Think Progress

Matt Damon: I demeaned myself to promote flex fuels.

Last night on the Tonight Show, actor Matt Damon talked about the Clean My Ride campaign. In an effort to attract attention to flex fuels, Damon dresses as a gas pump in one of the campaign’s six webisodes. (Watch it.) “What were you doing?” Leno asked. “What I was doing was demeaning myself to promote flex fuels,” Damon joked. Watch it:

[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2007/07/mattdamon.320.240.flv]

Read more about the campaign here. Do you have concerns over corn-based ethanol? If so, read this.



75 Responses to “Matt Damon: I demeaned myself to promote flex fuels.”

  1. Flaco says:

    What size is this idiots carbon footprint?


  2. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    What size is this idiots carbon footprint?

    Comment by Flaco

    WARNING!!! WARNING!!! Do not play w/ this troll.

    He’ll post utter nonsense as long as he can. Nothing works on this one but IGNORING HIM!

    This as been a Public Service Announcement on behalf of TP and Sanity, and remember, folks, there is NO Sanity Clause!!!

    Comment by The Republic of Stupidity

    Comment by The Republic of Stupidity


  3. dim-wit says:

    Damn,
    What do you trolls have against flex fuels?


  4. Zehava says:

    Damn,
    What do you trolls have against flex fuels?
    Comment by dim-wit

    New and different is SCARY!


  5. toasterhead says:

    Did the English language really need the term “webisode?” Doesn’t “episode” do the job just as well?


  6. gummitch says:

    What do you trolls have against flex fuels?

    Comment by dim-wit

    Mostly, the trolls just crave attention and posting provocative comments is how they get it. If you ignore Flaccido, he will eventually drag his useless carcass somewhere else.


  7. Egreggious says:

    If you ignore Flaccido, he will eventually drag his useless carcass somewhere else.

    Comment by gummitch — July 26, 2007 @ 1:10 pm

    Maybe he can track down Tired of Fighting so he can offend him again.

    Or maybe he’ll make fun of Sarge’s kid some more.

    Real class, this guy.


  8. Luis M says:

    Well, using more flex fuels would reduce the dependance on foreign countries’ oil. Like Iran, Iraq, Venezuela. And Saudi Arabia (y’know, where the Saudis aren’t muslim, right Mr P?)


  9. TripMaster Monkey says:

    Well, actually, the advent of corn-based ethanol is playing hall with corn prices, which is hurting Mexicans who rely on corn as a staple (tortillas).

    We need to accelerate development of “celluosic” ethanol, made from so-called “waste material” such as corn stalks and switchgrass, but I’m sure adoption of those sources will have similar, although less severe, unforeseen consequences.

    Whatever we do, it’s not going to be comfortable.


  10. hacker bob says:

    Flex-fuels are a great idea.

    Cleaner, cheaper fuel alternatives mean more money saved for me AND a cleaner environment for everyone.

    Can you say “win, win situation”?

    BTW Flaco is a moron. Ignore him and he’ll go away.


  11. dbadass says:

    Whatever we do, it’s not going to be comfortable.

    Comment by TripMaster Monkey — July 26, 2007 @ 1:13 pm

    Although not a solution in and of itself, comfort is the only problem holding back some simple conservation lifestyle choices. If we simply chose to reduce demand, it would provide some relief as we make transitions.


  12. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Whatever we do, it’s not going to be comfortable.

    Comment by TripMaster Monkey

    One excellent, but derided solution is called “walking”. I know people who will get in their cars and drive 4 or 6 or 8 blocks in heavy traffic to buy one small, unnecessary item.

    Geez, for starters, just cut out the totally unnecessary stuff and USE YOUR LEGS!


  13. Mimir says:

    For flex fuel solutions, look to Brazil.

    Not Iowa.


  14. whiteyfresh says:

    For flex fuel solutions, look to Brazil.

    Not Iowa.

    Comment by Mimir — July 26, 2007

    da beets, mon, da BEETS!!!


  15. hacker bob says:

    We need to accelerate development of “celluosic” ethanol, made from so-called “waste material” such as corn stalks and switchgrass,[...]
    Comment by TripMaster Monkey — July 26, 2007 @ 1:13 pm

    Agreed!

