Live Earth: How green are the concerts for a climate in crisis?

Depends how you define green

Posted by Sarah van Schagen at 5:12 PM on 02 Jul 2007

Read more about: green living | music | climate

On 7/7/07, climate change awareness will officially rock, as a series of concerts kick off at venues as far afield as Shanghai, Sydney, and the South Pole.

Chatter about the Live Earth concerts has been rampant for months as bits of gossip trickled in here and there. Though organizers still promise a few surprises, much of the mystery is gone at this point. But when it all goes down this weekend, one question is still weighing on a few minds: How green will these concerts actually be?

"Greening an event and a venue is not necessarily the most brilliant, exciting part of a concert like this, but I think it's extremely valuable," said Live Earth Green Team Lead John Rego.

To that end, Rego, who's managing the greening of all nine venues and the Live Earth organization itself, revealed in a recent press call some of the ways they hope to make an impact without leaving much of a footprint.

In terms of electricity, Rego said all of the power for the events will be sourced from green projects in the area like solar and wind. The stages will be primarily powered by biodiesel generators.

Rego acknowledged that wrangling nine very different venues was no small task, and that in Brazil, for example, the food choices are limited to what local vendors already provide. However, at some concerts, like in Japan, food will be local and/or organic and recyclable dishware will be used. Even some merchandise will be green-tinged (in the U.K., there'll be belts made out of recycled fire hoses from the London Fire Department!).

Organizers are encouraging concert-goers to use public transportation or carpools to get to the venues, even providing a "ride with me" evite. And Rego says they've put together a "Green Guideline Manual" with information for all of the performing artists about the purpose of Live Earth and how they can create change in their own lives.

"We're just trying to galvanize further action," said David Pascal, director of events and entertainment for the Alliance for Climate Protection (Al Gore's nonprofit). "While a lot of questions have gone to: What's everybody doing now? I think the better question is: What's everybody doing the day after the concert, the month after the concert, the year after the concert?"

In an effort to spur this action, Gore last week unveiled a "7 Point Pledge" asking for personal commitments to curb global warming. Audiences at the shows will be given the pledge to sign, but it's also available online. Commit to one of six specific actions now (change four light bulbs, car pool once a week, etc.), and you may even see your pledge -- and your name -- on screen during the show.

Below, the Live Earth pledge:

I pledge:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral;"

3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

For story: Live Earth: How green are the concerts for a climate in crisis?
5 Comments | Post a Comment

Nice Idea, Little Effect

One of the first articles I ever wrote (in March 2006) was called Why The Public Won't Change. It could have been written for Live Earth:

"In 40 years, the modern environmental movement has singularly failed to engage the public in having an awareness of environmental issues beyond that which stirs their interest in the short term."

"But what does this demand of the public? A day out in a party atmosphere (would there have been half as many if it had rained?) and some banner waving, with no follow up required and no change in lifestyle demanded....Exactly the same applies to the G8 protests : G8 decided not to change their policies. The public had a nice day. The government didn't feel threatened."

No one watching or attending Live Earth actually has to change anything to enjoy the show. Shortly afterwards you will see a return in attitudes to pre-Live Earth, and the memories will be of the great performance by Razorlight, The Police or whoever.

Don't get me wrong - the web site is excellent, and the aims are valiant - but I think this comment from a member of a band (playing at Live Earth) forum sums up a common view:

"I'm going! I'll be travelling all the way around the world from Scotland to Sydney to see Crowded House return to the city where they ended it all those years ago.

"I was gutted to find out that they are playing in Scotland but I'd already be on the plane heading south. Imagine my delight when I discovered that when I'm in Brisbane, they'd be down the road in Sydney."

Keith Farnish
www.theearthblog.org

Keith Farnish www.theearthblog.org

by farnishk at 4:51 AM on 03 Jul 2007

Changing minds, changing lifestyles

Let's look at this concert for what it is: an advertisement (or PR stunt) for the green movement. The question is: does it work? And is it a good thing?

At this point, advertising only works in one context: materialism and vanity. If you are trying to sell someone on a certain religion (the green religion), worldview, or type of lifestyle, you cannot do it unless you appeal to a person's vanity, sense of identity, need for fulfillment, etc. In other words, sell them something first. "That car is green? I want one! Then everyone can see that I am that type of person."

Rock concerts like this one are no different. They are selling an identity to the audience, and the audience wants the identity - not the ideas being praised, but the identity that comes with the ownership of the ideas. Greenness is now a material thing to be had: just as Bono's (RED) campaign plays off of rampant materialism and peoples' vanity, so Live Earth manipulates rock fans into adopting an image that reflects "greenness."

So, yes, this concert is successful advertising. But is advertising a good thing?

Unfortunately, all advertisments are successful only in the short term. Advertising is based on an industrial system that values quick profits and efficiency instead of sustainable profits and effectiveness - its method of persuasion must be quick, neatly packaged, and simplistic. Our culture, now saturated with advertising and materialism, has come to function in a way that reflects this ethic: we can fight global warming by campaigning against it, by appealing to your need to define your identity, by using simplistic, packaged solutions. And, like advertising, you will forget about these ideas just as quickly as they came.

Truely convincing someone cannot be done with advertising tactics. It cannot be done by appealing to their materialistic nature. Truely changing one's mind and lifestyle is a process, not an event. It takes challenge, not fundraising. It takes a conversation, not a rock song. And, most importantly, it takes action - real action: personal action. This is to say, nothing about a rock concert or a pledge gets people to begin a new routine. One simply has to start living differently - not just think about it, sing about it, pledge about it, or go to a rock concert about it! Even small steps, if employed, are better than backwards steps and big thinking.

Let's be skeptical for a moment and consider this event for what it is: just a show.

by zacaroni at 9:50 AM on 03 Jul 2007

Public B Smart

The public ain't no fool.

We know they are holding back on us.

by jabailo at 10:59 AM on 03 Jul 2007

Can we evaluate Live Earth from a total cost view?

Is the cost of publicising the cause of environmentally responsible behaviour reason enough to look at these events from a total cost perspective. Can I accept damage today if in return 100,000 people decide to make the small changes necessary to offset my actions and provide greater benefitetc. It comes close to undermining you principles but also shows a Real Politik thats often the best way to getting results. Tricky question.

Good posting from the Beeb about these concerts
:
http://giftofireland.com/Siteblog/

by taekwonjer at 4:20 AM on 06 Jul 2007

Live Earth

I am wanting to start a worrld wide effort to promote pro-life ! We could call it "Life Yes Life or something".
Anyone out there feel the same?
Pls reply to danszns@embarqmail.com

by dandan at 9:47 PM on 09 Jul 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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