The seemingly climate doomsday-obsessed Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) tweeted a link to the Berlin Staatsoper (Berlin State Opera), which is announcing a benefit concert dubbed “Science Meets Music“, slated for 30 August 2014. The proceeds raised will go to the NaturTon Foundation.
I just had to laugh at the new elitist level of climate activism the Potsdam Institute scientists have stooped to. The benefit concert’s announcement has a photo of some orchestra members donning rubber boots – I guess for protection against the one-meter sea level rise Rahmstorf predicts is coming to Berlin. This is classic Potsdam Institute activism at its best.
The Berlin Staatsoper announcement as follows in English:
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Science Meets Music Benefit Concert
Proceeds to go to NaturTon
Climate scientists together with musicians are organizing a concert at an unusual location, the Observatory of the Potsdam Telegrafenberg. The proceeds of this concert will go to the violin and bow makers as well as the members of the Berliner Staatskapelle-founded Verein Eben!holz e.V., who are committed to the rescue of rosewood and ebony for use in the building of musical instruments. In the Makira Natural Park in Madagascar over 30 different domestic tree species will be planted on 100 hectares of of destroyed forest so that the connection to several tracts of forests will be re-eatsblished. By involving the local residents in the work and through information and festivals, the awareness for the value of the forest will be awakened as well as the sustainable use of wood creating additional sources of income for the people.”
Tickets go for 55 euros (75 dollars) and even include a presentation by the doomsday-purveying PIK titled: “The Forest and the Climate”, which I’m sure will be nothing but goods new and optimism (sarc-off).
Concerning Madagascar, it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Perhaps if the people there had reliable, affordable electric power and infrastructure, and thus the modern jobs such things tend bring with them, they would leave the trees alone. Cure the poverty, and you’ll cure the environmental ills.
Years ago when we encountered someone talking about what was referred to as bull$hit we would say “time to put the boots on”.
They forgot to mention ivory, badly needed for keyboard instruments and still available in large amounts in mammoth teeth buried in the Siberian permafrost.
Ivory in keyboard keys has no effect on the sound; plastic works just fine. For that matter, modern violin bodies from plexiglas should be ok for most purposes.
A funny old newspaper snippet from 1939: Germans invent new material! Didn’t know it was that old.
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/violin-made-of-new-glass/
Ironically, Madagascar has some interesting coal deposits (probably > 100 MT), slated to be re-opened for extensive mining soon (Sakoa Basin, SW Madagascar).
Meanwhile, in Germany, forests are being sacrificed at the altar of Wind Power.
Go figure.
The wife of Jo Schellnhuber is Margret Boysen, she is “Artistic director” of the PIK and so maybe the spiritus rector of this event. https://www.pik-potsdam.de/members/boysen
Everybody get’s a place and a mission 🙂
Great! The Potsdam Institute for the Estimation of the consequences of Climate (this is the literal translation of PIK) needs a cultural program with a person that has a geologist training as head! Does it get any more bizarre!
BTW; Schellnhuber is also a guest professor in Santa Fe:
https://www.pik-potsdam.de/members/john/copy_of_cv
2010 – 2016 Gastprofessor am Santa Fe Institute, USA
I hope he uses a row boat to cross the atlantic and walks across the USA! I dare not think of this carbon footprint should it be otherwise.
One is reminded of Nero’s violin.