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LIVE EARTH: A PUBLIC DIPLOMACY THAT SPARKED NEW INTEREST IN FIGHT OF GLOBAL WARMING
AUG 6, 2007 - 12:01PM PDT
by Vivien Pertusot
The diffusion and evolution of new technology has profoundly changed the practice of public diplomacy. Originally considered an activity only practiced by states, private actors have increasingly begun to invest in public diplomacy related initiatives. This is what Jan Melissen calls “the new public diplomacy.” NGOs, companies, and social movements have embarked upon large campaigns via the Internet, satellite TV channels, and radio with the expressed intention of mobilizing foreign public opinion. Importantly, these new actors have forced governments to engage with them; they challenge governmental authority and have been able to impact the political agenda and the decision-making process.
On July 7, Live Earth kicked off a three-year campaign to combat global warming by organizing massive pop concerts all around the world. Live Earth represented an attempt to combine both old-fashioned and cutting-edge trends in social mobilization. The concert followed established patterns followed by previous events like Live Aid and Live 8 by bringing celebrities on stage to highlight a cause. The new component in the Live Earth formula was the rationale behind the initiative. The Alliance for Climate Protection wanted to raise awareness about global warming among the international public so that they will in turn pressure their governments to act upon and reform current environmental policies. As Marc and Craig Kilberburn wrote in The Toronto Star, “Al Gore simply bypassed policy-makers and took his message of conservation straight to the people.” In contrast to previous events, Live Earth’s goal was not to pressure governments directly but to mobilize the public.
Interestingly, media coverage failed to report that Live Earth represented the launch of a three-year campaign and instead focused only on the event itself. Live Earth events took place in eight cities around the world (i.e. Washington, DC; East Rutherford, NJ; London, Shanghai, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Tokyo, and Sydney.) Each event received the tacit support of their local governments. This was particularly important in the case of China, because Live Earth was the first such event endorsed by the government. Moreover, Live Earth coincided with the Chinese government’s launch of several initiatives to combat climate change. Although the Chinese government has been criticized because it still refuses to release an environmental report.
In the West, Live Earth suffered from various criticisms centered on the carbon footprints and the related hypocrisy of some of the performing artists. The strongest opponent of the event turned out to be Bob Geldof, organizer of Live Aid and Live 8. He downplayed the relevance of the initiative. “To make us aware of the greenhouse effect,” he wondered, “everybody’s known about that problem for years. We are all f*****g conscious of global warming.” According to Geldof, “Live Earth doesn’t have a final goal. I would only organize this if I could go on stage and announce concrete environmental measures from the American presidential candidates, Congress or major corporations. So it’s just an enormous pop concert.”
Others, particularly those from developing countries, depicted Live Earth as out of priority. Many African commentators considered Live Earth as a slight, considering global warming as secondary to the humanitarian situation in the continent. Others characterized the event as a Western extravaganza designed to promote greater environmental consciousness. In response to the event, representatives from several African governments (Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) publicly acknowledged how seriously global warming could affect the continent. Although the latest Pew Global Attitudes survey found that environmental issues do not rank highly on the overall list of African concerns..
Some Western scientists also spoke out, arguing that global warming should not be the international priority, but rather global attention should be focused on clean water programs, malaria, or AIDs. In Germany, Greenpeace criticized the fact that Daimler-Chrysler was Live Earth’s main partner, because they objected to the car company’s environmental record-.
A few days prior to the event, Al Gore introduced a seven-point pledge outlining how individuals could take small steps in their daily-life to better the situation. Even though the Alliance for Climate Protection claims that millions of people have already signed the pledge, very few officials or governments have publicly expressed their commitment. There have been a few exceptions. In the United States, Harry Reid, Democratic Senate majority leader, and Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, announced that they had signed the pledge a few hours after Gore introduced it.
While government officials have hesitated to sign the pledge, several governments have capitalized on Live Earth’s momentum by announcing initiatives featuring environmental reforms and international cooperation. The government has boosted its cooperation with the European Union on environmental issues. Australian Prime Minister John Howard addressed the issue on a video posted on YouTube before announcing a new set of environmental reforms. Australia announced new policies just days after Live Earth occurred in Sydney. These movements play to domestic changes in Australia’s domestic public opinion. According to a recent Worldpublicopinion.org survey, 92 percent of Australians now favor measures to combat global warming.
