“Will Live Earth effectively convey the important message that citizens of the earth can make small individual commitments to curb climate change [/] and convince people to make those changes…?”

I think those are two fundamentally different questions. I’d be willing to bet: ‘yes’ for the former, and ‘no’ for the latter.

Check out this US Carbon Footprint Map, an interactive United States Carbon Footprint Map, illustrating Greenest States. This site has all sorts of stats on individual State energy consumptions, demographics and State energy offices.

http://www.eredux.com/states/

Good point Mike… another way to think about it implicitly would be that an ‘effective conveyance’ would elicit (or convince) people to make the necessary changes in their lives– in that way, the two questions are very related.

I’d like to think Live Earth will convey the message it wishes. But I’m not too certain. This is more entertainment than an effort to open the worlds eye’s to climate change. If you add up all the carbin and energy consumption, not to mention waste being produced by these events all over the world, I think it will generally do more harm than good. But thats fairly typical for things like this… lets pass a good message while causing even more damage than if we hadn’t said anything.

I like the message, but its delivery could be so much better and greener. But it should be a kick ass concert for who ever goes!

I think Mr. Gore hurt the cause a bit by living in such a big house. Speaking of which, when does Josh get back from Bali?

heh, not soon enough!

(next week.)

I am going to have to disagree with Jason on this. Live Earth isn;t perfectly green, but it will cause less damage than most other concerts going on this summer. The organizers are really doing everything they can. According to Forbes all electricity that powers the shows will be from renewable sources; concession stands are encouraged to use biodegradable plastics; waste will be recycled; production lighting will use LED light bulbs; staff and artist air travel will be offset through carbon credits; and ground travel will be by hybrid or high-efficiency vehicles where possible. A journalist friend of mine got tickets from their pr company and was asked how he was getting to the concert (of course he said driving a deisel fueled, oil spilling truck while simultaneaously clubbing a a baby seal) to find out if it was eco-friendly. Beyond all that it gets these issues in the news in a way people will listen to. Hell, if my mom in mid-ohio is reading this stuff and paying attention then the media attention alone is worth it.

a question would be – did Live Aid back in god knows when do anything to help starving children in Africa for more than a few months? Al Gore can do more to educate people in my mind with his lecture tours, his movie and his passion than can this egregious waste of energy. And if you think that driving a Prius or laying eco-bamboo in your trendy loft will do anything you’re mistaken there too. The only thing that will help the Earth is by consuming less of its resources. Don’t by a Prius, dump the car and bike around…. more on this kind of thinking here.