    Didn’t I read somewhere that corn based ethanol was actually one of the least efficient ways to go about it? I could be mistaken. But I would think that with the amount of waste produced (stalks, husks, etc) would produce a greater amount of fuel than just the corn itself.


  16. m12 says:

    Betcha those crappy Bourne movies are shitting out tons of Co2, Damon.


  17. Tom says:

    I was heartened to hear Toyota predict that 100 percent of its vehicles will be hybrid by 2020.

    In addition, I understand that we are close to developing ethanol products using virtually any bio-mass and a bacterial process that will clearly be more energy-efficient than the current methods.

    We are going to suffer from some “displacement” in the short term (e.g., increasing corn prices, etc.); however, we are clearly on the right track.


  18. Juan C says:

    Hey, Robert. NIce reading you. Where were you?


  19. m12 says:

    For flex fuel solutions, look to Brazil.

    Not Iowa.

    You forget that all the Democrats in Congress running for President are riding Tom Harkin’s wang, to try to win the Iowa primaries.


  20. OxyCon says:

    The only thing you have to know about Ethanol is that not one single penny of the money spent for it’s use goes to the middle east, where it can be used to finance terror attacks on America.
    Sure, using Ethanol means that the Bush family’s Zillionaire Saudi friends will get less money, but I think they’ll get along just fine.


  21. Crump's Sister says:

    look at the poor Liberals drool all over this pathetic idiot.

    Why don’t Matt Deamon and the rest of the HOllywood retards stop flying in private jet planes, stop living in multi-million dollar homes that waste more electricity than the average American’s will in a life time, why don’t they stop driving their SUVs, sports car etc and then I’ll believe Global Warming and that they are serious about stopping what they believe is causing Global Warming.

    Until then, it is a PR stunt to get the Liberals to drool all over him.


  22. Mimir says:

    da beets, mon, da BEETS!!!

    Comment by whiteyfresh — July 26, 2007 @ 1:20 pm

    no, sugar cane. Let’s drop the tariffs so we can get cheap Brazilian ethanol now. And maybe Cuban ethanol in the future. More than 8X the energy of corn-based, and will not have comparable food stock externalities.


  23. Luis M says:

    People (all over the world) should start thinking ahead to 20, 30 years down the road. Imagine a future without cheap oil. Think about the consequences of that lack of cheap oil, and the possible alternatives that WILL be needed by then.

    Then start working on those alternatives now.

    We don’t need some future version of Condoleeza Rice saying “No one could have foreseen this lack of oil”, because by then it will be too late.


  24. Jeremy says:

    I think I’ve learned a valuable lesson. Whatever the Trolls want is the exact opposite of what I should do. Flex Fuels, here I come. Wait, I don’t have a car? Well, I’ll just drink the s[CENSORED]t! ;)


  25. Juan C says:

    For flex fuel solutions, look to Brazil.
    Not Iowa.
    Comment by Mimir

    Recently Bush signed along with Lula the sentence of death of the Amazonas. Bye, bye the lung of the world.


  26. dbadas says:

    Betcha those crappy Bourne movies are shitting out tons of Co2, Damon.

    Comment by m12 — July 26, 2007 @ 1:22 pm

    And the connection here is? My, your, and everyone else’s farts also involve warming methane. Does that preempt my decisions to ride bike rather than drive and all the other simple choice I and others make to be positive contributors to the well being of our shared environment or is this an attention getting device?


  27. hacker bob says:

    Hey, Robert. NIce reading you. Where were you?

    Comment by Juan C — July 26, 2007 @ 1:24 pm

    I have been in the process of moving half way across the country, dealing with a child with a broken arm, dealing with a dog with Parvo, and getting ready for a little surgery myself (hernia from moving).

    How have you been?


  28. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Recently Bush signed along with Lula the sentence of death of the Amazonas. Bye, bye the lung of the world.

    Comment by Juan C

    More information, Juan C.


  29. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    You forget that all the Democrats in Congress running for President are riding Tom Harkin’s wang, to try to win the Iowa primaries.

    Comment by m12

    Don’t bother to try and “rebutt” this. it’s just too silly for words.


  30. Juan C says:

    How have you been?
    Comment by hacker bob

    Guess that better than you. Sorry to hear that. Why moving?