Initiatives to fight climate change were not limited to countries that hosted a Live Earth show. India is set to launch a program called “Green India,” which was described as “one of the world’s largest forestation efforts in recent times.” According to a recent HSBC global survey, 60 percent of Indians are really worried about climate change.
Several NGOs tried to capitalize on the current mood as well, by actively sponsoring Live Earth and its mission, such as WWF and I Count. International organizations also shared enthusiasm with Live Earth initiative. The United Nations Development Program particularly welcomed the Shanghai concert; because it has been deploying important efforts to assist China to reduce its energy consumption.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also announced that the UN would hold a debate on climate change on September 24 that would “give strong political impact and guidelines” to the December climate change conference in Indonesia.
In the aftermath of Live Earth, many commentators openly questioned the relevance of the event, but few of them focused on Live Earth’s public diplomacy successes. As one commentator argued in The Boston Globe, “It seems that the potential to influence nearly a third of the world's population to engage the issue and change their behavior outweighs the negative impact, and given what’s at stake that’s a leap of faith worth taking.”
The following is an aggregation of articles and commentaries published on Live Earth. The links are divided into four sections: (1) articles presenting Live Earth and its public diplomacy purposes (2) articles criticizing Live Earth (3) articles emphasizing how governments, international organizations and NGOs capitalize on the momentum (4) and public opinion polls.
LIVE EARTH AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PURPOSES
Al Gore, Kevin Wall, Pharrell, Mana, Cameron Diaz Launch Unprecedented Campaign, Concert To Combat Climate Crisis
(Press Release from Live Earth, February 2007)
Detailing a historic effort to engage billions of people across the globe, Kevin Wall, Al Gore, Pharrell Williams, Maná, Cameron Diaz, and the MSN Network today launched Save Our Selves (SOS) – The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis. The announcement was made at the California Science Center.
“Our climate crisis is the paramount challenge facing humanity. SOS is more than a global distress call. SOS will give the world the tools we need to answer that call with meaningful action. The most important part of SOS is how individuals, corporations, and governments respond,” Wall said. “Our climate crisis affects everyone, everywhere, and that’s who SOS is aimed at. Only a global response can conquer our climate crisis. SOS asks all people to Save Our Selves because only we can.”
Taking the first step
(Dan Hancock, China Dialogue, June 15, 2007)
Can rock concerts change the world? It is a question that was asked repeatedly last summer when “Live 8” asked for a mass movement to fight global poverty. This time around the question being asked is “can rock concerts save the world?”
I spoke to Live Earth’s official spokesperson Yusef Robb about reducing the event’s carbon footprint, educating rock stars – and changing the day-to-day behavior of the entire world…
Gore urges '7 Point Pledge' ahead of Live Earth
(Associated Press, MSNBC, June 29, 2007)
Al Gore on Thursday called on people around the world to sign a "7 Point Pledge" promising personal action in curbing global warming.
The former vice president unveiled the pledge at a press conference to promote Live Earth, the July 7 event of concerts stretching across the globe. Gore was joined by Live Earth founder Kevin Wall and Cathy Zoi, the CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection.
Moving Beyond Kyoto
(Al Gore, New York Times, Times Select, July 1, 2007)
We - the human species - have arrived at a moment of decision. It is unprecedented and even laughable for us to imagine that we could actually make a conscious choice as a species, but that is nevertheless the challenge that is before us.
Our home - Earth - is in danger. What is at risk of being destroyed is not the planet itself, but the conditions that have made it hospitable for human beings.
Can a global concert change the world? Live Earth hopes so
(Jake Coyle for Associated Press, Newsday, July 2, 2007)
Live Earth is ambitious by any standard: eight concerts featuring the biggest names in music, playing for a 24-hour period across the globe, all for the cause of global warming.
