The Unsuitablog

Whether you consider Live Earth to be hypocritical depends on whether you think it was a genuine attempt to change the way we live, or just a corporate beanfeast to make people feel good about themselves. I have always sided with the latter opinion, and got a lot of stick for it at the time when I announced I wasn’t a Live Earth Lover. This opinion was vindicated when it turned out that the people behind Live Earth really hadn’t read the script, and that they wanted to pretend everything was fine and dandy with the corporate world. I sent this letter to them, and published it in various places:

Dear Live Earth Press Room

I have been very vocal over the last few days about what I think are the chances of Live Earth succeeding, and I would be dishonest if I thought that it would change more than a very few minds for good. I don’t know how you measure the success of a set of concerts, but regardless of my predictions, I did state to various journalists that I did wish you all the best in your venture.

That is, until now. I have had the deep misfortune to stumble upon your streaming media site to discover that your key sponsor is one of the most notoriously anti-environmental vehicle manufacturers on Earth. The parent company, GM, was the last auto manufacturer to leave the voracious climate change denying Global Climate Coalition. GM were also a key funder of the anti climate change lobby group, the Competitive Enterprise Institute. As for Chevy themselves, the Forbes Top 2007 Gas Guzzlers has Chevrolet’s models really cornering the market with vehicles at numbers 4, 6 and 8! This is one company that loves to pollute.

If I want to see a video of a performance I have to see a Chevy banner ad, and watch a 30 second advert saying what a great company they are. And that is meant to be a good demonstration to the millions of Live Earth viewers on how to care for the planet?

It sucks, and you know it. Live Earth has been polluted, and I am more than happy to tell Al Gore this myself.

Yours

Keith Farnish
www.theearthblog.org

I resent the letter a couple of times, then gave up. Today I revisited the Live Earth site and had a look at the sponsors. Guess what I found? Well, you can see some of them at the top of this item, so let’s have a quick look through them:

SMART : Owner by DaimlerChrysler, manufacturers of some of the most polluting vehicles on (Live) Earth.

PHILIPS : Major electronics manufacturer.

PEPSI : Owners of Burger King, KFC and, of course, PepsiCola. Corporate food giants.

ABSOLUT : Vodka giant, and advertising masters.

ESURANCE : Motor insurance company.

I’m sure you’ll agree that the synergies between the sponsors and the protection of the planet from corporate-driven destruction are remarkable. Or maybe not.