  31. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Betcha those crappy Bourne movies are shitting out tons of Co2, Damon.

    Comment by m12

    Just out of curiosity, how does a movie “shit out tons of CO2″?


  32. squegeeboo says:

    In the words of Queen:
    “Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle
    I want to ride my Bicycle I want to ride my bike.”

    If enough people did that when realistic, it would cut down on fuel usage quite a bit in terms of transportation.


  33. VerbalKint says:

    Corn-based ethanol is basically a fraud, the purpose of which is to extract huge government subsidies. The energy conversion rate is very low, and to make a meaningful impact on our use of gasoline we would need to convert much of our arable land to corn production. Production is still in the very early stages of ramping up, and corn prices are already soaring.

    There is no viable technology to convert cellulosic materials to fuel, nor is there any such thing on the horizon.

    Big oil supports corn-to-ethanol for two reasons: they can make money off of it, and they can use it’s false hope to delay action on other technologies such as solar and wind that threaten their economic interests.

    This country needs an aggressive energy conservation program. We could cut energy use by 30% or more within a few years using off the shelf technology. Then we could tell our Saudi “friends” to go f*ck themselves. We also need a sort of Marshall plan for developing new energy producing technologies. We need to put the pedal to the metal on all promising techologies.


  34. hacker bob says:

    The Marine Corps relocated me. I am out of the “deployment cycle” for the next 3 years. I will be an instructor in Missouri. More time at home and NO MORE TRIPS TO IRAQ!


  35. Juan C says:

    Bush Hails International Ethanol Production

    Lula was all about this deal. It would give Brazil govt a lot of money (which of course wont reach the people who needs it the most), while the Amazonas will be consumed as fast as possible due to the huge US demand of fuel. What a shame on this so called left Latinamerican govts. We are nothing but the wh*res of the Empire.


  36. Crump's Sister says:

    Whatever we do, it’s not going to be comfortable.

    Comment by TripMaster Monkey

    One excellent, but derided solution is called “walking”. I know people who will get in their cars and drive 4 or 6 or 8 blocks in heavy traffic to buy one small, unnecessary item.

    Geez, for starters, just cut out the totally unnecessary stuff and USE YOUR LEGS!

    Comment by The Republic of Stupidity — July 26, 2007 @ 1:17 pm

    It is America, we have the right to move about our nation however we want!!!

    Furthermore, if you did a bit of research this is a project that is being sponsered by none other than…..TP’s parent company. Always follow the money.

    Furthermore, when Matt Damon gives up his gas guzzling cars, when he stops flying his private jets and flies commercial, then I’ll start listening to Hollywood hypocrites like him.

    Not to mention that to make a film, you certainly use a lot of what you left wing wackos call carbon foot prints.

    i wonder how much flex fuel was used in all the cars that were used in his Bourne movies.

    only the Liberals fall for the complete and utter hypocrisy of the left wing Hollyweirds.


  37. Juan C says:

    More time at home and NO MORE TRIPS TO IRAQ!
    Comment by hacker bob

    Excelent!!! Im happy for you and your family.


  38. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    If enough people did that when realistic, it would cut down on fuel usage quite a bit in terms of transportation.

    Comment by squegeeboo

    It’s not the whole answer, but you start where you can. Walk, pedal, car-pool, take public transporation. This isn’t just a “price of gas” issue, it’s a “clean air, personal health, national security” issue.


  39. hacker bob says:

    Thanks, Juan. The family is happy as well.

    BTW, great “Dia de los Muertos” pics.


  40. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    We are nothing but the wh*res of the Empire.

    Comment by Juan C

    Don’t forget the lumber, Juan… clearing all that land to grow more corn… what good are those stupid trees? Might as well make furniture out of ‘em, huh?


  41. Bluedahlia says:

    Any one thing is not going to be a solution to the energy problem. If one end-all-beat-all fuel is used, it WILL be abused. We could end up with almost all the same problems oil gives us now.

    A diverse usage of sustainable and renewable resources is what is needed. Corn based ethanol brings its own problems to the table already. In our search for alternatives to oil, let’s not just jump on the first one that seems viable without looking at the big picture.

    Like everthing else, moderation (and may I say diversity) is essential to sustainability.