But like its template - 2006's Live 8, the global concert devoted to poverty in Africa - the mission of Live Earth is somewhat amorphous. Its aim is to “trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.”
Whatever Live Earth's accomplishment on Saturday, it will be difficult to measure. Former Vice President Al Gore, who partnered with Kevin Wall in founding Live Earth, believes the world needs to rise up as one giant vox populi to influence “a new political reality.”
Live Earth: How global warming became cool
(Terra Daily, July 5, 2007)
Once embraced only by tree huggers but now by Madonna, Sting and other stars, global warming had a turbulent ride before being adopted as a celebrity campaign issue in Saturday's Live Earth concerts.
For much of its history, climate change has faced indifference or ignorance, thanks mainly to skeptics who challenged the sometimes-sketchy evidence and fossil-fuel lobbyists who dismissed it as nothing more than a greenmongering scare.
Live Earth fighting concert fatigue
(Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2007)
Exactly how often can you stage a once-in-a-lifetime event? That’s the challenge Saturday for the organizers of Live Earth, the latest in a long line of huge concerts-for-a-cause. This time the issue is global warming — which is fitting considering the event isn’t generating quite as much heat as hoped.
That’s despite all-star lineups with such A-list rock, pop and hip-hop acts as Madonna, the Police, Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West and more than 100 others on stages in eight cities around the world, including East Rutherford, N.J.; London; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Sydney.
‘This is just opening shot’
(Jonathan Leake, The Sunday Times, UK, July 8, 2007)
Once he was the nearly man of American politics, but this weekend Al Gore, Bill Clinton’s former sidekick, made it clear he was back, no longer just a politician but a phenomenon: the first global green celebrity.
As the Live Earth concerts rolled out around the globe, each blessed with Gore’s presence, either live or on giant screens, it became clear that the failed presidential candidate has metamorphosed into a prophet.
Live Earth takes direct approach
(Craig and Marc Kielburger, Toronto Star, Canada, July 9, 2007)
The concerts, a mix of music and activism, were an environmental call to action that reached upwards of 2 billion people.
Despite the impressive showing, Live Earth has one high-profile critic. Charity concert guru Bob Geldof – the rocker behind Live Aid and Live 8 – called the concerts a "waste of time" because they had no specific goal for politicians or corporations.
But that was the point. What made Live Earth unique was that it was geared toward ordinary citizens, not senators and CEOs.
Forget hypocrisy, Live Earth brought message to billions
(Joan Anderman, Boston Globe, July 9, 2007)
It’s hard to imagine a better setting for Live Earth, a.k.a. the Concerts For a Climate in Crisis, than the petrochemical corridor of the New Jersey Turnpike. We’re late to the game and we’ve got to start somewhere. That’s what’s so annoying about the criticism being leveled at Live Earth, ranging from the energy consumed and waste generated by the event itself to the vagueness of its goals. It seems that the potential to influence nearly a third of the world’s population to engage the issue and change their behavior outweighs the negative impact, and given what’s at stake that’s a leap of faith worth taking.
CRITICISMS AGAINST LIVE EARTH
Live Earth? It's a waste of time, Geldof tells Gore
(Cahal Milmo, The Independent, UK, May 16, 2007)
He may have made the definitive film on climate change and come within a hanging chad of becoming the most world's most powerful man but Al Gore's status did little to protect him from another force of nature - Bob Geldof.
The unloved former US vice-president, turned unlikely hero of the environmental lobby, found himself the target of withering criticism yesterday from the singer-campaigner for copying his "Live Aid" format for a series of concerts to raise awareness of global warming.
Geldof, who invented the simultaneous global charity gig with Live Aid in 1985, accused Gore of doing little more than organizing a worldwide musical extravaganza to state the obvious when Live Earth - a series of seven concerts across the world spanning 24 hours - takes place on 7 July.
Live Earth: deaf to reality
(Bjørn Lomborg, Guardian, UK, July 3, 2007)
The organisers of next Saturday's Live Earth concerts hope that the entire world will hear a crystal clear message: climate change is the most critical threat facing the planet. Planned by former US vice-president Al Gore, Live Earth will be the biggest, most mass-marketed show of celebrity activism in history.
