The ‘events industry’ is huge, growing, and extraordinary wasteful of resources (I count carbon emissions as a resource) both in operation and especially in enticing people to travel great distances (for what mostly could be done via email or video-conference). If this concert can be done at, say, 10% of ‘standard’ energy and other resource costs, it will have achieved much more than a token ‘Live Aid’.

Tom

From: Discussion list for the Crisis Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Keene
Sent: 12 July 2010 21:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Do something positive about climate change, and have fun doing it

I obviously haven't across the message well enough - these are meant to be zero carbon concerts - although it may not be possible to get all the way down to zero in every case, but we're going to have a damn good try. And we're going to be working together to achieve this - all pooling our ideas on how to overcome some of the difficult practical problems involved in not only powering the concert but also heating the venue, and transporting the audience, equipment and artists.

And if you've got any handy hints on how to do it visit the website and contribute your ideas under 'Leave a reply' at the bottom of the web page 'How to organise a concert'

Please don't be negative about it - this won't be anything like Live Earth - it will be a grassroots effort showing that ordinary people can have fun in a zero carbon way - we won't have mega-rich rock stars jetting in from other continents. (But I met a band called Kizmet I think, at the weekend at Drum Camp, and asked them if they want to be involved - but they will have to obey the zero carbon guidelines just like everyone else - but maybe it wasn't a good idea to ask them - when is a celebrity not a celebrity?)

Thanks

Chris

On 12/07/2010 11:55, A&M Meikle wrote:

I agree with George on this - global concerts? How much CO2 would that generate and for what? People will have a good time and a few may learn something. There are too many attempts to change people by having celebrities spout forth. Yes, Live Aid (the first one) did have an impact on me but I'm pretty sure I would still be where I am now if it hadn't happened. There's no gig, book, film or painting which will get people to wake up to the global crises (plural) facing us. Yes, activism should be fun but there are limits! Activism also has to be effective.

I like the 'do nothing' idea but feel it would just be a way for activists to recuperate rather than actually achieving something (although if enough people did it...). Even the excellent 'buy nothing day' doesn't achieve much as far as I know (I'd be glad to learn otherwise!).

The only thing we can 'do' about climate change is to speak out about the growth paradigm - which is not usually fun! I've written about the stationary economy on my blog - apparently one idea was that growth would end once we'd grown enough! Maybe on 10/10/10 we could call for a maximum wage? That'd probably reduce the gap between rich & poor more than any aid programme.

Mandy

http://mandymeikle.wordpress.com/
________________________________

Energy is the one true currency, it always was and always will be.
- Chris Shaw

----- Original Message -----

From: [log in to unmask]">Brian Orr

To: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2010 10:34 AM

Subject: Re: Do something positive about climate change, and have fun doing it

George,

How about on 10/10/10 let's do nothing!

I'm serious. Okay it will be totally non-visual: no pictures for the media; no confrontation with the authorities.

And it doesn't have to be a push-over. Each of us can make it as tough as we like. We could stay in bed for 24 hours using no public services, no utility services and consuming nothing. Benefits? Virtually zero carbon consumption and that which comes from suffering which is that it makes one appreciate the suffering of those who have no choice.

But most of us who take climate change very seriously indeed would probably not want to go to such extremes. But reducing one's activity level to virtually nothing should not be a very tough - helped, unfortunately, by the date being a Sunday, a day of rest.

But a day resting, reading a book, partaking of the simplest of meals (no animal protein - perhaps the biggest single contributor towards climate change) and talking with one's fellow house-holders (If you live alone you might allow yourself a walk to your nearest friend.) should be quite pleasant while leaving one conscious of why you're doing it.

If only 10% of us fell in would it have any impact? Well, I'm sure the utilities would detect the difference. And we all have to tell our friends what we were up to so we'd be spreading the word. And at least for one day we would have reduced our contribution to the green-house gas build-up by nearly 10%.

Worth thinking about?

Brian Orr

On 10 Jul 2010, at 15:20, George Marshall wrote:

I hope I am not being unduly cynical when I say that a series of global concerts to express concern about climate change seems to me extremely lame and tired...and even if such events speak to the climate change community (which i doubt they will) I fear that they may even be counterproductive in the way they speak to a wider public.

I would be far happier to see something that is either focused and political- in the form of high profile mass protest, or as a mass lobby of mps or pressure on some powerful national players or corporations- or truly engaging and concerned with reaching the wider public.

But concerts?...aaargh

From: Discussion list for the Crisis Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chris Keene
Sent: 10 July 2010 09:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Do something positive about climate change, and have fun doing it

Do something positive about climate change, and have fun doing it

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY, to friends, family, neighbours, faith groups, colleagues, organisations and email lists

Even as the scientists are telling us action on climate change is becoming ever more urgent the politicians are dithering again – no climate treaty was produced at the last UN talks in Copenhagen, and every year we waste brings us closer to a tipping point beyond which climate change becomes unstoppable.

So now is the time for everyone to act together for the sake of our children's future, by joining in the zero carbon world concert for a zero carbon world on 27/28 November, just before the next UN climate summit, to show the politicians that a zero carbon world is possible.

We have no time to waste – preparations for the concerts will begin on October 10th as part of the Global Work Party called by the 350 <www.350.org> and 10:10 <www.1010global.org> organisations.

So visit www.zerocarbonconcert.org today to get involved, where you can find publicity material to download and social networking groups to join to spread the word, and contribute to developing the website and the practical guidelines for putting on the concerts.

And enlist everyone else too by forwarding on this email – the vested interests opposing action on climate change are immensely powerful but those of us who will suffer from inaction are far more numerous, and if we act now, and act together, we can defeat them.

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