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• LiveEarth.org • Disney's City I • Disney's City II
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It's How We Live On Earth That Counts! Kweevak.com Commentary by Rich and Laura Lynch Did Al Gore just throw the Earth a life saver? Sure the cool concerts for global warming awareness on July 07, 2007 were entertaining and a great time for the attendees. But, in this case, I'm referring to the distinct shape of the circle that was a dominant part of the logo for the world wide musical and environmental extravaganza.
 Live Earth: How Will You Answer The Call? Let me back-up by saying we were going to try and catch the historic Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium but decided to forgo the effort at the last minute in order to watch the event through the multimedia broadcasts set up for Internet and television in the comfort of our own home. This decision allowed us to avoid the widespread parking concerns and probable traffic problems caused by the sprawling confluence of highways in East Rutherford - a few miles west of New York City proper. Compounding the decision to stay home was the inconvenient truth of development and over-crowding currently taking place at the Meadowlands facilities. Not only was the State Fair already set up and functioning in the Giants Stadium parking lot but the sports complex is also in the midst of two major construction projects. In addition to a new football stadium being built for the Giants and Jets on site - the Jersey swamp lands are also in the midst of being transformed into Xanadu - an ambitious shopping and entertainment mecca that promises to set a new standard (high or low depending on your perspective) in consumer experience - if and when it ever gets completed. So, with all these thoughts of roadway congestion, urban sprawl, ongoing development, and the Live Earth concerts going on I got to thinking a bit about our environment, the Earth and I remembered a letter that I had sent to Al Gore shortly after his first election to the office of Vice Presidency in 1992. Basically, I thought the Clinton/Gore team might be different. Here you had two young, charismatic, and energetic men who promised to "build a bridge" to the twenty-first century and they had the added attraction of Gore's concern for the environment. I thought these men might be the team that would like to receive a plan for national re-development that could generate consistent economic growth for the next 100 years and would produce with it real social change with eco-centric benefits to boot for America and the world.
 I received this response from Al Gore's office after his election in 1992! So, in 1992 I sent the Clinton/Gore team a detailed 12 page plan on how consciously building the future at the point in time would be an economic boom for us all. Basically, I called for the implementation of several "circular cities" that would focus on utilizing renewable energy while limiting personal transportation in favor of mass transit. The proposal called for the construction of planned cities in concentric rings expanding from a commercial and governmental center. The idea was to create efficient, modern, and eco friendly self-sustaining villages that were carbon neutral or better. The plan that was sent to the Clinton/Gore team outlined and described how the nation who first researched and constructed the means to build these new structures would be at the forefront in a revolution in human socialization. But, as usual politics and the political process let me down. There were no real great political initiatives from the Clinton/Gore administration. My missives to Washington were not a complete failure though. We did receive three cordial replies back from the offices of Clinton, Gore and then United States Secretary of Labor-elect Robert Reich. It is my opinion that over time, our government as created through our democratic process, really has accomplished very little for us. It is often heard that the only American President to actually make anything happen in the last 40 years was Kennedy. In an example of extreme leadership with progress on his mind Kennedy called in the early 1960's to land a man on the moon - before the decade was out. His dream triumphed in 1969 when American astronauts helped unify the world to the idea of our cosmic destiny. I would say after this weekend Al Gore as ex-Vice President has done more to unify the world than any president since JFK - this time behind an idea to wake up humanity to our own terrestrial destiny and responsibility. It was during the peak period of my interest in circular futuristic cities that I learned how another famous American had a similar vision for the world. None other than movie and animation mogul Walt Disney's original plan for his own Epcot Center called for it to be a modern, high-tech, futuristic and planned circular city. I was in good company. Basically, what Walt was doing was a process called "imagineering the future" - with imagineering describing the combination of human imagination and ingenuity with technical engineering. Disney believed that we could literally conceive and create the future - and that we should do it as well. Walt wanted Epcot to be "a planned, controlled community, a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities" - and of course it would all be based on an expanding circular shape growing out from a city center. Disney's emphasis was on design explaining how "EPCOT will be a planned environment demonstrating to the world what American communities can accomplish through proper control of planning and design" with the results providing blueprints to guide the future construction of the city of tomorrow. "I believe we can build a community that more people will talk about and come to look at than any other area in the world," Disney said in a documentary on the project. "And with your cooperation, I'm sure that the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow can influence the future of city living for generations to come." In my opinion, pursuing a plan like this would work and makes all the sense in the world. You can't create the future when we are still basing our society on the antiquated modalities of the past. The nation that achieves the ability to build the future cities with an assembly line mentality would help developing countries like China and India bypass their industrial revolutions while housing their populations in advanced energy producing communities that have taken a great leap forward in reducing wasteful and irrelevant carbon emissions.