  42. RUCerious says:

    Bobbo!
    Glad you came thru the big move with only a hernia!
    Just kidding. How’s Okieville?
    Hope you get better soonly, and your boy’s fracture heals swiftly.
    Too bad you’re not doin IT anymore…


  43. RUCerious says:

    I just keep askin…

    Where’s the hydrogen?????


  44. squegeeboo says:

    The Republic of Stupidity
    It’s not the whole answer
    I don’t think there is any one solution thats the whole answer. I’d personally like to see more electric cars with more wind/nukelar power in the grid to power them in addition to more people using non-motored or public transportation.

    hacker bob
    NO MORE TRIPS TO IRAQ!
    good to hear.


  45. hacker bob says:

    Thanks, RUCerious.

    I will still probably be doing some IT. Just not as much. A program that one of my old bosses and I wrote is going USMC wide, and this is the first “test bed” for it. As I am the resident expert on it, I can see where about half my time will be spent.

    BTW, it SUCKS D*$K out here!!!!!! I must have pissed someone of in a previous life. (No, not me :) )


  46. Ringo says:

    Here’s the perfect car for all you moonbats: http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/venezuela/4775.html

    It’s cheap and buying one helps support America’s enemies.

    What more could a good Quisling from a car?


  47. hacker bob says:

    Where’s the hydrogen?????

    Comment by RUCerious — July 26, 2007 @ 1:43 pm

    or the “sugar fuel”, or solar, or used corn oil from McDonalds…


  48. Petroleum is overrated. says:

    Hemp biosolids would make an excellent flex fuel. Maybe Tommy Chong can demean himself (even more) in order to promote it, or perhaps Matthew McConaughey?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rgDyEO_8cI
    ^ Henry Ford designed a car made out of hemp and prophesied that it could run on hemp fuel.

    Petroleum is overrated.


  49. Juan C says:

    Where’s the hydrogen?????
    Comment by RUCerious

    Well, everywhere. The thing is that it is very energy demanding the processes that separate hydrogen from other elements. If renewable energies are employed to separate hydrogen it would be better environmentally but renewable energies are not very energy dense, so you need more and more renewable tech devices which are not cheap…and those devices are made, transported, supported, etc., with fossil fuels at some point.

    If it was a sarcastic question, my naivity and me apologize.


  50. squegeeboo says:

    Ringo
    What more could a good Quisling from a car?

    Who’s occupying America?


  51. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Here’s the perfect car for all you moonbats: http://www.globalexchange.org/ countries/ americas/ venezuela/ 4775.html

    It’s cheap and buying one helps support America’s enemies.

    What more could a good Quisling from a car?

    Comment by Ringo

    Ah yes, what would a nice, quit Thursday morning be w/out a dose of pointless vitriol from RINGO!

    “A good Quisling”?? WTF does this mean? Please explain.


  52. Bluedahlia says:

    Hydrogen fuel is so water dependent for the process to make, it almost cancels one good for another. The way water is scarce in so many countries, (and going to get worse for us all) I don’t feel hydrogen is the best thing since sliced bread either. IMHO Just my $.02.


  53. Ringo is a nitwit says:

    what more could a good quisling WANT from a car? Is that what he tried to say?


  54. squegeeboo says:

    The Republic of Stupidity
    “A good Quisling”?? WTF does this mean? Please explain.

    See my link one higher from your comment. Or use this handy link that points to the same URL


  55. squegeeboo says:

    Bluedahlia
    Hydrogen fuel is so water dependent for the process to make, it almost cancels one good for another. The way water is scarce in so many countries

    Your thinking too small. If we convert enough of our infrastructure over to hydrogen quick enough, we can use enough water to counteract the raising sea levels that global warming should be causing over the next century.


  56. Bluedahlia says:

    Your hilarious Sqeege.


  57. Bluedahlia says:

    My bad. Should be: You’re hilarious.


  58. m12 says:

    Does that preempt my decisions to ride bike rather than drive and all the other simple choice I and others make to be positive contributors to the well being of our shared environment or is this an attention getting device?

    In Gore and Damon’s case, its an attention getting device. They don’t live up to their own rhetoric.


