Youth Atwitter On Live Earth Concert 7-07-07

msn-live-earth.jpgThe countdown has begun, to “rock for our rock” tomorrow online via MSN Live Earth. One peek at Live Earth/Twitter and you’ll see youth ramping up for the global 7/7/07 music fest with eco-tips for sustainability in short blips from people around the planet answering, “What are YOU doing to solve the Climate Crisis?”

Social media messaging platform Twitter is one of the Live Earth partner orgs, along with new media I hadn’t yet heard of, like Ondah, “for spontaneous personal expression through mobile camera phone photos.”

Twitter applications continue to evolve, captivating the youth market (have you seen TwitterGram for mp3 uploads yet? They just keep comin’! Twitterverse, the Twitter fan wiki, Multimapping Twitterbot) so it makes sense that Gore’s crew would tap this distribution channel to get the word out to youth. Gotta hand it to ’em. Mainstream media has mostly covered the hiccups and focused on greenwashing, since jetset rockers trying not to leave a carbon footprint is a bit oxymoronic.

Live Earth hype has been pretty dormant until now, though kids are hosting Live Earth house parties, flocking to wide screen concert venues, outdoor amphitheaters, and sharing the experience with friends. To give you a feel for scope, as of 4th of July, over 7,000 ‘friends of Live Earth’ events were registered in 129 countries and all 50 states, and they’re still popping up all over.

Europe’s coverage of Live Earth far exceeds the USA, but youth media-wise, the strategy itself has tapped into some interesting arenas.

The ‘see and be seen’ desire for self-celebrity among kids is linked via commitment pledges to ‘watch for your name on the screen.’ (nothing like a “call to action” with a vanity twist) And there’s also an SMS texting blitz to send an ‘SOS’ to the world via peer power.

NBC has the lead broadcast role for prime time TV coverage, and it will be live on MSN around the clock, bringing together 2 billion people in the hopes of triggering a global movement to combat the climate crisis.

Here’s Shaping Youth’s prior article, along with up-to-the-minute press, news to use/ways to go green, and this cool 3-minute Live Impact (carbon footprint tool) revealing your own personal role in sustaining the planet. (truly helps kids ‘get it’)

There’s considerable controversy as to whether this event “will do more harm than good” as EngadgetHD cites here, but I’m clearly excited about the music, and VERY curious as to the outcomes, as a ‘change agent’ of media, Shaping Youth.

The fun begins ‘down under’ in Sydney, and the Live Blog will post “remarkable stage moments,” pledge statistics, and reports from the ground to the Empire State Building.

I’m sure it will also be covered in Second Life, virtual worlds and extensively in the blogosphere, but it’s sure had its setbacks and keeps morphing into new venues.

As these articles show, Rio is now OUT (crowd control issues) but Washington D.C. is now IN on the National Mall. Wouldn’t be surprised if Rio popped back in to keep the 7-continent thing goin’.

Hard to keep up with all these Live Earth spins, including naysayers, media pundits, rah-rah recyclers, climate control queens and cynical environmentalists. Whew.

The Treehugger site covered some of the controversial slams made by Bob Geldof. (organizer of Live 8 & Live Aid) They contributed solid back story to the green policy and this Forbes article chimed in rightfully asking, “Just how green will Live Earth be?”

Personally, I liked their final quote, “The real impact is not how green they can make Live Earth, but how green they can help make all the concerts that come afterward.”

The Celsias blog queried if we’re just aimlessly “partying our way to Armageddon” (great line!) and this pop culture music article in PreFixMag pointed out the political flak resulting from former U.S. Vice President Al Gore being Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth.

Even some of the bands (The Who, Pet Shop Boys, etc.) joined the sling fest while other performers like Keane countered that sheer awareness elevates the dialogue.

Cries of hypocrisy range from pointing out primadonna performers that dispose of people and products with equal fervor, to the impact on the carbon footprint as a whole. Madonna’s taken a lot of heat for obvious “material girl” reasons…

This new blog, Do Something: Celebs Gone Good backlashes the Madonna mega-mogul disconnect with a positive twist. (looks like their intent is similar to our “People Shaping Youth” site in development, as part of our nonprofit’s plans to align with better role models for kids. (yay! Paris, you’re outta here, bleh)

Wow. Hard to believe a ‘do-gooder cause’ could stir the pot with such controversy. (Although we do that all the time here at Shaping Youth, so hey…Ya can’t please everyone, Al, hang in there!

