Harry Potter / Global Warming? Or is it just me?

Question

I've just heard on Sky News that the new Harry Potter Book is to be released tonight at midnight. I have absolutely nothing against Harry Potter or J K Rowling, in fact I enjoy the books/films.

It just occurred to me that with all the talk of global warming, turn your thermostat down, walk instead of car etc etc, is it not pretty silly to launch a book at midnight when all the shops are going to have to stay open longer using more energy, burning lights etc not to mention travel for people to go to the shop to buy the book after already gone home for the day.Would it not be better to release the book at 9am the next day?

This question also brings to mind 24hour stores. Is it really necessary to have them open all night using energy? Could they not close from midnight until 5am for example? Surely that would help our carbon imprint.

Maybe its just me. Oh well . . . i'll go now and turn my thermostat down by 2 degrees and make sure none of my appliances are on standby!

Answer 1

I've never really understood why it's necessary to launch a book, film, record or something at midnight. I guess it's all part of the plan to sell as many as possible by creating a lot of excitement and media interest. Personally I can't think of many things worse than queueing outside a store at midnight just to be amongst the first to get my hands on a book.

Turning to the global warming thing - yes it's pretty silly opening stores at midnight but I guess people are going to travel to buy the book anyway and at least at midnight they're not going to get stuck in traffic queues which is one of the worst things in respect of global warming.

I guess at the end of the day commercialism takes priority over environmentalism. It's all about the money and that's usually a big enough incentive to cast aside all other concerns.

Answer 2

That's a great point you've made. The sooner every intelligent person on the planet (obviously this doesn't include the first answerer, Robin!) starts prefacing every action with a quick thought on its environmental cost, the better.

Good spot on the Potter launch - I'm not a fan, but if I was I would feel honour bound to boycott the book in light of what you have pointed out.

Edit: Can I just add that I'm getting over being annoyed about people still finding a way to think global warming is in dispute or doesn't exist - I assume they just don't want to accept it and so don't read any of the undisputed evidence - but I do still get annoyed at people having the attitude "well, maybe my action does have an effect, but other things have more of an effect, so I might as well keep doing it". It's illogical and irrelevant, and if we all did whatever we could, however small, the world would be a better place.

Lester P: I don't know if you're motivated by a desire to be contrary, a desire to appear learned, or simply a wish to avoid taking responsiblity, but from your own source: "Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations."

'anthropogenic'. That means, like, man-made, mmkay?

Answer 3

There is actually minimal impact from keeping the stores open at night. The reason for this? It's called "peak energy". Look it up if you want details, but essentially, power plants don't generate power as people need it. They make a certain amount and hope that there is enough/ isn't extra. Because less people are using energy at night, energy costs are lower, and much of the energy produced is wasted. Electricity is like buying a cake for a party, not like making cups of tea. You hope there is going to be enough, or not too much, but you don't make each individual piece as people ask for them.

The potter books were also largely printed on recycled paper. In many countries, they were 100% recycled, but Scholastic refused to do this in our country. So the american books are only partially recycled.

Answer 4

I'm getting a little weirded out by stuff like that as well. I sold my car, and I really needed the transportation. I now spend way too much on public transportation to get to my classes and I have hardly any money left over. I've made lots of sacrifices for going green and live a substandard existence at a higher cost to myself.

So I was completely weirded out by those Live Earth concerts where they were just throwing money out there and using energy like there was no tomorrow for a bunch of expensive concerts that no one showed up for. It just seemed like the majority of the world (not just the US) doesn't give a hoot and wouldn't even show up to these concerts even though Madonna, The Police, and even Duran Duran were performing. Was this a mass boycott or what?

And why all the waste of energy? Why all the private jets and limos and why were so many performers calling their audience a bunch of motherf**rs? So yeah, Harry Potter weirds me out as well. Maybe less so because JKR never claimed to be an environmentalist. None of this will stop me from being environmentally conscious and doing my part but I'm just totally weirded out by all the talkers who don't walk there talk.

Answer 5

no one even knows for sure whether or not global warming is a fact it is just a supported theory, if we humans are in fact the cause of global warming. They are doing it for fun, for children so they can go out to the bookstores with their parents and actually be excited about reading! Bookstores across the U.S are holding "potter parties", dressing up, games. All of this because of a book! I think when the country becomes excited about reading, let them have the fun. I have an idea, go sit in a dark room all day and conserve as much energy as possible to make up for the fact these excited readers are looking for an experience. Life does not stop at midnight, the world does not go black.

Answer 6

Nah, Harry Potter's greater thrilling. on an identical time as very unhappy, Madeleine McCann's disappearance have been given boring at as quickly as as there stopped being an abundance of latest information and quickly became into The Gerry and Kate tutor.

Answer 7

Yea, here's the real story about so-called "global Warming". To tell other what they should be able to do and when.

The typical mindset of "GW" believers is, since I work days, and sleep nights, then everyone else does the same, no one really works the night shift, so close down the stores when it's convenient for them. Just open them up when it's convenient for me.

Does anyone else see these "GW" believers as selfish control freaks who like being in the position of telling others how they should be running their lives?

Answer 8

first of all yea for the new harry Potter book cant wait

and for the global warming problem do thing to help ur environment but global warming has been here way before there were people- 40mill years ago the earths average temp was 6 degrees hotter than it is now

Answer 9

Johnfrom, if you did, say, 5 minutes worth of research, you'd know that if every single human on this planet died this day, global warming would would still go on for another milennia.

So instead of reading Harry Potter, tonight, try reading the IPCC report, mkay?

Answer 10

good point - but a harry potter launch pales into insignificance compared to the daily output of china