What did Live Earth accomplish? Did it just bring together the choir? Did it really raise global awareness of the impending climate crisis? Or was it just an excuse for a party? Depends who you believe.
And it’s not what happened yesterday that matters.It’s what happens tomorrow and every day from now on. What matters is whether young people can be persuaded that their voice, and their vote can make a difference.
One 55ish man at the MoveOn Live Earth party I attended said that the Internet means nothing. “Rupert Murdoch controls mainstream media,” he said, “and he’ll soon control the Internet too.” And, he added, “Who do you think really reads bloggers? People who already share their point of view.”
I’d have to pack it in now if I wanted to take that cynical a view. While he may still be getting his news from TV and newspapers, millions of people – particularly those under 35 – turn to the Internet for headlines and opinions. And it was through the Internet – and in this country principally through MoveOn.org – that millions of people not only learned about, but also were motivated to attend Live Earth events or watch the live Internet broadcasts.
More importantly, wherever you get your news — whether its right wing FOX or the liberal Daily Show — headlines around the world addressed global warming yesterday and today.
Will millions of people change the bulbs in their homes to CFLs? Will they shut off the lights and appliances when they’re not using them? I believe they will. What do you think?
Note: Al Gore has lost about 30 pounds. And Live Earth was a global Al Gore love fest. Is his 2008 announcement again possible? Stay tuned.
Posted by B.L. Ochman
I wonder how many energy saver bulbs Al Gore has in the chandeliers in his mansion?
I just don’t get this idea of buying carbon credits.
Sounds like the old shell game.
With the logic they attempt to use; We all could generate as much greenhouse gas as we please just as long as we have enough money to buy our way out with these so called “carbon footprint” credits.
One other thing, how much pollution did the concert generate? With all that electronic equipment, the cars in traffic jams going to and leaving the site, the giant SUV’s and limos for the stars, the jets to get AL and his cronies to and fro.
The old “Do as I say not as I do” Liberal mentality.
Thanks AL
Anytime you get people to think on a more planetary basis, it’s a good thing …
Are you saying it would be better to have done nothing and therefore used no energy?
This event raised global awareness of the issues several notches in ONE DAY.
Compare what was spent to the amount of time, money, and energy, human and otherwise, by the right to keep oil interests happy and keep environmental laws from changing.
We all know that power production is one of the biggest producers of carbon. We are way behind in our ideas about how to reduce that carbon and therefore global warming. We need to do it safely but so far our governments have not shown us a safe way as we live in a world that is entrenched in crazy ideologies. Much of this is as a result of fossilized ideas from previous centuries and backed up by big business and industry that nuclear and fossil fuel power will be the major sources and will have to be in order for jobs growth and prosperity to occur and that renewables are not capable of it and therefore will have an insignificant effect. Indeed the opposite will be true. There has been a big breakthrough in the renewable energy field that does enable it to provide base load power with grunt for industry and in doing so will provide future growth jobs and prosperity. Using mature proven technology and well understood science and applying it to solar thermal power have brought this about. I refer to the use of cheap simple flat mirrors system in the collection area of concentrated solar thermal power sites (For readers not familiar with CSP, this is the simple but effective technique of concentrating sunlight with mirrors to create heat and then using the heat to raise steam to drive turbines and generators, just like a conventional power station.) and the disassociation of ammonia for the storage of the sun’s energy which turns out to be a simple and cheap thing to do and first demonstrated in May 2002.
This closed loop storage system locking up chemically the sun’s energy is efficient and does not loose energy over any period of time either by storage or use and enables 24/7 base power production with grunt for industry or readily medium or peak power on demand in a stand-alone situation not relying on any back up from fossil fuel! This means also that the sun’s energy can be stored for use in the wintertime or for any extended period of time. No other concentrated solar thermal power storage system is able to do this. An explanation of this system is shown on the ANU website and has been developed by Australian scientist Dr David Mills who had to leave Australia due to Australia’s unfavorable political policies and join forces in USA with venture capitalist and founder of Sun Microsystems Vinod Khosla in order to build a gigawatt solar thermal power station based on these technologies. And they intend to do this within one year! Renewable energy does not produce CO2 and therefore does not have that burden and the energy is freely delivered. These facts together with the cheap flat mirrors and the ammonia storage system will enable economies of scale plummeting prices to cheaper than nuclear or fossil fuel power. This is when the crunch will come for these industries. Any venture capitalist putting money in the renewable energy industry will be on a sure winner. Based on these technologies a collection area 50kmx50km if it’s in one block but could be in smaller blocks in Australia is enough to provide all of Australia’s energy needs including the production of hydrogen, which is part of the process for motor vehicles. In fact there are plans to provide the whole world’s major power from CSP using desert areas in the Middle East and in China and using high voltage direct current transmission lines that have only 3% loss.
