Al Gore To Announce Massive Series Of Climate Change Concerts!

[FourScore]

"Climate change concerts 'to dwarf Live Aid'
By Carlos Grande and Fiona Harvey

Published: February 8 2007 02:00 | Last updated: February 8 2007 02:00

A series of concerts "bigger than Live Aid" is being planned for July, in a bid to put the subject of climate change before a global audience of 2bn.

The event, scheduled for July 7, will feature co-ordinated film, music and television events in seven cities including London, Washington DC, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Kyoto, with major broadcasters and media owners aiming to extend the reach of public awareness of global warming.

It is understood that former US vice-president Al Gore, whose movie An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change to cinema audiences last year, will announce the event tomorrow in London..."

SNIP

"...They are promising a line-up of artists to "dwarf" that of the Live8 and Live Aid concerts, thought to be branded under the name "SOS".

One person close to the event said yesterday: "The talent involved is just exponentially bigger because the issue itself is bigger...."

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ebad1e4a-b719-11db-8bc2-0000779e2340.html

[Greeby]

1. Re-elect President Gore!

:bounce:

[FourScore]

13. Yes!!! Re-elect President Gore!

GORE/FEINGOLD 2008

[KittyWampus]

50. He's doing more good as a free agent.

[LynneSin]

2. I'm gonna try to go to the DC one

I'll have to reserve a hotel room

[ClassWarrior]

3. DU party in DC?

:hi:

NGU.

[FourScore]

22. LOVE IT!!!!

:hippie: :party: :toast: :bounce: :smoke: :thumbsup: :hi: :grouphug: :headbang: :yourock: :woohoo: :patriot:

[peacebuzzard]

82. Lynne Sin, aren't you in DC?

depending on the day, I may come as well...

[bbernardini]

4. Is Tipper going to pre-approve the lyrics being sung? nt

[FourScore]

5. No, that wasn't her finest moment...

but could we try to rally around the man right now? His work is pretty important.

[Turn CO Blue]

11. You know,

that whole censorship thing get me going. But I have this friend Adrienne who is the most progressive lady (never misses reading The Nation, really informed) who is completely aghast at the content in video games, music videos, songs, etc. and rants about how we should be limiting sexual and violent content for minors.

So, I guess there are progressive moms or dads out there who mean no harm but who are in favor of some censorship. It's odd because this is one of the only areas that my friend and I diverge politically. She is rather overprotective of her children and so this viewpoint of favoring some censorship comes from that parenting aspect.

[FourScore]

16. Actually, I agree with your friend.

It's hard to protect these kids from the violent images in video games and movies. The children have nightmares from them and it really changes their behavior. The way sex is often woven into the violence is quite disturbing. Also, the way women are portrayed is pretty disgusting. It's unbelievably difficult to shield a child from these games and videos and lyrics and images. Any parent can tell you that. Censorship is tough one. Really tough. I'm all for free speech, but when it comes to little brains forming and subliminal messaging -- it gets really hard.

Speaking as a parent, overprotecting a child today is not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, my kids ride their bikes sometimes without a helmet (only in our cul-de-sac) or my 9-year old will watch a PG-13 movie, but I can respect those parents who try to do things really by-the-book. Parenting is a tough job. Erring on the side of caution is probably wiser.

[Turn CO Blue]

23. I admit to having been

overly protective of my own children (they are older, so I am not in the thick of this issue right now).

I agree that that junk is harmful for young minds (perhaps all minds). It is a tough issue. It's hard for me to say that we should have outright censorship of content for other people's children as that is a slippery slope that leads to the question of who's standards are we going to use and who says what is offensive -- before you know it, Huckleberry Finn would be banned again.

I expect the parents to be parents and keep this stuff away from the kids. But who knows? As you say, parenting is a tough job, and even the best behaved child will fib about what games they played at so-and-so's house.