Seems to me ALL of these are worthy points to engage in meaningful dialogue and elevate awareness.

Marketing wise, Live Earth is all over the planet, teaming with NGOs and nonprofits as well as commercial entities like evite, Gibson Guitar, ebay, Pepsi and Absolut.

I’m rooting for the lesser known supporting partner entities like AISO (only 100% solar powered data center in the world) Brand Neutral, and Visible Strategies (creator of See-It, a software tool to help orgs manage their sustainability footprint) to get some heavy media coverage and exposure instead.

IntelSat, (world’s leading provider of commercial satellite services) signed on as official sponsor a couple of weeks ago, ensuring all media platforms – TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels will beam in both standard AND high definition quality video formats. (“Sweet” as the kids might say!)

I guess for me, the Live Earth question is this…will it help more than it will hinder?

Will it promote dialogue and escalate meaningful action beyond awareness and a good time? If not, what’s a better way? Ideas?

For youth leaders, youth advocates and hopeful centrists like yours truly, it ALL remains about raising the bar, championing action, and inspiring hands-on accountability with positive media messages.

Global warming may not be solved through the universal language of music, but it’s a good start…

Diverse entertainment headliners like Madonna, Akon, Missy Higgins, Kumi Koda, UB40, The Police, Shakira, Joss Stone and Snoop Dogg are all coming together for what’s being billed as “the largest high definition music event in history.”

Can’t wait! Pick your media venue of choice, and don’t miss the opportunity to support our big blue planet to ensure we can ALL “Rock on!”

p.s. On a green but non-musical note, check out this new eco-chic resource, the Green Girl Guide sure to be a youth fave in “Daily Candy meets Stella McCartney” lifestyle realm. Still consumerism, but trading on the ‘organic-do-your-part’ coolness currency that flourishes with youth media buzz.

And here are MSN links to a few related articles:

10 Shows That Will Make Live Earth a Day to Remember
24 Hours of Green TV: Spending the Day Watching Eco-Programming
A Greener Reality: Reality TV Series Shed Light on Darker Problems
Making Madonna: 10 Moments That Created An Icon
Smokey, Woodsy and Iron Eyes: Greatest Environmental TV PSAs
Live Earth: Historic Concert Event to Solve the Climate Crisis
Environmental Films Aren’t All About Penguins and Al Gore
Cause Concerts: A Brief History of Activist Concerts
How Celebrities Apply Eco-Consciousness to Everyday Living

And NOTE THE TIME ZONES ON THE CONCERT SCHEDULE!!!

OFFICIAL CONCERTS AND SCHEDULE

OFFICIAL CONCERTS
Live Earth New York
Live Earth London
Live Earth Sydney
Live Earth Rio de Janeiro
Live Earth Tokyo
Live Earth Shanghai
Live Earth Johannesburg
Live Earth Hamburg
LOCAL START
2:30 p.m. 7/7
1:30 p.m. 7/7
11:10 a.m. 7/7
4:00 p.m. 7/7
12:00 p.m. 7/7
7:00 p.m. 7/7
6:00 p.m. 7/7
2:00 p.m. 7/7
USA START (EDT)
2:30 p.m. 7/7
8:30 a.m. 7/7
9:10 p.m. 7/6
3:00 p.m. 7/7
11:00 p.m. 7/6
7:00 a.m. 7/7
12:00 p.m. 7/7
8:00 a.m. 7/7
SPECIAL BROADCAST EVENTS
To-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan
Rothera Research Station, Antarctica
Washington, D.C.(All times subject to change)
LOCAL START
11:00 p.m. 7/7
TBA
10:30 a.m.
USA START (EDT)
10:00 a.m. 7/7
TBA
10:30 a.m.
404

Comments

  1. Just caught some of Missy Higgins Live on MSN in Sydney, Gore kicked off the festivities from D.C. (update here: http://www.liveearth.org/?p=191) and the only glitch I had was using Firefox when good ol’ MSN preferred my browser be IE. Go figure. 😉 Just to be ornery I left it ‘as is’ rather than reboot, and it finally “let me in” but not without prompting me to change/reset/unblock firewalls and such…my, my, Mr. Bill…terribly unsporting. After all, this is for a good cause, can’t we all “just get along?” 😉 heehe.

