Live Earth, part 2

I watched the day-long series of Live Earth concerts this past Saturday. When I first tuned in, the coverage broke away from the music every so often to talk with an author or innovator about strategies that people could adopt to become part of the solution to the global environmental crisis. Great! This was precisely what I was hoping the Live Earth event would present: drawing people in with music, with a strong focus on education and action.

I'd also been impressed by the information on the Live Earth website about the greenness of the event itself -- with power coming from renewable sources, the use of recycled products and CFLs, and more.

But as the concerts progressed across the continents, the helpful advice slacked off. They did continue to break away from the music, but these interludes quickly turned to interviews of the performing artists, with waning information about practical, everyday steps toward real change. There were still helpful tips offered here and there, but it was devolving into a seemingly unorganized Entertainment Tonight type of coverage.

I was disappointed that an event that had such potential to reach so many people and raise not only awareness but also increased activism had instead become just one more vaguely inspirational musical extravaganza. I don't want to sound as though I'm complaining, as I'm sure that Live Earth did help to wake up some people who otherwise might still be floating in complacency. It was absolutely better than no event at all, but I believe it fell short of its promise.