I am so shocked by and sensitive to the content in things like "grand theft auto" that I would not allow those for young children, and I am not sure I understand how any aware, or reasonable parent would allow that either.

[FourScore]

27. Exactly.

Communication between parents and helping each other monitor this stuff is the best way. My older boy doesn't like really violent stuff, so that helps (thank goodness!). But it's all quite difficult to manage today.:hi:

[mopinko]

33. tipper never censored anything, nor did she want to.

she just wanted video games, music and tv to have the same kind of ratings as movies. period. a little label. period. geez.

[bbernardini]

40. When those little labels meant that many stores wouldn't carry the albums...

...it's pretty much censorship. Many groups would face the choice of changing their lyrics, or not having their albums carried by stores like Walmart and K-mart, where, like it or not, a lot of the public does their record buying. Kurt Cobain said as much when he changed the album art to "In Utero," because many of the big chain stores would not carry it otherwise.

[mopinko]

43. that's not censorship.

that is standards of public decency, enforced only by the public. kurt cobain was perfectly free to be as offensive to standards of decency as he wanted. nobody was going to stop him. he was, however, also free to suffer the market consequences. the constitution guarantees free speech. it doesn't guarantee that everyone will like your speech, buy your product, or not be offended by the product.
i am an artist. i offend people. i like to offend some people. i do not expect everyone to like what i do. i do not consider that censorship. equating sales opportunities with government prohibitions is ridiculous.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

48. Does WalMart or KMart..

carry R rated films? Since I haven't shopped there in a long time, I don't know for sure, but my guess is that they do. An "R" rating doesn't stop films for mature adults from being sold -- why would have a content label for albums or video games? :shrug:

Has the "M" label stopped today's records or video games from being sold?

[jwirr]

78. What is the difference between labeling a movie, etc and labels

on food? They are meant to be a guide for the buyer. Truth in packaging.

[Jamastiene]

85. Exactly.

She never called for censorship...just a labeling system for parents. Of course, I was a teenager during that time and vehemently opposed until the parental warning stickers went onto the cassettes and cd's. All it did was make me buy only cassettes and cd's with the stickers on them, :evilgrin:. Honestly, I think she was just trying to make a system similar to the movie rating system for music some parents might not want their kids listening to. Adults always had a choice. There was never censorship.

[Morgana LaFey]

35. Was she calling for govt censorship

or self-editing on the part of producers?

[mopinko]

44. she wasn't calling for EITHER.

all she wanted was a label, like the movie ratings. i think that is perfectly reasonable. i think it can be argued that to most teenagers, if it doesn't have that little label, they are not interested.

[Morgana LaFey]

55. Thanks. I didn't think so.

I think she was right.

[John Q. Citizen]

87. Who decides what gets what label? Who decides the criteria? Who decides

who decideds? This is a problem with films.

If a movie gets an NC-17 rating or is unrated, it won't get wide distribution, period. And I'm not talking about porn here. I'm talking about serious films.

The devil is alway in the details. It sounds simple enough, but it does effectively equal censorship in practice.

http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9908/23/mpaa.ratings/

[KittyWampus]

52. If my preteen child wanted to go I damned well WOULD want to know wh0 was playing

at that concert.

Tipper didn't want 'censorship', she called for ratings. An entirely sensible and helpful thing to do just like movies.

[halobeam]

6. SWIFT KICK....

AND rec.

[GeorgeGist]

7. How many...

additional tons of CO2 will this Massive Series Of Climate Change Concerts create?

[FourScore]

9. You've gotta be kidding????

What have you done today to fight off global warming???:eyes:

[The2ndWheel]

15. I find both those questions have merit

If the goal is to stop the change, why add to it?

Instead of waiting for Jesus...I mean, Al Gore...or some other grand leader to stop the change, what are you actually doing to help?

Both very good questions. Hats off to both of you. Bartender, a round for the bar, I'm buying.

[FourScore]

18. Can someone tell me...

How do concerts add "tons of CO2" emissions?