  2. bill daul says

    HOW the heck do you keep up on all of this…and create such a sharp BLOG!?!

  3. Well, Bill, as you know, I don’t sleep much these days…;-) Amy

  4. Ok, gang, I’ve got 4 windows open, and am absolutely amazed that I can listen to the concerts in Australia, Japan, China and Germany popping in and out of the live venues with ease…

    TALK ABOUT HAVING A WINDOW ON THE WORLD!

    Is anyone in awe of the sheer technological capabilities of being able to ‘visit other countries live’ for a peek into different cultures, musical sounds, concert venues and a cacophony of languages via the internet live streaming video?!? Or do youth ‘expect this’ as a ‘given’ since they’ve grown up with net culture?

    As soon as my sleepyhead daughter wakes up, I’ll get her read on this, because I am absolutely amazed they are pulling this off with all the little ‘video channels’ on MSN Live at the bottom of the screen, and whether you like the music playing or not, the roving cams give a global flavor of “being there” that is beyond inspiring. Next, I’ll try the ‘make a pledge’ feature and see how it all shakes out…Tune in. This is fun!

  5. Anastasia’s YPulse blog had an interesting “GEN Y” view of how kids feel about the planet in terms of being born into a ‘doomsday—survival—apollo 13’ environment of eco-disaster. Depressing, but understandable in terms of how some of youth interpret things…Check this out:

    “We’ve been born into the third act of a film like apollo 13, only instead of a problem on a spaceship, it’s on the earth.

    It’s not 100% or anything, but we are by no means guaranteed an earth to live on. That means that 1) we’re trying to scramble to get into positions of power so we can fix things because we don’t trust the people running the world up to this point…

    2) we’re trying to live out our lives in about half the time because that’s possibly all we’ve got left before we kill the earth, and

    3) we’re trying to get into the position of spearheading technology that will allow us to live in space.

    We’re not narcissists, we’re survivalists. Not to be an extremist or anything, I just wanted to throw the idea that this may be factoring in somewhat.” –Kristen O via the YPulse.com blog”
    Full link here:
    http://ypulse.com/archives/2007/07/comments_on_the_3.php

  6. Um…okay, so those dang Pussycat Dolls writhing on the stage like Striperellas saying ‘we gotta stick together girls’ in the U.K. are not doin’ much for the global warming issue, heating up the sexploitation appearance-based cues for girls…

    They’re singing “Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot/raw like me” and it’s a tail-waggin’ squat & thrust porn fest that should set us back several years in the bump-n-grind scene depicting women’s primary worth as body-driven pleasure objects. argh. Humiliating.

    My opinion has been shared on this already…

    See related Shaping Youth post here: https://shapingyouth.org/blog/?p=324

    BLEH!

  7. We at http://www.earthseeds.net have been promoting “Concerts for Spaceship Earth” for awhile now and working with musicians for helping “Planet in Every Classroom” efforts. Getting lots of email from our contacts who are feeling more positive – perhaps for the first time since 9-11. If Live Earth helps boost awareness and energy then bravo.

    Aside from the music – it was refreshing to see efforts being made at green tips & ideas and meaningful interviews with musicians & celebs (Sting & John Mayer etc)who admit their lifestype require some “Carbon Balancing” to say the least.
    We certainly are in need of some “NE4NE” – New Energy for a New Era! If 7-7-07 can be a watershed mark to uplift people to get excited and positive that we can make change and difference on the planet – then it will have been worth the effort. If nothing else, if we can make it “Cool” to be “Green” then monkey see- monkey do might bring us that much closer to the tipping point of the Hundredth Monkey Myth.