  59. Juan C says:

    Bluedahlia, I dont think the problem is water. The most common process to obtain hydrogen is not electrolysis but natural gas, or methane reforming, and this is performed in oil refineries.

    There is a lot of water…3 and a half billion people dont have access to clean, drinkable water, but as always it is not a production problem or lack of resources. It is a distribution problem, just like food and wealth.


  60. Bluedahlia says:

    m12,
    You must have forgotten, the finger painting is over at redstate. The adults are talking here. Shoo


  61. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    They don’t live up to their own rhetoric.

    Comment by m12

    How do you know that?


  62. squegeeboo says:

    Bluedahlia
    My bad. Should be: You’re hilarious.

    I spent 30 sec trying to figure out how you mis-spelled hilarious in the first post…


  63. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Comment by squegeeboo — July 26, 2007

    I know what a Quisling is. I was hoping to draw Ringo out and make him explain his comment, which just doesn’t make any sense.


  64. Bluedahlia says:

    I spent 30 sec trying to figure out how you mis-spelled hilarious in the first post…

    Comment by squegeeboo — July 26, 2007 @ 2:04 pm

    8-)


  65. squegeeboo says:

    The Republic of Stupidity
    I know what a Quisling is. I was hoping to draw Ringo out and make him explain his comment, which just doesn’t make any sense.

    Sorry to ruin your fun. It was a new term to me, (except for it’s usage in World War Z) figured others might not be familiar with it as well.


  66. Bluedahlia says:

    It is a distribution problem, just like food and wealth.

    Comment by Juan C — July 26, 2007 @ 2:03 pm

    Nice point. Either way that is not going to solve the problem anytime soon. Just like food and wealth.


  67. The Republic of Stupidity says:

    Sorry to ruin your fun. It was a new term to me, (except for it’s usage in World War Z) figured others might not be familiar with it as well.

    Comment by squegeeboo

    S’okay, squeege… you notice Ringo never came back and defended his words, huh? Later, all.

    Long story short, day job.


  68. Egreggious says:

    You rock, TRoS!


  69. Flaco says:

    SLACKER BOB,
    KILL ANY IRAQIS LATELY?
    MR. FOREIGN INVADER OF SOVEREIGN COUNTRIES?


  70. hacker bob says:

    Flaccido,

    NO, not lately.

    Made an ass out of yourself lately?

    Of course you have.


  71. PrahaPartizan says:

    I would generally agree that pushing ethanol now would be counter-productive, employing more energy in its production than it ultimately delivers. However, getting the infrastructure in place in place for both the distribution systems supplying and the motor vehicles consuming it will take several years. During this period the research on the production of cellulosic ethanol can develop and progress and this research offers the real hope for this form of liquid fuel.

    Ultimately, we will need to move away from corn as the basis for ethanol production and we should have the technology available to do that. I would be more concerned about the lack of political will forcing the agribusinesses off the public teat of corn supports when that technology becomes available, their having become habituated to the easy Uncle Sam handouts rather than competing in the real agricultural market. They will find it, oh, so much easier to deploy lobbyists in Washington to keep the subsidies and supports than the sales forces to productively sell their excess corn production.


  72. tony says:

    I have an idea, we need to have a car that emits a gas that causes clouds, thus we could block out the sun and have global cooling. This was the scientific community’s issue back in the 70’s. One other thought, I say we dont go to anymore outdoor stadiums, or to movie theaters and just watch the movies and sports from home. Also you could include concerts as well



  73. Kilo says:

    Do you have concerns over corn-based ethanol? If so, read this. July 26, 2007 1:01 pm |

    Er… why ?
    Because you don’t want people reading something that would address those concerns seriously ?


  74. Carmine Farruggia says:

    There are many kinds of flex fules. All electric. Plug in hybrid.
    Here is a new one the Air Car. Going into production this fall. I know it sounds crazy but the Air Car looks and sounds like good engineering. You can and should check it out for yourself.
    I bought a converted electric 3 years ago and it still runs great. I drive it all around town and I have to drive to several locations every day for my work. Unless I am going more than 90 miles I can use my electric for everything. BTW, single source polution is much easier to deal with then multi source.
    Plug in hybrids can a do go 150-300 mpg. If we had more choices in America we could slowly begin to get away from our dependence on oil and lower our emissions.



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