But making global warming the world's top priority means that we shuffle other major challenges down our “to do” list. Some climate change activists actually acknowledge this: Australian author Tim Flannery recently told an interviewer that climate change is “the only issue we should worry about for the next decade.”
Tell that to the four million people starving to death, to the three million victims of HIV/AIDS, or to the billions of people who lack access to clean drinking water.
Live Earth criticized for ignoring African issues
(Mail & Guardian, South Africa, July 6, 2007)
Mitigation, mitigation, mitigation -- the need for action to halt climate change will be hammered home at eight Live Earth concerts on seven continents on Saturday.
In Johannesburg, that message has dictated the choice of materials in what is being billed as a carbon-neutral concert, right down to the biodegradable drumsticks and guitar picks.
But to focus exclusively on preventing future pollution is to overlook an aspect of climate change that is deemed more critical in Africa, according to experts.
White Lies At Live Earth: DaimlerChrysler Kisses Green Goodbye
(Sebastian Knauer, Spiegel Online, Germany, July 6, 2007)
Carmaker DaimlerChrysler may appear as a green world savior at Live Earth on Saturday, but the PR push comes as the company scraps a number of its much-lauded programs to create eco-friendly cars and biofuel products. Daimler customers, unfortunately, would prefer a fat car than an environmentally friendly one.
On Saturday, DaimlerChrysler will sponsor Al Gore's Live Earth series of concerts, where it will promote its Smart "fortwo" line of fuel-efficient automobiles. Daimler's presence at the event has drawn heavy criticism from some environmental groups, including Greenpeace which has refused to affiliate itself with the global event.
The world won’t listen
(Guardian, UK, July 7, 2007)
Occasionally a noble attempt to galvanize action proves so ineffective that it only entrenches hopelessness. There is a risk that today's Live Earth could fall into that trap. It is an extraordinary feat of organization, involving eight concerts on seven continents, and will be seen on television by as many as 2 billion people. Yet instead of inspiring the world to action it may merely highlight how little of substance is being done to avert climate catastrophe.
The artists formerly known as huge carbon footprints
(Marina Hyde, Guardian, UK, July 7, 2007)
The Live Earth concerts taking place across the planet over this 24-hour period will undoubtedly highlight two inconvenient truths about our world. The first will be the ineluctable fact of climate change. The second will be our apparent inability to understand a point unless a celebrity is making it - usually fairly badly.
There is no question that awareness will be raised. But it seems worryingly simplistic to think that there is not a trade-off between raising awareness and using people whom many know to be hypocrites to do so.
Duped by rock star preachers
(Peter McKay, The Daily Mail, UK, July 8, 2007)
As the star of the Live Earth concert, Madonna instructed her Wembley audience to jump in the air as she sang. Were they jumping for Madonna - or for Al Gore's environmental campaign?
For Madonna, of course. Up and down bobbed a great sea of daft heads as she bounded around the T-shaped stage, a guitar around her neck, driving her fans into ecstasies of devotion. What a performer!
Critics: Live Earth Not So Green
(ABC News, July 9, 2007)
Live Earth's goal was to raise awareness and fight global warming. But with millions of fans attending nine shows across the world and generating more than 1,000 tons of garbage, the green concert has received mixed reviews.
This morning, people are wondering if a concert aimed at raising global awareness actually caused more global damage. One estimate said 100,000 trees needed to be planted to offset the carbon emissions released during the 24-hour event. Al Gore, the former vice president and primary force behind the concert, disagreed.
How Green Was Live Earth?
(Matthew Philips, Newsweek, web exclusive, July 9, 2007)
A 24-hour, global concert series featuring 125 artists performing at 11 separate venues across seven continents, Live Earth may well be the largest, most complex one-day entertainment event ever held.
Still, this wasn’t just a rock extravaganza; all of the activity was supposed to be in service of building global awareness of climate change and what to do about it. Just how Green was Live Earth, really? Large stadium concerts aren’t exactly eco-friendly, and while efforts were made to reduce energy consumption, waste and transportation, it’s unclear just how successful those efforts were.
