Live Earth: Mercy, mercy me

The song still has relevance today

Posted by Sarah van Schagen at 9:28 PM on 07 Jul 2007

Read more about: music | green living

I'm watching the Live Earth coverage on NBC, and I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's really well done -- concert highlights intermixed with artist and celeb interviews, and plenty of easy tips on how to take action at home. For those on the East Coast, it's too late -- but West Coasters, tune in!

I was struck by two performances -- both of Marvin Gaye's 1971 hit "Mercy, Mercy Me" (one by Alicia Keys in New York and one by John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae duetting in London). As Keys mentioned in her intro, the song is still very relevant today -- a sad fact, when you think about it.

I'll remind you of the lyrics:

"Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Marvin Gaye

Woo ah, mercy mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east
Woo mercy, mercy me, mercy father
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas, fish full of mercury
Ah oh mercy, mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Radiation under ground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying
Oh mercy, mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be
What about this overcrowded land
How much more abuse from man can she stand?
Oh, na na ...
My sweet Lord ... No
My Lord ... My sweet Lord

For story: Live Earth: Mercy, mercy me
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Nuclear-power reduces environmental radiation

Sarah van Schagen wrote: Radiation under ground

phyast.pitt.edu/~blc/book/chapter12.html

When uranium is mined out of the ground to make nuclear fuel, it is no longer there as a source of radon emission. This is a point which has not been recognized until recently because the radon that percolates out of the ground originates largely within 1 meter of the surface; anything coming from much farther down will decay away before reaching the surface. Since the great majority of uranium mined comes from depths well below 1 meter, the radon emanating from it was always viewed as harmless. The fallacy of this reasoning is that it ignores erosion. As the ground erodes away at a rate of 1 meter every 22,000 years, any uranium in it will eventually approach the surface, spending its 22,000 years in the top meter, where it will presumably do great damage. The magnitude of this damage is calculated in the Chapter 12 Appendix, where it is shown that mining uranium to fuel one large nuclear power plant for one year will eventually save 420 lives! This completely overshadows all other health impacts of the nuclear industry, making it one of the greatest lifesaving enterprises of all time if one adopts a very long-term viewpoint.

by Nucbuddy at 11:50 AM on 08 Jul 2007

Nice post, Sarah

but that lyrics link gives my browser heartburn.

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 6:25 PM on 08 Jul 2007

Wow, I never knew

Hey, all:

Wow, after decades of hearing that song, I have never paid enough attention to it to recognize the lyrics. And as much as I admired Marvin Gaye in years past, it never occurred to me to check. Now I will have to find it to listen to it. Thanks for the lyrics...and the memory. Good song for the occasion and sadly it seems to be timeless.

David
Sustainability For Life

Messages done with sustainable energy, with Wind and Sun!

by SustainableGreen at 6:37 PM on 08 Jul 2007

I had mixed feelings...

I appreciated the efforts of the artists to get the worlds attention but having the event filtered by a corporation guaranteed that the really inflamatory bits got filtered while they showed us commercials for cars.

The concept that we can defeat global warming and have ALL the goodies we have now is just false. People will die, species will go extinct and nations will lie in ruins.

Ask an Australian....or a Pakistani. The global shit has definately hit the fan.

Put the Carbon Back

by Pangolin at 1:32 AM on 09 Jul 2007

All very true, BUT

you have to start where people are and that may not be a very smart place in our view. Live Earth used mass culture and mass media to move the ball down the field. This was not a reunion of Earth First! Yes, there was a good share of pimpin' for corporadoes and lots of green washing, but remember that the corporations just a few years ago did not want to touch this issue with a mile long pole. They are hustling like they always will, but they are being dragged along by the issue as well.

Social change is messy, contradictory and frequently involves alliances between people who just a short time ago, wouldn't have been caught dead in the same room with one another. I think we gained yardage with Live Earth. That's good enough for me.

Randy Cunningham

Randy Cunningham

by randino at 4:54 AM on 09 Jul 2007
[ Parent ]

Preserve lawns, say police

Mercy me!

http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Off_Beat/0,,2- ...

The lengths USers will go to in order to preserve the great eco-destroying lawn are astonishing...

Whiskerfish

by Whiskerfish at 7:07 AM on 09 Jul 2007

Back off Whiskerfish!

This is America and our lawns are a reflection of our ability to dominate our environment and those we pay to maintain it :p

In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world

by biodiversivist at 8:08 AM on 09 Jul 2007

2-way street

"Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality"

--What's Going On, M. Gaye

by jabailo at 10:33 AM on 09 Jul 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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