BTW, Thanks for the beer! :toast:

[RandomKoolzip]

24. Trucks to haul equipment.....

Generators to run electric equipment, amplifiers, etc. that require all sortsa chemicals to create...how many trees were cut down to make the guitars, drums, drumsticks, etc. they'll use to make the music...

Plus, no doubt there's gonna be people AT the concert smoking cigatrettes, eating hamburgers, wearing leather, drinking and eating products placed in eco-unfriendly containers, etc.




Ay yi yi.

[HughBeaumont]

46. Maybe they should only allow ecologically friendly WEED as a smokeable product.

You couldn't even bring bottled water, if we're talking remaining true to the message.

[FourScore]

49. Weed sounds good!

And an old-fashioned cantene with a strap would work out just fine for water!:smoke:

[ClassWarrior]

20. With all the excitement for carbon-neutral filmmaking and the like...

...you've gotta believe that these shows will be models for carbon-neutral event production.

NGU.

[FourScore]

34. That would be ideal. n/t

[ClassWarrior]

38. I'm sure that Gore, Laurie David, and the rest...

...of those likely to be involved in this will demand nothing less.

NGU.

[progressoid]

59. They better be carbon neutral or RW pundits will be all over this

[ClassWarrior]

65. Not to mention the DU wags.

:D

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

88. .

[BluePatriot]

21. I couldn't help but think that too, hehe

but I think raising awareness about climate change is important...my FIL still, STILL believes it's all BS and keeps sending hubby and I photos of cold weather to disprove global warming, which is sort of why I wish people would call it climate change, but that's another rant.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

26. Compared to how much would be released...

if they didn't have the concert? Pretty much zero.

[RestoreGore]

31. Your question has merit...

I suppose it would be one helluva of a carbon offset. I suppose those playing in it or involved will agree to offset any carbon used in the process?

[RestoreGore]

32. Mr. Gore should use this footage in his sequel to AITn/t

[Shallah Kali]

42. Maybe they have Bill & Ted's special guitar to play?

seriously I am sure they will be buying carbon offsets

[Bjorn Against]

69. There are ways they could neutralize that effect...

They could use alternative energy sources to power much of their equipment, and they could commit to planting trees to absorb some of the CO2 that is produced. I am sure they have thought about this, just wait until they announce the events and I am willing to bet your question will be addressed.

[JackORoses]

8. damn, Al is a our next President

How can the American people resist an Oscar-winning, Nobel-nominated, Rock Star?

Yes!

[jwirr]

10. Good. I hope that if any money is made off these events that it is

used to plant trees in third world countries that are experiencing the worst draughts now. Earth in Balance recommended that 2 billion trees be planted to offset the CO2.

[Turn CO Blue]

14. 2 billion trees - a huge number - but it can be done

It could be done if each 3rd person (or each small family group or group of 3 friends) in the world planted one tree each. That would be a great initiative -- green arm bracelets - WE PLANTED OUR TREE.

[jwirr]

77. That number was mentioned in Al Gore's book Earth in Balance

and if the SCOTUS had seen his value in 2000 most of those trees would already be planted.

[RestoreGore]

30. I agree

The emphasis should be on sustainable ways we can all contribute to the solution. I'm sure if Mr. Gore is involved it will.

[InvisibleTouch]

12. Excellent! Go, Al! n/t

[Uncle Joe]

17. President Gore rocks!

:yourock: :patriot:

Kicked and recommended

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

19. What This Means For His Candidacy

I doubt he would want to take attention away from these events, so my guess is he won't make any announcement about running, prior to July 7. Hopefully he'll follow this up with getting into the race by late July, early August. Should give him enough time to build a strong campaign prior to the primaries.

[FourScore]

25. I think he should jump in at the very latest

possible moment anyway. Why any earlier? That would just give the press more time to skewer him. Let the other candidates have their mudfight and he jumps in squeaky clean (afte becoming an Oscar winner, Nobel winner, movie star, rock star, etc. of course)...I love it!:D

[Mabus]

47. That's what I was thinking

He wouldn't want to take away from the event and he needs to give it a few weeks before revving it up.

