Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

This extends much of the concept of LiveEarth: enlist celebrities to gain attention and visibility to the climate crisis, hopefully activating people who otherwise were not paying attention.  Who are some of the judges in addition to Diaz: George Clooney, Oralando Bloom, Rihanna ... Star power to provide a draw.

  And, prizes -- from a hybrid vehicles to cell phones.

And, well, audience participation come October, as the 20 semi-finalists will have their EcoSpots posted for two weeks of public voting. Video and soundtrack downloads available. Thus, what are you waiting for, rev your engines ... ready, set, shoot ...

Hold it a second, you hear.  Keith Farnish, commenting on this at Grist, raises some questions.

 
• While a UK winner would get a Prius, the US winner gets a Highlander. Sure it is a hybrid (level 1 or, as Keith refers to it, a "hybrid-lite") but is anyone serious in thinking that this is eco-friendly?  This is advertising message overtaking substance. As Keith put it:

"Toyota [is] offering a Prius as a prize. But they're not really, because they have a new "Hybrid-Lite" to sell, called the Highlander, and that is what the winner in the USA will get. A car that gets half the mileage of the Prius, because it's a big sedan."

 
• Sony is offering up a 46 inch plasma TV screen as a prize.  "A Plasma TV will use, according to the Department of Energy, about 849 kilowatt hours per year" (source : large pdf), which is signficantly more than a refrigerator or a traditional TV or, for example, a smaller LCD screen (which might use less than half the power).  Keith comments "That's good for the planet, isn't it."

Keith questions (strongly) the Corporate linkages, both of this campaign and at the Alliance for Climate Protection.

My comment (question) in response:  "A real question is, always, where does purity conflict with achieving change."

A 46 inch LCD screen and a Highlander as prizes?  Yeah, that is absurd. Definitly not EcoFriendly.

Partnering with Corporations that are (or claim to be) seeking a more climate friendly path forward? That is part of the way toward a more profitable and a sustainable future.

Corporations are finding that they can Make Green by Going Green? That is something to embrace and celebrate.

Back to the contest, Ecospot -- ":60 Seconds to Save the Earth" totally missed on something that might have motivated far more entries.  The real prize that they failed to offer that might have motivated millions:  Dinner with a judge, winner to make the choice.