Live Pfftt

Last Saturday was all right. At 6:50 a.m. (I set the alarm), I woke up and switched all the lights off. Since there were no plans in the morning, I slept again. A few hours later, I finally woke up, brushed my teeth and a rumbling in my tummy signalled the need for food. Since it was almost noon, I had brunch with the family. After brunch at the nearby restaurant and narrowly avoiding hitting an old lady, I turned on my laptop, put in the new Dream Theater in my stereo and throughout the whole day did nothing but entertain myself. The rest of the family were downstairs watching the telly. All this seem innocuous enough, yes? But guess what:

We just contributed to global warming which in turn leads to the imminent extirpation of the Earth.

But mostly we just contributed to a higher electric bill.

It would seem them celebrities and their fame and their celebrityness can somehow miraculously manufacture feelings of affection for the Big Guy’s Green Earth. And that was what Live Earth tried to achieve. Seeing Jennifer Garner using a filter for her coffee will make everyone make a mad dash for filters. Um, nope. Let’s not forget there’s Esther, Madonna, the singer who looks like a transvestite, who tried to pull the wool over somebody’s eyes people but has justly been vilified.

Do you care what a celebrity has to say about protecting the Earth? These are the same people who earn millions and most of the time they spend it on themselves. Would Snoop Dogg clear weed out of his garden as opposed to smoking it? What the fuck does that scumbag, lowlife, useless Kanye West and the rest of the sordid ilk known as rappers know anything about saving the planet? They have entourages the size of a small village! Does singing about a Gold Digger make you want to stop driving and ride a bicycle? Before you think I’m a prejudiced metalhead, what the hell does Metallica’s Enter Sandman hope to accomplish? Will it help impoverished and destitute children in war-torn countries? And don’t get me started with Rihanna and her god-awful brainless Umbrella and its even more meaningless lyric. Mainstream music entertains, not elucidates.

As I went for a quick jog in the evening around my neighbourhood, I saw children running around, chasing each other, laughing. But tell them that the empty packet of junk food they just ate will make the Earth sick they’ll just smile and continue chasing each other. Or better yet, why not go up to their parents and tell them that their child was just seen littering. Since apathy is intrinsic to most people’s nature, they’ll just laugh it off and tell you to mind your business. I had a friend once who kept throwing garbage in the parking lot of our college. When admonished, he simply laughed. My smoker friends chuck empty cigarette packets onto the ground. I’ve seen men with their chunky rings and necks the width of small trees in their Mercedes and BMWs throw stuff out in plain view of everyone. Women so immaculately dressed in their designer clothing don’t bother to pick up their tissue paper when they miss the bin. I could list out more but I’ll just be wasting anger.

Sometimes I feel as though I have enmity coursing through my veins, which makes me act like a bitter old man. Again, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this but I’ll keep on saying it: education is the key to a better future. Teach a kid that it’s wrong to litter and he’ll remember it. It’s that simple. Having concerts that promote global issues and such does nothing to change a person’s habit. “But if one out of a thousand changes, then, that’s good, right?” I hear you say. Yes and no. It’s good that one person has changed but what about the 999 others who had a great time and is looking forward to another entertaining extravaganza. It is precisely because of their indifference that makes it ineffectual.

Simply put: just being alive contributes to global warming, and ultimately, the Earth’s end. Think of all the things you do; the baths that you take; the food that you eat; the place where you go to hang out; the shows that you watch on TV, and so on. But we also have the power to make things right and well (Al Gore would be so proud of me). We fete people who entertain us, make us laugh, who make us wish we were like them. But they aren’t heroes. The real heroes are the ones who make it their life’s work to make the world a better place. They are the ones we should be lending a helping hand. We don’t know them. But we can help them.

The world doesn’t need any more concerts. It needs our immediate attention.

This is Chris, signing off.

PS: During the course of writing this piece, the author did not rush out to buy a paper filter for his tea. He used a teabag.