Global warming is obscene

Ontario's Minister of Environment drew criticism over a new program designed get people to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin companies, and Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten officially launched the site, Flick Off, in Toronto.

The program is called "Flick Off", presumably a reference to flicking off your lights in order to save energy and greenhouse gases. But it's the program's name and logo that some, like Ontario NDP MPP Peter Kormos find offensive.

“The minister of the environment is telling people to 'flick off,' ” Mr. Kormos said. “Parents are going to be flicking embarrassed. They have enough to deal with without a minister of the environment and a government who doesn't give a flick about their children's language.”

“I think it's a flicking embarrassment.”

For once, I agree with Peter Kormos. The way the logo is designed, it appears at first glance to be an obscenity. The double entendre is intentional and is obviously used for impact. But there's enough of that type of language in our society already without our government using it as a promotional tool.

Branson claims a reward for the community that has the greatest decrease in greenhouse gases:

The winner "will be rewarded with a Flick-Fest, their very own carbon-neutral music festival featuring some of Canada's best-known bands," the release said.

Looks like they be purchasing a lot of carbon offsets from the Goracle for that concert.

And it also looks like one of the prime targets of this obscenity-based campaign is youth - and that's what I, like Peter Kormos, find objectionable. The Ontario government should not be a partner in this. Minister Broten has demonstrated her severe lack of good judgement on this one.

Update: more at the Western Standard.