Some people are just beyond help.

At Canadian embassy, global warming protester nears starvation

By IAN DUNCAN — Tribune Washington Bureau

On a patch of pavement outside the Canadian Embassy, Jay McGinley is trying to starve himself to death.

After drinking nothing but water for more than 30 days, he appears close to achieving his goal. When he stands up, his dark blue sweater hangs from a wasted frame.

On the 21st day of his hunger strike, May 15, McGinley was hospitalized briefly when his kidneys almost failed. He returned to his post the next day. Wednesday would be his 36th day without food.

He demands that the United States stop using fossil fuels, particularly those harvested from tar sands deposits in Canada. He is confident that if 1,000 people were to die for his cause, the government would act.

“I need to get us from 1,000 to 999 as fast as possible,” he said. “I need to blaze that trail.”