I remember watching the highly publicized Live Earth concert back in July last year. The event was developed to combat climate change and it was broadcast live for 24 hours. The concerts brought together more than 150 musical acts in eleven locations around the world and were broadcast to a mass global audience through televisions, radio, and streamed via the Internet. The next Live Earth will be held on December 7, 2008 in only one place, Mumbai, India.
I've always wondered exactly how effective the concert was in creating global awareness for our climate crisis. Even though the performers at the concert were constantly talking about how we should save our environment, and even in between commercial breaks, various celebrities preach about going green, does it really spur on the television viewer to actually change their lifestyles in favour of saving the earth?
Despite the concert organizers' best efforts in trying to convince the audience through music, I honestly doubt that the message has been sent across. Me? I only jumped at the chance to catch some of my favourite bands performing all in one night at one massive concert.
I read an article on the net recently about the venue for this year's Live Earth and I started wondering if they were planning on using the same old tactics to try to get people to be more environmentally conscious? Tactics such as bands shouting out for people to "Go Green!" in the middle of their song and having immensely popular celebrities film short clips of them doing their part for the environment (last year's Live Earth had clips ranging from Ken Watanabe cycling to Jessica Biel recycling her trash) to "set good examples" for us to follow.
How will we perceive all these attempts to enlighten us about the seriousness of the climate crisis? Perhaps, people will start showing more concern for the environment with the huge media influence from this event but I think that it will be short-lived. After watching the concert, which will be broadcast live for 24 hours by the way and I don't see how that helps the environment at all, people may be inspired to perhaps recycle their trash or take a shorter shower but is it a true lifestyle change or just a spur in the moment thing?
With that said, I'm still looking forward to seeing the list of performers for this year's event!
Sources:
http://www.liveearth.org/
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3if071151a9941bb2d0cd923bdde5d1684?imw=Y
4 comments:
Haha, I don't think the concert is very effective in creating global awareness. Maybe people will try to be environmental friendly for a few days/weeks and then they will be back to their usual selves again. But it's definitely a good chance to catch your fave artistes!
And if I didn't remember wrongly, you and your aunt stayed up for almost 24 hours to watch it last year? :O
Artistes and performers are good at singing, performing, and their methods do effectively reach across to a huge spectrum of people. Creating awareness this way is to me, really brilliant. If you try and educate some people on caring for the environment thru school lessons, they may just get turned off.
I feel that apart from these concerts, and awareness projects, concrete steps that are easy and convenient to start off with, should be followed up on. Sometimes people need some kind of impetus to begin with.
Another point i realize is, sometimes people feel hopeless when dealing with a problem of such grand scale. This kind of .. large scale project somehow manages to tell people that hey, we're in this together. That they're not alone doing it, and that together as a whole we can make a difference.
While the feel-good vibe may die off as soon as the performers get off stage and the audience switches off their tv sets, it's better than nothing, i feel. If other steps or more localized plans and efforts could be carried out, i believe it will not all be in vain.
Agree with tony, well, at least something impactful is done to create awareness in everyone of us. Also, I disagree that this event have not manage to make any long term changes in us. The few days of trying to be environmental friendly actually became a habit for me and these good habits gained sure helps the environment.
Well, as to how effective the message that they are trying to drive across is...I'm not sure. Maybe it does raise awareness and encourage viewers to go green like how American Idol managed to get voters to vote/donate funds to the lesser fortunate in Africa (I think).
Also,maybe this concert promoting environmental awareness will work better with younger teens and tweens who are more impressionable. Just a thought :)
You do have some point though, as in it not being effective. I don't even call up those hotline numbers during that annual mediacorp performance with all those stunts to raise money for the needy... *sheepish*
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