Here's my scenario: there will be Gore talk continuing through February because of the Oscars, this concert and his upcoming book. The buzz will continue up to and past the first few weeks in March. After that, the buzz begins about his book "An Assault on Reason," begins in earnest. He'll spend from now to July talking both about politics (globally and nationally) and global climate change. Right after Gore's book comes out, America will have a three-day weekend called Memorial Day when people are reminded of the number of troop deaths. Then Gore will talk about all the stuff he's doing to set the world straight during June. In July, America will get together the 4th and talk. Part of what they will be talking about is the mega-global climate change concert coming up in a couple of days. Then the concert happens and people all across America begin talking about what a prescient man Gore is. Gore will then take a bit of time off while America begs him to get into the race. Gore reappears and declares.

on edit: forgot to mention the Congressional testimony, the Nobel, and all the other accolades he is getting for trying to save the planet and its inhabitants.

[KittyWampus]

53. Al Gore is NOT GOING TO RUN. He said as much in his book. He is doing far more to help the world

now as a free agent then he could ever do with his hands tied in any office.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

57. Please Show Me Where He Has Said He Is Definitely Not Running In '08

He has said he has no plans to run.

I interpret that differently than "I Am Not Going To Run."

When he actually says, "I Will Not Be A Candidate In 2008," then I'll be inclined to believe it.

I have no plans to go to Europe this summer, but I could always change my mind, couldn't I? Here's hoping Mr Gore changes his too.

[RestoreGore]

61. Is that all threads about this crisis mean to some?

This is about an effort to bring the most challenging crisis mankind has ever faced to the most people in the quickest amount of time to bring about ACTION from those people. It is not a political rally but a call to MORAL PURPOSE because this is not a political issue, which is why it will have venues AROUND THE WORLD. Must every thread devolve into a back and forth over whether or not he is going to run for anything? He is not doing this for political reasons, that much I do know. As for anything else, why is it an issue regarding these concerts? Why does everything this good man does HAVE to have a clandestine political angle to it?

[keepCAblue]

60. Yahoo headline, just now: Supporters push Gore to run in 2008

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070208/ap_on_el_pr/draft_gore2008


And, in the background, groups have been lobbying for Gore's return to presidential politics.

"He certainly has the right political climate. How many political candidates are being nominated for Nobel prizes and winning
Oscars?" said Dylan Malone, co-founder of AlGore.org and organizer of a political action committee trying to draft Gore.

His work on global warming earned him a Nobel nomination and two Oscar nods for his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." He has re-branded himself on late-night television and has brought together a stable of grass-roots supporters.

In 2002, Gore asked Malone to stop a draft effort he had begun; Malone did. Malone started up again and, so far, Gore hasn't waved him off.

[RestoreGore]

62. Yikes, it is not his documentary

And he actually had to be talked into doing it...I am sure Mr. Gore would also agree that the producers and director and all others involved in this moral effort along with Mr. Gore deserve credit. Not just certain groups hijacking this movie for their own purposes. And why would Mr. Gore wave anyone off when he knows people will buy his books and see his movies if he keeps the speculation going? I think he is brilliant to use it to his advantage to get this message on the climate crisis out. Unfortunate that he has to do that and that people won't support his efforts without the political speculation attached to it. But it is not surprising.

[KittyWampus]

66. Guess what, that has nothing to do with Al Gore. It's about people who won't leave him do his job

the job he has now chosen to do.

[keepCAblue]

68. It's a fucking headline, relevant to this thread. Period.

Geeesh.

[sweetladybug]

71. cryingshame, I have a couple of questions for you.

Do you want Al Gore to run for President in 2008? Do you plan to vote for him if he decides to run. Do you realize the President of the United States is the most powerful person in the world? Can you imagine what Al Gore could accomplish on global warming if he became President?

