Al Gore Hits the VMAs
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09. 1.06
Somewhere between Queen Latifah and The Killers lies......Al Gore? The man behind An Inconvenient Truth gave a minute or so rendition of his global warming slideshow to last night's MTV Video Music Awards. Besides getting the message across to just about every high-schooler with cable television, Gore announced a section of MTV's site dedicated to environmental issues, and global warming in particular, thinkMTV. In fact, MTV goes as far as to ask its audience to "Break the Addition" through a 12 step program that shows how to green your life, and you (maybe) guessed it, green your crib (where's a green "Pimp My Ride" ?) While we won't turn rock critic on the television's programming, we can give them a big thumbs up for bringing sustainability to their large and eager young audience. We only hope that they put their money where their web site is and purchased carbon offsets for their night of award extravagance.
I thought the Al Gore speech at MTV was great. Kudos to MTV for featuring him. I saw Rihanna's performance in Battery Park for the MTV promo, and I think that generated more global warming than a slew of utilities.
You have to brainwash them young, otherwise it won't work.
Someone needs to learn the difference between brainwashing and informing, I think.
MTV isn't exactly a beacon of sustainability though is it? In fact, it's the polar opposite, as it perpetuates the excesses of throwaway pop culture. Kudos to Gore for getting his message out to a new audience, but is there anything more pointless and unsustainable than an MTV awards ceremony?! People travelling from all over the place to eat lots, drink lots and congratulate themselves for winning "best video containing most gratuitous use of bling and references to how much money you've got" or something, to then be watched on countless TVs eating lots, drinking lots and generally being self congratulatory. But oh look, they've got an environmental presentation, so that's ok. Right...
Have to start somewhere. Maybe the idea that being green is cool will start being associated . Of course not with all the "it's not enough!!!" naysayers.
To Mike,
Historically, social and environmental movements have been led by young people because "adults" were brainwashed and sendentary. Ask any environmental educator and they will tell you that younger students are general more receptive to global warming and other issues. Young people are now inheriting the problem of global warming, a problem that they didn't create. Luckily youth across the US & Canada are taking action. www.campusclimatechallenge.org