The UK Guardian has an extensive report about the Live Earth concerts to be held around the globe on Saturday. Some estimate that 2 billion people will be watching. Why could this be a 'bad thing?'
Seems to me that scientists from around the globe have determined that the earth is in some sort of early-stage climate shift. Many predict large scale consequences for people if it goes unchecked. Human activity is one major cause: excess CO2 emissions; the greenhouse effect.
Who would object to such an 'awakening' event as Live Earth? Wouldn't all 6 billion earth-dwellers benefit from the knowledge to be shared at these events?
Of course, the energy industries would object; after all, it is their by-products that are adding to the CO2 of the atmosphere. Surely they have been working diligently these past weeks figuring out how to 'spin' the bad news. No doubt many congressmen and women have been in closed-door meetings with the executives of these energy corporations, making quid pro quo deals. Naturally this is very sad, but not unexpected.
What confuses me are the ordinary folks out there who 'object' to this concert. Many will ridicule it and make fun of Al Gore as they did of his film. This puzzles and alarms me greatly. How could 'knowledge' be dangerous?
Or is it something else altogether? Is it nothing more than petty politics? Would ordinary American citizens be blinded to the truth because they wear thick political glasses? Would a strong Republican, for example, disavow the information being presented about global warming solely because Al Gore is a Democrat? If so, this is politics at its most nonfunctional extreme. Say it ain't so.
The erratic weather experienced right here in the United States ought to be some sort of clue that things aren't normal. Record heat in the West [moving here next week], drought in the South all the way to southern Ohio, Florida burning, and record floods in Texas should give a bit of hint that, perhaps, just maybe, there is some change in the air.
Ask the corn farmers here in northwest Ohio. The soybean farmers in Wood County. They are praying for rain and not those hit-and-miss showers of late. Farmers know something is amiss. Their livelihood depends on predictability. We ought to hear from them first. Yet it takes a former vice-president to have the clout to bring the message forward for the farmer, for us.
Tonight I will spend the evening in the home of a right-wing relative and I will broach the subject. Tomorrow I will let you know their reaction to Live Earth.