I think it will make a difference. We are, unfortuanately, still at the “educational” entry level to this problem. We should be well beyond that. The reason we are not is because the Global Warming deniers and their paid minions have successfully bamboozled much of the world into doubting the indisputable science that has been available for decades.
It’s easy to critize Gore by saying this is not enough, the concerts actually CAUSE pollution, it’s all about him making money or to position himself for another run at the White House.
The one criticism I’m NOT hearing though is that he is “full of shit” about Global Warming – not anymore. Everyone now knows that Gore was right all along so now the attacks come at different angles now.
My message to the critics. Tell us what YOU are doing about Global Warming and then you will have our respect when you criticize Gore for not doing “enough”.
I find it funny how all of these “climate chicken hawks” a.k.a. Musicians,Actors and Socialites are all of a sudden veiwed as being an authority on something so complexed as climate and geological science. I suppose they can sleep well in their climate controlled 15,000 SqFt mansions.
I also love how no mention of the two largest producers of carbon emissions and polution-China and India are never mentioned. It tends to only be rich nations like america who seem to get the lecture. Sure america has polluted and destroyed during the industrial revolution but these wealthy loud mouths wouldnt be here today if commerce and growth hadnt taken place.
John – your response to critics is right on the money.
gore has proven once again that he’s a true leader, capable of making millions of people think about the planet’s issues.
and most of the promotion was done online, which shows how powerful a force this community has become.
Really good poi……
(just shut my machine off to save electricity)
I am hopeful that people will take steps to conserve their use of energy due to this event. I was gratified to see people doing something to raise awareness of this critical issue.
Although it is easy to maintain the status quo when one is ignorant; it is much more difficult to do so when understanding and awareness come into one’s mind and heart.
It can be hard to make sacrifices for future generations, especially when living in the now is so avant gard; but for people who love the earth and all of creation, it is easy.
It probably boils down to whether a person has a conscience, once they are informed if they will actually make any significant changes. Many of the changes that were suggested during this event are relatively painless compared to the prospect of having to put 100000 power sunblock on your grandchildren so they can catch the bus in the morning without being subjected to too much UV Radiation because of a missing Ozone Layer.
Some people will make changes, others will go their happy and ignorant way. Just as it has always been in society. Some pay attention and care, others don’t.
I think you’re right Dwight, but i think, hope, that Live Earth will have positive impact long term.
And Kerry, that’s a hoot! finally, a bit of levity!
I’ve made some changes and, though it was months before Live Earth, it was in large part due to Gore raising my consciousness. The great thing is, you can make changes to help those future generations that Dwight spoke of and still help YOURSELF right here and now. I changed out my old shower heads for about $30 total to newer 1 GPM heads and I have shortened my average shower time. I wait until the dish-washer is full before I turn it on, instead of automatically every night. I put up with a couple of degrees colder in the winter and a couple of degrees hoter in the summer before the heater/air conditioner goes on. I also have now changed out most of my old incandescent bulbs for CFLs. The net result is money in my pocket. Now I know that me doing these things isn’t going to make a fly-speck of difference, so I’m counting on the fact that millions of others may well do exactly the same or something similar and that WILL make a difference. Good luck to us all.
B.L. I like what you are doing with your blog and I agree 100% about Al Gore. I wish the guy would change his mind and run for president. He already won it once, the world would be a better place right now if he had been given his presidency and he DESERVES a chance to complete the job. Frankly, I don’t think he WILL change his mind though (so all of you Gore-haters can settle down)!
The 18-25 year old demo has lived through the Age of Skepticm and doesn’t know how to make a difference. What people see as indifference in this group is possibly a lack of control or not having the tools to make a difference. Concerts like what we saw over the weekend give this group and others a way to express themselves similar to what our parents did in the 60’s with the Marches around Vietnam.
This demographic group also doesn’t have time to waste and uses its time to the max so it prefers the Internet to learn what is real and what is not. It also can effectively share and challenge in this democratic medium. I believe you will see more of this and the Concert was a rallying point for this group. That is positive and the future I believe will provide this group with tools that further put them into control. Watch for them.
I hope you are right Jeff because if they don’t activate themselves, this is all for naught. The battle has plenty of Generals. What it needs now is soldiers. Maybe this was their version of Woodstock.
EarthStock?