Get a life!

I watched Live Earth last night at a friend’s place. Now I didn’t watch it all day but as we sat there for a good 4-5 hrs the most we could work out on the global warming front was that people need to think about what light bulbs to use. Basically the whole thing was heavy on one hit wonder bands and starlets with toned posteriors, and light on meaningful education on how we can roll back the greatest threat to the human habitat. They had ‘celebrities’ chatting about ways to reduce CO2 omissions but it was obvious they had no idea. Most made very abstract rhetorical statements for example “stop and think about how you live your life.” Um, ok, and then what? One comedian even questioned whether global warming was due to human activities. Surely the planet was 'warm' before global warming? Not to mention how much C02 was produced from the energy bill for all those concert halls, jet setting celebrities, etc.

Of course there's (slightly) more to Live Earth than just the actual concerts. For example, the Live Earth website does have some useful tips on reducing your C02 emissions. But overall the whole campaign treats the average individual as a mere spectator. Why do I say that? Well, because the focus of the campaigns are the pop stars who vicariously bring attention to the global warming plight. You'd think that with so much international coverage and with so many hours of live music even a ten, 20, or 30 minute time slot could've been given to lecture on the science of global warming, and the role of big business and individuals in contributing to global warming. Ah, no... You know I think such events work on the presumption that people don't want to be 'bored' with details. The only way to get them interested in important issues is to get celebrities involved. Otherwise people will turn off. What contempt for humanity!

So yes I think the whole Live Earth coverage was a nice, unintentional reflection of our superficial little bubble. Everything, even impending global catastrophes, are a commodity; a vehicle for shallow celebrity and empty internationalism.

UPDATE: I just read that the energy for the Sydney concert at least was meant to be Carbon neutral. So at least that's one good thing about the concert...