  8. Totally agree. And though I preferred the MSN Live internet coverage to the NBC quick cut attempts at ‘headliners’ and eco-snippets (MSN had MUCH better educational feeds and video interviews and such) I think ALL the efforts to raise awareness in a ‘monkey see monkey do’ mode are to be applauded—

    To stay on your monkey theme for a bit…I wish the press would’ve toned down some of the naysayers in ‘hear no evil see no evil speak no evil’ style as the greenbashing & greenwashing bit lent an accusatory tone that put the performers in defense mode and seemed a bit needlessly sensationalized. (we all know rock stars are not always the best role models, ahem…but better we strive for raising the bar than knock down the pole, eh?) Thanks for the comment…

  9. LIVE EARTH RECAP POSTED if you missed the event:
    http://liveearth.msn.com/le/video?ocid=specmedialepost

  10. Video Gamer says

    I find it rather ironic that a small group of people that produce more waste than small city are trying to convince me to be “green.” I wonder, how many gallons of jet fuel were used in carting around these celibrities? How is that green at all? Not to mention all the concert goers who had to drive, fly, or take a train to actually go to the concerts.

    I also find the “Carbon Balancing” to be hypocritical as well. The idea that you can spend money to “offset” your lavish lifestyle and your fleet of SUVs is ridiculous. Although, this is America and every problem can be solved by throwing money at it right?

    These people need to learn to practice what they preach. These singers and celibrities are the ones that need to watch how they pollute, not me or any other average person. They have the resources, but each one has a shiny new Escalade (or some equally ridiculous land barge) in the driveways of all their multiple houses.

  11. Dear heaven, but I can’t believe I’m so much in agreement with Video Gamer when I locked horns with him some blogs ago (re: Manhunt 2).–Am rather startled to see S.Y. so enthusiastic about the Live Earth EXTRAVAGANZA which hits such a sour note with many of us.–For the same reason which I’VE never been taken in by some of those (yeah, Y.G.: HYPOCRITICAL)fervent approaches (whether religious, political or what) which are going to “save the world,” I’m terribly cynical about this production.
    –I know, I know, Ms. Jussel: have I anything to offer more “hopeful” or constructive than this???–You’ve GOT me there….I suppose this will serve to “awaken” a CERTAIN group of people, but I’d like to think that some of us have been “singing those songs” in another fashion to our kids (despite the media’s “gimme, gimme consumerism”) for some time, and all the impact we ever made was to gain reputations as being “cheapskates” and too conservative :”get with the Times, Mom” , whine, whine….
    I still marvel how easy it is to “SOUND magnanimous” and
    “TALK green” before an adoring audience and then JET home in my own plane to my paid-for mansion with “carbon footprints” that’d blow your mind, you know??? Excuse me while I go put the dinner-scraps in the compost heap….

  12. Ouch. Well, guys…I guess I’ve tried to state my case pretty clearly, which is yes, there’s ambivalence (& keen awareness) of wasteful rockers jumping onto a cause-marketing bandwagon.

    Believe me, I winced more than once throughout the show(s)—like when the N.Y. ‘save our future’-shirted diva did a ‘shout out’ to the crowd along the lines of ‘we’re all here for the planet so everyone “go eat soil or something” —gee…profound…she couldn’t even come up with a practical climate control tip? argh. So believe me, I hear you.

    On the flip side, as Momzilla self-admonishes, ‘what can you offer that’s more ‘hopeful and constructive?’

    Seems to me Live Earth raised global awareness, and the ‘hype’ backfired a bit, as self-evident in the press. To me, that in itself is ‘hopeful and constructive!’ It means people are questioning motivation, implementation, execution…And demanding accountability, change, and progression.

    I tried to represent both sides of the media mix with fairness, and I think it’s obvious which rockers have been ‘in this for the long haul’ and which ones just signed up for ‘yet another gig’ on their circuit.