The Life Earth ‘self-deceit’ show
(Roy Spencer, New York Post, July 10, 2007)
One obvious irony of this past weekend's Live Earth concerts is that it took an event that increased energy usage to get people around the world to participate in “saving the Earth.”
When Al Gore told us that 2 billion people on seven continents might hear the concerts, he didn't mention that nearly 2 billion more lack electricity, let alone the Internet or TV. Where's the concert to campaign for electricity for all?
Instead, folks in the developed world who feel guilty about pollution decide it's time to do something drastic - like throw a worldwide-rock concert.
Too Late for Fairness
(Business Day, South Africa, July 10, 2007)
By most accounts, Saturday’s global Live Earth concerts to raise awareness of the consequences of climate change for Africa was great entertainment to millions of rock music fans, including the crowd at Johannesburg’s Coca-Cola Dome, notwithstanding criticism that the performers in SA were somewhat past their sell-by date.
It certainly seems unfair to expect Africans, who have not benefited from a dirty industry, to now put their own development on hold to save those who caused the problem in the first place. But it is too late for fairness. And while underdevelopment in itself is an environmental disaster, it would be foolish for Africans to worsen the problem. We’re all in the same boat.
Africa: Live Earth Vs Africa
(Kofi Bentil, New Times, accessed on allafrica.com, July 10, 2007)
Few people in Africa will get to see Al Gore and his troupe of rock-star ecologists strutting their stuff this weekend - because most have neither television nor electricity.
That's just as well, because they would be aghast at Live Earth's bizarre message. In Africa, we have much more serious things to worry about than climate change. Indeed, if they achieve their objective the concerts will have done harm to the people of Africa.
TAKE ON THE MOMENTUM
China Unveils New Plan to Reach Green Goals
(China Daily, June 15, 2007)
China's top science official yesterday conveyed a positive message about achieving the country's green goals - innovatively.
“China is exploring a different way of controlling greenhouse gas (GHS) emissions. We will not follow the Western countries' way of high emissions first and then reduction,” Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said.
Wan told a news briefing organized by the State Council Information Office that the government is working to turn energy-saving targets into goals for CO2 emissions.
Under an ambitious energy-saving blueprint, the country plans to reduce its energy consumption per unit of gross domestic products (GDP) by 20 percent by 2010 from 2006.
Howard joins NZ in climate scheme
(Dennis Shanahan, The Australian, June 16, 2007)
Australia and New Zealand have begun working on a "harmonised" greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme before the APEC meeting in Sydney in September.
John Howard and Helen Clark announced a joint working group on an emissions trading scheme at the end of a five-day visit by the New Zealand Prime Minister.
Mr Howard said in Sydney yesterday that despite different approaches to greenhouse emissions in the past -- New Zealand ratified the Kyoto Protocol while Australia refused -- the governments would work together.
UNDP to support Al Gore's Live Earth concert in Shanghai
(UNDP Press Release, June 19, 2007)
As part of its efforts to catalyze action in response to climate change, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will join forces with environmental advocate/former U.S. Vice President Al Gore to support the globe-spanning 24-hour Live Earth concert series on July 7, 2007.
In China, UNDP helps increase energy efficiency in industry, promotes use of renewable energy, and fosters local capacities to adapt to impacts of climate change on food and water security, glacial melting and natural disasters.
Australia, EU agree to climate talks
(AAP, Sydney Morning Herald, June 25, 2007)
Australia and the European Union have agreed to hold regular talks on climate change, an issue on which they are often poles apart.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said a forum on energy security and climate change between Australia and the European Commission would be set up.
The forum would meet once or twice a year on developing cooperation in those areas, he said.
Live Earth and WWF - hotter than we should be
(WWF Press Release)
WWF and some of the biggest names in music took part in the Live Earth concert series to promote action on climate change.
WWF was present at all the concerts. Activities ranged from WWF CEOs and climate witnesses presenting on stage during the concerts (Hamburg) to distribution of WWF organic "hotter than I should be" T-shirt, hand fans and bandanas made from recycled materials (Shanghai, Rio, New York and Johannesburg) to biodegradable balloons (Johannesburg) that educated concert goers on their emissions to WWF staff briefing performers (London and Johannesburg).
