Saturday 07 July 2007
Former VP says he's "filled with enthusiasm and energy" during global event.
On Board the Acela Express - Al Gore tried to rein in his adrenaline as the train churned between the two North American venues of his Live Earth concerts Saturday.
Gore, the former vice president and environmental activist, rattled off the latest details of companion concerts on six other continents before catching himself.
"I'm just so filled with enthusiasm and energy, I'm not letting you ask questions," Gore said in an interview with The Associated Press.
Gore kicked off the U.S. leg of the worldwide concerts earlier Saturday in Washington and was keeping track of the Giants Stadium venue on his laptop as the Amtrak train headed toward New Jersey.
While clearly one of the main attractions for the worldwide concerts, Gore tried to keep too much attention from being paid to his role.
"That's nice, but it's not about me," he said. "It's about the message. I think everybody understands that."
"No Plans to Be a Candidate"
Gore turned back criticism that the concert series lacked immediate goals beyond generally raising awareness about climate change. The concerts are just the first step in a three-year public relations campaign, he said.
"I've been trying to deliver this message for 30 years, and I know that it doesn't take in just one delivery," he said. "You've got to keep going."
The concerts will be followed by a global advertising campaign, with a particular focus on the United States.
"The planet doesn't have a PR agent," he said. "But now it will, because the Alliance for Climate Protection is going to use the modern techniques of messaging to get the scientific evidence in front of people all over the world."
Gore said he plans to return to giving his slideshows and training others to give the presentation about global warming after the concert series is complete.
"And if I can figure out some other way to get this message to more people more persuasively and more quickly, then I'll do that too," he said.
Gore laughed off a question about whether that could include a presidential bid and repeated his mantra: "I have no plans to be a candidate."
"I really don't," he emphasized. But he continues to not completely rule out a bid.
"We Have to Be Prepared"
Gore, whose slide show on global warming was the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," said the presidency alone can't necessarily bring about the changes he's calling for.
"I was in the White House for eight years and I saw the limitations of even the power of the executive branch when the people and their elected representatives in the Congress were not ready to contemplate the big changes that are necessary," he said.
"This is the rare challenge that really has to come from the grass roots up," he said.
And yet Gore said he understands that not everyone at the concerts would immediately buy into the climate change cause.
"It's great to just enjoy the music," he said "But I'm hoping, of course, that while listening to the music and enjoying the films, that they will be open to the message."
Asked whether the political campaign-like atmosphere around his travels doesn't get the old juices flowing again, Gore paused for a moment, smiled, and then firmly said: "No."
"I'm involved in a different kind of campaign, to deliver this message to people all over the U.S. and all over the world," he said.
"We have to be prepared to keep going for long enough to get this world across this tipping point."
Did the World Listen?
By Kathy McCabe
The Daily Telegraph AU
Monday 09 July 2007
There was a mad rush to the backstage generators when the lights went out at Aussie Stadium as Crowded House neared the end of their emotional headlining set to close Sydney's Live Earth concert.
In true showbiz tradition, the band played on, the crowd joining them in full voice on the acutely appropriate Something So Strong.
After a few minutes, organisers discovered they had simply run out of juice, the biodiesel fuel which powered the stage and arena lights. It was the first time anyone had used biodiesel for such a big concert.
"I guess they just weren't sure how much fuel they needed," one of the organisers said after the gig.
There can be no doubt that those responsible for the opening leg of the global Live Earth mega-concert did all in their power to be green. But were they successful in assisting to realise Al Gore's mission to create an international movement to combat climate change?
Critics have mocked the involvement of the hundreds of musicians whose extensive use of air travel to tour the world contributes significant carbon emissions.
Madonna, who headlined the London leg of Live Earth was perceived to be the least green artist on the bill, according to a British survey. Madonna's Confessions tour produced 440 tonnes of CO2 in four months of last year. And that was just the flights between the countries, not taking into account the truckloads of equipment needed, the power to stage such a show and the transport of all the thousands of fans getting to the gigs, managing director of CarbonFootprint.com John Buckley said.
While it would have been impossible for Madonna to walk or cycle to her Wembley stadium appointment, some Australian musicians made an effort.
Wolfmother frontman Andrew Stockdale set a green example, catching a bus from his harbourside hotel to the Moore Park venue. And he paid the $2.90 fare even though concertgoers could travel free by presenting their recycled paper tickets.
John Butler admitted some concern about the message sounding out louder than the music.
Wearing a "Say No To Nuclear Energy" T-shirt and cradling his son Jahli during the all-star singalong to Weather With You to close the show, Butler said it was imperative people now took individual action to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
Thousands of concertgoers also chose to wear their commitment to the cause, buying the limited edition SOS T-shirts sold at the event.
"The show was billed as an awareness concert but action is what should come of it. People have had a great day but have been handed a lot of information to be able to do something about the way we live and how we affect our environment," Butler said.
Sneaky Sound System were the first band to ignite the crowd's enthusiasm at Aussie Stadium. The band members were overwhelmed by the reaction to their set and the opportunity to step up for a worthy cause but did wonder if the 45,000-strong crowd were thinking about the planet as they bounced along to the hits Pictures, I Love It and UFO.
"People are being really nice to each other out there and collectively they know they are all here for a reason," said band founder Black Angus McDonald.
"They are happy being hippie. But I don't know that when we were on stage they were thinking about saving the planet."
His bandmate Daimon Downey said he was incredibly moved to have performed at the event and feel the wave of goodwill from the audience.
"When we finished I Love It, I just stood there looking out and could only say wow and hug (our singer) Connie. I felt so proud to be there, to be involved in this and do this for our sons and daughters and nephews and nieces, for their sake."
The last word is probably best left to Downey's nine-year-old nephew Kaizin. He had no doubt why he was there besides cheering on his Sneaky uncle.
"I want to grow up in a world that's healthy," he said.
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