil fuel is used for desalination and pumping all the water to irrigate?

And as for building new skyscrapers - which no-one will ever live in - around 24% of the world's construction cranes are in Dubai (30,000 of them!). I love Dubai to visit (c/o Emirates ) but I would not ewant to live there - it is unreal.

But surely, cruise ships are the real gas guzzlers? The QE II does about 30 feet per gallon - and what do cruise ships do - just drive round in a circle!!

Lana

There's nothing to beat playing with sails, and catching the breeze at sea ...

Wind power I say!

[DT.]

It is an amazing site, seeing the ski slopes from the shopping mall - but it is also an amazing site seeing the verdant grass and wonderful flower beds which surround many of the highways - in a country where it may go a year without raining - how much fossil fuel is used for desalination and pumping all the water to irrigate?

And as for building new skyscrapers - which no-one will ever live in - around 24% of the world's construction cranes are in Dubai (30,000 of them!). I love Dubai to visit (c/o Emirates ) but I would not ewant to live there - it is unreal.

But surely, cruise ships are the real gas guzzlers? The QE II does about 30 feet per gallon - and what do cruise ships do - just drive round in a circle!!

Lana

There's nothing to beat playing with sails, and catching the breeze at sea ...

Wind power I say!

You could upgrade to turbo wind if you take unitedwestand with you.

[cyprusgrump]

Bump!

I eagerly await a response from the ecofascist OP

[Oracle]

Bump!

I eagerly await a response from the ecofascist OP

Hello sweetie I think ... still grumpy since your return?

I could not work out what you meant by "venue" ?... I assumed you meant wedding since that's where you said you had been ... but since I did not attend your wedding, I am a little confused regarding my assessing the environmental damage from your wedding venue!

[cyprusgrump]

I can see how you might have been confused…

I was of course referring to the indoor skiing venue which our ecofascist OP would like to boycott close, burn down, etc. although The Wedding and others like it probably consume more of the earth’s resources than it.

[Oracle]

I can see how you might have been confused…

I was of course referring to the indoor skiing venue which our ecofascist OP would like to boycott close, burn down, etc. although The Wedding and others like it probably consume more of the earth’s resources than it.

Grump ... I did not write this thread.

But yes, I am happier seeing resources put to better use.

I would rather open a window than flick on an air-con switch. But I have a fridge in my kitchen to keep food cold for the luxury of not "hunter-gathering" food every day.

Balance!

[cyprusgrump]

I am aware it is not your thread – I am waiting for natureofcyprus’ response.

I’m all for using energy sensibly – it costs enough to make you think twice about wasting it. We never use the nine air conditioning units that were fitted to our house.

However, I object to the notion that we should boycott an airline based on an advertisement. I’m sure that natureofcyprus has no idea of the energy consumption of this venue or how it compares to any other leisure activity yet it should be closed down and those that enable travel to it boycotted. Perhaps anybody that supports such a venture should ware a symbol or badge so that they can be shunned…

And we are also to boycott Las Vegas? A city which provides pleasure for thousands (one of my favourite places in the world) and gets its electricity from Hoover Dam.

I’m amazed that three people on this board in addition to the OP should support the motion “Should we boycot destinations and companies that clearly abuse the environment?” based on such little evidence.