Africa: Experts Meet to Tackle Climate Change
(All Africa, originally published in The Herald, Zimbabwe, July 12, 2007)
Leading agricultural research scientists from seven African countries are meeting in Harare to map out strategies to enhance the capacity of smallholder farmers to adapt to pressures of climate change in the region.
The experts, who began their three-day workshop on Tuesday, are also set to discuss activities to be pursued during a three-year project to be implemented in the seven participating states, namely Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
‘Green India’ soon, says Manmohan
(The Hindu, July 14, 2007)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the Government planned to undertake a major afforestation programme for greening six million hectares of degraded forest land. It would be one of the world’s largest afforestation efforts in recent times.
To be called “Green India,” details of the programme were being worked out and would soon be brought before the Cabinet, Dr. Singh said.
Howard joins YouTube generation
(AAP, The Age, July 17, 2007)
Prime Minister John Howard has joined funky independent musicians, jihadists and astronauts by using the hugely popular YouTube website to try to reach young people.
Mr Howard used the video to speak about climate change but gave little detail of the major plank in the government's policy, which will be a carbon trading scheme.
UN Secretary-General Advances Climate Change Cooperation
(Environment News Service, July 17, 2007)
President George W. Bush welcomed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Oval Office today to discuss climate change, issues concerning Darfur, plans for an upcoming Middle East conference, and also United Nation plans in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Speaking with reporters after their meeting Ban said, “On climate change, which is very important issue for all humankind, I appreciate President Bush's initiative during Heiligendamm G8 summit meeting.”
Ban said today, “I extended an official invitation to President Bush today to attend, to participate in a high-level UN debate on climate change, which will be held on September 24th. Your participation will be very much appreciated and I'm looking forward to welcoming you to New York.”
PUBLIC OPINION POLLS
Poll Finds Worldwide Agreement That Climate Change is a Threat
(Worldpublicopinion.org, March 13, 2007)
An international poll finds widespread agreement that climate change is a pressing problem. This majority, however, divides over whether the problem of global warming is urgent enough to require immediate, costly measures or whether more modest efforts are sufficient.
The survey was conducted by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and orldPublicOpinion.org, in cooperation with polling organizations around the world. It includes 17 countries—China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine, Poland, Iran, Mexico, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Argentina, Peru, Israel, Armenia—and the Palestinian territories.
Global Unease With Major World Powers
(Pew Global Attitudes, June 27, 2007)
The Pew survey finds a general increase in the percentage of people citing pollution and environmental problems as a top global threat. Worries have risen sharply in Latin America and Europe, as well as in Japan and India. Many people blame the United States – and to a lesser extent China – for these problems and look to Washington to do something about them.
HSBC launches international survey of public attitudes towards climate change
(HSBC Press Release, July 2007)
HSBC's first international survey of public attitudes towards climate change highlights a surprising spectrum of opinions across the world. Climate change may be a global issue, but reactions to it vary strongly. The HSBC Climate Confidence Index shows that people in developing economies exhibit the greatest concern, commitment and optimism towards the problem of climate change and in developed economies the greatest indifference, reluctance and fatalism.
Overall, the survey reveals that citizens of China and India are most optimistic that the problem of climate change can be overcome, while those in France, Germany and the UK are least optimistic that a solution will be found.
‘Skepticism’ over climate claims
(BBC News, UK, July 3, 2007)
The public believes the effects of global warming on the climate are not as bad as politicians and scientists claim, a poll has suggested.
The Ipsos Mori poll of 2,032 adults - interviewed between 14 and 20 June - found 56% believed scientists were still questioning climate change.
Climate Change Survey
(Ipsos/MORI, UK, July 4, 2007)
To feed into our report “Tipping Point or Turning Point?” we commissioned new research on public attitudes to climate change to see how convinced the public are about the issue, its causes and its possible solutions. Here we present some key topline figures with full details and analysis available in the main report.
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