    One peek at the headlines will tell you you’re not alone in your views…

    Live Earth Takes Heat Amidst the Hype
    http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=119213&ac=PHnws

    Live Earth Hype Earns Praise & Skepticism
    http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=516c18c4-1408-4602-a7cd-2ccc17ee62fc

    Live Earth Flop
    http://www.theamericanmind.com/2007/07/09/live-earth-flop/

    Some scoffed early on before it even got off the ground, like “Heckler Spray” which is dripping in sarcasm, but makes some scathingly witty points.
    http://www.hecklerspray.com/madonna-to-pointlessly-headline-live-earth-at-wembley/20077814.php

    And others buried it at inception.

    But I ask you once again…What would YOU suggest we do to bring this vital issue to the forefront, create global recognition of the gravity of the situation, and then hold each of us accountable for making individual change?

    I think it was a politician (Perot even maybe?) that said,

    “The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.”

    Seems EACH and every one of us has to act for our collective survival…whether we become cynical activists or hopeful ones is a matter of choice, agency, and mindset.

  13. Video Gamer says

    “actions speak louder than words,” not sure who said that.

    I drive a ULEV car that gets 30+ MPG and when the weather is nice a motorcycle that gets 40+ MPG.

    I have not bought gas from Mobil or Exxon in at least 4 years.

    The easiest way to reduce pollution is to not pollute in the first place. Buying carbon credits does nothing.

    Besides, burning fossil fuels isnt even the #1 carbon emmiter in the world. Can you guess what is?

  14. I will share with all everything I learned in college and Grad School – Change takes time – Generations! We all tend to search for a magical silver bullet that will fix everything in one simple stroke, but that just is not the way it happens in the real world. It will take millions of actions (large and small) and Passion, Purpose and Commitment to bring on the changes that it will take to save our planet.

    Al Gore is one of many that it will take to make an impact. That we are all talking and debating and actively engaging in dialog shows that he already has. In the long run, people will forget the details of this particular event but realize that he has succeeded in breaking through the noise and is doing a tremendous job of raising awareness. This type of sustainability consciousness raising magnified by a myriad of media and educational sources is what is causing the tipping point to take place and will in the generations to come cause sustainability to be the norm, just as teens think of recycling today. Hard to imagine but it will happen.

    Personally, I think discussion is great but I urge everyone to take action whether it is large or small. I was watching the Live Earth Fest this past Saturday and it felt great to get my couch potato butt up and unplug my camcorder recharger! Hey, you have to start somewhere!

  15. Rob, I did the same thing w/my cellphone charger!

    Yep, we DO have to start somewhere, and YOUTH can be a great place… modeling behavior like that to kids from the get go, engaging them with best practices from the start.

    My daughter was the first one to ‘nail me’ for ‘leaving my laptop on’ which I admit is a habit-breaker challenge I’m not sure I’ll ever be consistent with…I can only hope I mitigate some of that ‘footprint’ with all the heavy duty eco-lifting I do in other realms of my life.

    Like you say…large or small, baby steps…Thanks for the comment; I’d love to do a follow up piece on your challenges (successes/failures) in making your Teen Thrive Earth Fest (or any event) “green”—it would further this dialogue and perhaps help others create some best practices on the campus level and K-12 grounds too! You game?

  16. I would be honored.

    You hit the nail on the head, baby steps. There is a funny movie called “What About Bob” with Bill Murray that does a very funny bit on baby steps.

    Too often we try to be perfect in our attempt to make a difference and it can be paralyzing. It truly is an ongoing process. I am sure Al Gore and his team knew what they were not getting “right” but IMHO it is about being in action and not being perfect. That is how change slowly occurs.

  17. Ah, “analysis paralysis”…yep. Know it well.

    That point is well taken for action steps…and one that I CLEARLY need to remember for Shaping Youth when I get in perfectionist mode on our branding and messaging…Sometimes coming from a media/marketing background makes me WAY too self-critical…And as marketing guru Guy Kawasaki says, “the enemy of activation is cogitation.”

    We must do what we can…cut ourselves slack when we can’t, and keep forging ahead proud of even our smallest victories which renew our spirit, n’est ce pas? Thanks for the comment. Looking forward to meeting you at the YPulse.com Mashup Tuesday! I’ll probably be wearing a Shaping Youth shirt for easy i.d. !!! 🙂

  18. I will have my FamilyThrive shirt on! See you on Tuesday.

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