[KittyWampus]

75. The POTUS has to deal with a helluva lot more than Global Warming- the Cause that Gore cares most

about. The Cause he has devoted his life to now. Again, if you actually read his book and listened to him speak you would know that.

And as POTUS he couldn't do what he is doing now. Go beyond politics. He has done more with his movie, book and will do with the concerts to move the public to demand action
then he could ever do as POTUS.

And I was on DU since practically the beginning and spent a lot of energy defending Gore from attacks for his concession.

No, I don't want Gore to run. I want him to do what HE wants to do and what he obviously feels CALLED to do. Raise awareness about the climate change that is happening.

[RestoreGore]

70. Quote from his great book, An Inconvenient Truth...

Page 113:

"Since I left the White House in 2001, I have also learned that there are many forms of public service other than running for office and serving as an elected official. I've always known this, of course, but I've come to personally appreciate the satisfaction that can be found as a private citizen in trying to make our democracy work better."

[Harper_is_Bush]

80. What about what this means for global warming?

Isn't that what this is about?

[RestoreGore]

28. I hope this awakens more to this global crisis

And moves PEOPLE to action. But of course, that won't be the focus here.

[mzmolly]

29. It would be cool if they could use solar technology somehow?

:toast:

[crispini]

36. K&R

[AtomicKitten]

37. Re-elect President Gore 2008.

Al and Tipper smooching by a haystack.

[earth mom]

39. Al Gore ROCKS! Literally!

:woohoo:

[fooj]

41. Clever avatar! I love it!

:toast:

[earth mom]

76. Thanks! You can get the same one too or make your own here:

http://www.acme.com/heartmaker/

:hi:

[Guaranteed]

84. I have no idea how he's doing this, but it's just hit after hit... nt

[paparush]

45. Have you all heard that AWFUL "Go Green" Ballad...OMFG.

[DemExpat]

51. This is so cool!

:kick:

DemEx

[northofdenali]

54. Just rewatched An Inconvenient Truth last night

and YES YES YES HE IS MY PRESIDENT.

I hope all our "groups" (MoveOn, ANSWER, etc.) get on this and set up ways for folks to go. This sounds like a combo of Live Aid and Woodstock - I'd love to be there.

[keepCAblue]

56. The once and future President.........run, Al, run!!!!

Run, Al, Run! Bumper Stickers

[keepCAblue]

58. Melissa Etheridge's "I Need to Wake Up" from Inconvenient Truth

Nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Song"

Website and music video:

http://www6.islandrecords.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=204

[RestoreGore]

63. I hope this won't be used just as an excuse for some to party...

And then go back to business as usual.

[JNelson6563]

64. Al Gore Rock Star!

Senator, Vice President, Elected President*, Story of him and his cause up for an Oscar and he's up for a Nobel Peace Prize.

You're on fire Al! Rock on! :yourock: :toast: B-) :patriot:

[MasonJar]

67. This is ridiculous. We have a post telling us about Al's newest

plan to promote policies that affect global warming, easily the most important issue facing the entire world today, and this blog has gone totally bonkers over something absolutely irrelevant.

[Harper_is_Bush]

81. You mean the celebrity death? n/t

[ORDagnabbit]

72. Awesome!!!! saw his slide show in portland n/t

[David Zephyr]

73. Academy Award, Nobel Prize, Rock Concert Impresario...

Good grief! This guy is amazing! Simply amazing. And Tipper is first class, too.

Al Gore continues to chew up the scenery, seize the headlines with super positive exposure...

All I can say is "Wow".

[buddysmellgood]

74. I'm there! Kick

[Gabi Hayes]

79. You can't be series111!!!111

this is hugher than hugh!!!111!!!

[Guaranteed]

83. Just wait till yall get a load of "The Assault on Reason."

If ya think this is big...that book is going to change everything.

[nam78_two]

86. K&R.nt