Climate change will get its biggest-ever publicity push on July 7 when Al Gore’s 24-hour Live Earth gigs are performed in a global relay across each continent of the world. With an audience of 2 billion and a line-up of stars including Madonna, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Kanye West, there’s no doubt the shows will get enormous attention.
But the astronomical cost of carbon offsetting the event – about £2 million at the last count – is beginning to raise eyebrows. For starters, more than one hundred artistes will be flown to venues in England, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, China, USA and Antarctica, which means vast quantities of carbon credits to offset the flights. And critics have questioned whether celebrities renowned for conspicuous consumption are the best ambassadors for a green agenda anyway.
Even Live Earth’s own environmental and sustainability director, John Picard, has admitted that he’s “upset” by the offsetting cost of the global gigs, but he concludes that that’s no other option.
The good news is that the concerts themselves will be powered by eco-friendly electricity, and each artiste will receive a “green briefing” from environmental experts on how to change their lifestyle to minimise their own carbon footprint. The theory being that by July 7, the stars will be in a position to practice what they preach.
Sadly, we’re unlikely to glimpse Madonna getting a rollicking for heating her drafty stately home inefficiently or charting private jets. But the intentions are certainly good and without an event on this scale involving international megastars, it’s hard to imagine global warming and climate crisis getting this much attention.
I simply hope the message on the day contains practical tips that people watching at home can digest and adopt. It’s easy to scare viewers with statistics of climate change and the consequences of pollution. But leaving 2 billion people feeling guilty and fearful would be a wasted opportunity. To be successful, Live Earth must strive to motivate its audience and achieve a legacy of sustained greener behavior.
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