In my letter to Gore and Clinton I explained many reasons why concentrating on developing the future based on new technology and circular design would help our nation, including:
Of course 7/7/2007 was a day of music from seven continents and Antarctica. Nunatak, the harmonious research scientists from the arctic dressed for the cold were light and lively. The world-wide line ups were diverse and included a number of historic reunions such as Genesis, the Smashing Pumpkins and The Police. Most artists were limited to four songs. Roger Waters packed a lot of Floyd in his medleys and his quick set closed with a classic, big pig stamped SOS floating over Giants Stadium. Madonna, Lenny Kravitz and The Red Hot Chilly Peppers were energizing and engaging. The various rap artists brought edge to the day's events. 7/7/2007 was a historical day musically, but hopefully it will be remembered as a pivotal day in which people seriously addressed the climate crisis and took proactive steps to save the earth! As mentioned, the image of the cirlce was prevalent during Live Earth. America's First Idol Kelly Clarkson admired the recycled rubber wheels that formed a stage backdrop comprising of an image of a world map. In fact, there was a uniformity of stage design for all the concerts - although not all venues incorporated the tires in their background of circles. Kelly Clarkson remarked that she was going to steal the ideas of recycling used tires for her own stage show moving forward! The Dave Matthews Band offered the poignant and flavorful "One Sweet World" and it would be sweet if the world would come together behind one good idea - future cities, perhaps - to help point our planet in a better direction. When Melissa Etheridge took the stage in New Jersey for Live Earth, New York - her performance provided a defining moment for the event when she stopped mid-song to boldly scold the status quo. "America - what happened to us? Weren't we going to have flying cars by now?," Melissa intoned, questioning where American ingenuity has gone - before continuing her amazing rap with her thoughts on our reckless consuming. "I think we can do better than that America, I know that we can do better that!" "Americans, rise up and speak the truth," Etheridge implored as part of her stirring words that underscored the urgency of her message. "Imagine all of us rising up Monday morning and saying enough! If not now, when? If not today, when? What happens tomorrow..."
 Walt Disney imagined a carbon neutral future with his circular city! Way to go Melissa and we join you in asking, "what about tomorrow"? Where are the "flying cars", where are the circle cities, where are the dome homes? In order to have a better future we need to envision one first - and then take the steps to make it come about. Why not build and imagine the future like Walt Disney - to ensure a more sustainable world of tomorrow? If we go on living in the same reckless manner - our current state of constructing housing will only further suburban sprawl which is only locking us into a very inefficient and environmentally unfavorable way of living for a long time to come. So, I commend Al on his job well done for planning an ambitious schedule of concerts that will forever be compared to the Woodstock and Live Aid/8 series of events. Gore and Live Earth partner Kevin Wall have proven they are good concert promoters. Now I call on Al Gore once again to consider how the world would benefit from the implementation of high-tech planned cities of the future to help create a more carbon neutral world. Imagine if a fraction of the trillions of dollars that the Bush Administration has spent on war had been ear-marked for an initiative such as this. Imagine if Al Gore and Team Clinton got this off the ground and pursued the concept of circle cities and future imagineering in 1993. Talk about building a bridge to the new millennium. How far along would we be by now towards a truly greener planet if just a little forethought to our societal development had been employed? In order to adequately save ourselves we are going to have to imagine and implement an advanced orderly future and fast! Even as daunting of a project as rescuing the Earth from poor planning, environmental neglect and gluttonous excess sounds - that's nothing a little globally impassioned initiative and a lot of Disney inspired magic couldn't make happen! We've asked a lot of people about their opinions on circle city living over the years. Many are excited and welcoming of the thought and promise of futuristic urban life. Others say that they don't want to live in cities, much less circular ones. We say that half the earth's population resides in cities - often in overcrowded, burdened and destitute environs. We're offering a higher standard of technologically advanced habitation for the whole world with an Apple iPhone in every pocket. Other people ask what we plan to do about the rural parts of society. I say we need the farms. Let's improve conditions for them as well. Many of the Live Earth musical performers were touting their change over to running their tour transport via biodiesel. But why have we decided to burn fuel created from a food resource in the case of ethanol? Why not let our rural experts have another crop to grow - give them hemp and help the manufacturing base in the U.S. - and keep the price of corn down. If we're going to move forward in the future all the pieces have to be in place. We need to be smart, creative, resourceful, and reasonable - the current hemp ban just doesn't make any sense in today's modern and fuel challenged world.
Although the climate crisis will require large scale change and commitment at national, governmental and local levels a prevailing theme of the Live Earth Concerts was that if each person did one thing differently we can make the world a better, greener place. People working collectively can save energy, decrease emissions and reduce wastes. The issue of global warming can seem overwhelming but Live Earth was an empowering call to change our course. A call to utilize renewable energy, reduce our wastes and conserve our resources. Individuals can make a difference. During the event, repeating PSA messages showcased children stating the all important message to recycle, reuse, don't litter and conserve. Throughout the worldwide coverage, simple suggestions for saving energy and reducing emissions were provided. The English broadcast suggested filling the kettle up with just enough water for a cup of tea rather than filling the whole pot. Simple, yet if done on a wide scale would save electricity as would unplugging phone charges when not in use. Live Earth is a call for us to make better choices. Choose to bring your own reusable bags to stores or don't take a bag if you don't need it. Watch packaging, recycle when ever possible. Pick up bits of litter, turn appliances and lights off when not in use. Buy locally support area farms. Small changes collectively can make big positive changes on a worldwide scale.
Inspired by the message of the Live Earth concerts we signed up for New Jersey's CleanPower Choice Program. This program allows residents to choose clean, renewable sources of energy (solar, wind and low-impact hydro power) generated from clean, renewable energy sources located in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region. Importantly, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities' Office of Clean Energy verifies that renewable energy is delivered into the Mid Atlantic power pool that serves New Jersey's needs. The more people who sign up for the CleanPower Choice Program, the more renewable energy sources that will be added to the energy mix. Also, each household that participates in the CleanPower Choice Program can reduce CO2 emissions by over 10,000 lbs. per year, which is equivalent to planting 1.35 acres of trees! How will you answer the call?
 Gore and Disney - two great Americans and societal visionaries! Originally Published: 07/10/2007 on Kweevak.com |
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