Neil Young: Climate change greater threat than IS

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Famed Canadian rocker Neil Young recently sat down with shock-jock radio DJ Howard Stern for the first time in his career. The singer-songwriter took the opportunity to discuss not only music but his other passion -- the environment.

Young told Stern that the fight against Islamic State militants is a distraction from the larger threat of global warming, and that engaging terrorists in any way only makes matters worse.

"We can do little things to fight climate change but our armed forces are the biggest carbon dioxide providers in the world, and yet we are fighting, what, ISIS?" he told Stern over the weekend. "And we are fighting these wars against these organizations and their carbon footprint has got to be like one percent of our huge army and our navy and all of this stuff that have with all our big machines," Young added.

"We're doing more damage to the earth with our wars. And you try to find out? Hey, freedom? No, freedom, you don't get it. You can't find out what that carbon footprint is of the military. It's not available for us."

Young shared his concerns for the Earth's beleaguered atmosphere, but he's also upset over the health of the planet's wildlife and biodiversity.

"Since 1950 we've lost 90 percent of the fish in the ocean (and) we've doubled our own population," he said. "Since 1970, we've lost half the wildlife on the planet and again we've doubled our population."

And if you think Young's progressive politics see a friend in the White House, think again.

"He just opened up the Gulf of Mexico to fracking," Young said of President Barack Obama. "Like the Gulf of Mexico didn't need a break."

"Politicians are empowered by the system to do nothing but take money from the corporations that control them," he added. "Obama campaigned on change and hope, and they're fracking in the Gulf of Mexico. Barack, hello! Wake up, buddy."