Watch Mike Holmes on The Hour on the CBC website. (Mike's segments start at the 18 minute and 23 minute marks.)
Pictures:
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Mike Holmes on The Hour With George Stroumboulopulos
I'm not sure how recent this video is (there's no date on it) but it's new to me, so it's new to the Holmes Spot! I believe it was recorded some time around 2009, drawing cues from some of their conversations. Mike Holmes was a guest on the CBC hit show The Hour hosted by George Stroumboulopulos (I hope I spelled that right!) talking about the project One Million Acts of Green, in which people log their "green" activities to inspire other people to also conserve energy. Mike's segment starts at the 18 minute mark, in which he literally threatens bodily harm to an intern for not recycling a soda can -- all in jest, though, the point being that recycling is easy and important, so why not do it? His segment then picks back up at the 23 minute mark, where he and George discuss the importance of going "green" in the way we build our homes. Mike talked about the importance of consumers demanding low or zero VOC (volatile organic compound) paint, mold resistant drywall, and other building materials which are better for you and better for the environment. If the demand is there, then stores will have no choice but to meet that demand. He stated that builders aren't going to make the switch to healthier and better materials on their own, it's going to take public outcry and perhaps a little persuasion from the government to change things. George then asked Mike the question that was perhaps on many people's minds, when is Mike going to run for public office, to which Mike replied emphatically -- never! "Should I? Mmmm...no," he stated with a chuckle.
Watch Mike Holmes on The Hour on the CBC website. (Mike's segments start at the 18 minute and 23 minute marks.)
Pictures:
Watch Mike Holmes on The Hour on the CBC website. (Mike's segments start at the 18 minute and 23 minute marks.)
Pictures:
I am a dedicated fan of Mike, but in this, he drives me crazy. He is so into 'saving the planet' and combating 'global climate change' and yet he has trucks, cars, SUVs, Spyders, ATVs, Skidoos, Seadoos, a huge boat and his newest acquisition, a palace on wheels, as my cousin calls his own RV. None of these 'toys' runs on water or air. It seems to me that it's a 'do as I say..." thing with him. I don't begrudge him having any of these things. As a meteorological historian, I have never succumbed to the false notion of man-made global warming or cooling, for that matter. Every meteorological event we experience today has occurred numerous times throughout the planet's history. It's completely cyclical. If Mike wants to believe in it, fine, but I'm afraid since he doesn't walk the walk, he's a bit of a hypocrite and it may tend to beg the question: What else does he preach but not follow?
ReplyDeleteYou make some excellent points, and for the most part I agree with you 100 percent. I've probably seen most every interview Mike has ever done, and although he likes to throw some environmental buzz phrases around, I've never gotten the impression that Mike is anti-progress as some environmentalists seem to be. And let's be real, the economy runs on oil and coal, and we have to cut down trees to build houses –perhaps one day that will change, but until then, we all have to live with this fact. I guess we could all live in tents and ride bikes everywhere, but I highly doubt many people would want to give up their own pet luxury items.
DeleteI personally feel (and I deduce from interviews that Mike feels) that people ought to be good stewards of the earth and its natural resources, and conserve where conservation is possible. That to me is a sensible approach to take. A lot of the more "environmentally friendly" products are also people friendly too, so it just makes sense to use them when we can. Why use toxic materials to build a home when we can use non toxic materials that are just as good or better?
Without sounding too much like a Mike Holmes apologist, I think it's safe to say that Mike pushes for what he thinks makes sense when it comes to building “green” and designing “green” communities. For instance, if a neighborhood like the proposed Wind Walk community can produce its own power through solar and is situated near public transit so that people can get where they need to go without a vehicle, then that just makes sense... why not build all communities that way?
I agree with you about what you said about “climate change” – I don’t buy all that’s said about so-called man made global warming. It’s obvious that “global warming” transcends science into politics and ideology, and when grant money is given and taken away based on someone’s adherence to a particular set of beliefs, then it’s time to rethink things. Please take into mind that this video is from a couple years ago, and things have changed a little bit since then. The earth did not shift off its axis like doomsday scientists projected... I too don’t begrudge Mike for enjoying the fruits of his labor, and I have never heard him disparage others for doing the same. Even so, I too have had to uncross my eyes at the thought of someone who talks the green talk, but also loves to buy big toys. The two don’t seem to go together, do they? Awesome comments BTW, thank you for sharing!
Thanks for your kind words. I also agree that we were given stewardship over the earth and we should try to leave it a better place for generations to come. The 'green movement', intentionally or not, has inspired such great ingenuity in the formulation of smart, new products and I applaud Mike for being such a strong proponent of their use. My biggest fear is that someone who is anti-Mike will use his penchant for 'big toys' against him to try to sully his reputation. There are people who feel the need to undermine those who are successful. Jealousy, I suppose. Personally, I can understand his spending habits very well. He grew up poor and now he is in a position to get what he wants. Why not? More power to him. If he wants the moon, he should have it. He would build the best houses in the universe. Then again, he already does.
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