Today’s Good News: “Live Earth” And More
I found the “Live Earth” phenomenon powerful and deeply affecting. Though like other new “green” efforts, this one was billed as “non-political,” to me it was the best kind of political. Maybe we can go so far as to call it the “new” politics: grassroots-based, beyond electoral work, including many items in the solution mix: personal responsibility, art and music, sustainable business, and most importantly, a feeling of community.“Live Earth” was an intoxicating mix of new media, old media, and good old-fashioned “retail politics.”
New media: the scroll of names from all over the world appearing on stage; the simultaneous live coverage on several TV and radio channels, including Sirius satellite radio and NBC’s stable of properties including the NBC broadcast network and cable properties Bravo, MSNBC and CNBC.
Old media: the snappy 10-second takes on “do something.” The short films interspersed with the music. There was one I loved with a little British girl talking about the fate of “her” coral reef, ending with, “Together we can save the world…it’s not just my reef, it’s ours.” Another one with hilariously step-by-step instructions about how to install fluorescent light bulbs. (“Get the ladder. Place your foot on the first rung…”) The biggest pop stars lighting up stadiums around the world: Madonna, Roger Waters (with a chorus of black children helping out on “The Wall”), the Police with Kanye West (Kanye: “We need some new leaders to follow.” )
Retail politics: One of the 10-second clips said, “Talk to your friends and neighbors about your concerns…you’ll find you’re not alone.” I believe it was Karen Duffy on Bravo talking about how all these little steps add up to something.
And in a related development: Sirius coverage included Laurie David talking about success stories: The Philadelphia Eagles scoreboard is now solar-powered. Wal-Mart has told all their suppliers to find ways to reduce packaging. Home Depot is providing premium shelf space to those products to which they award a green “seal of approval.” 154 college presidents, including those at Texas A&M and LSU, are committed to making their schools carbon-neutral. It’s starting to feel like a movement, like people might start thinking it’s cool to care and to do something.
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