The Observer, October 12, 2007
Volume XL, Issue 7
Global Scorning: Celebrities, not college students, taking over green movement
In the 1960s, hippies and activists of San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury and Kent State University were the citizens of this country who fought for alternative issues. Today, college students have their careers and potential internships to occupy them, and so the trendiest, most successful celebrities of today are taking over the responsibility that college kids have abandoned. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Edward Norton, and Thom Yorke have taken over the reigns of the sled delivering methods of sustainability and "green" mindsets.
Most of America may believe that green technology and methods became a hot topic with Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, but before Gore, there were Pitt and Jolie, Norton, and Yorke. Pitt and Jolie have always attracted a spectacle of media attention because of their high profile status in Hollywood. Jolie's "work" in Cambodia and other developing nations has always been noted and thoroughly photographed. Unfortunately, actor Norton's work is not quite as memorable or entertaining as Pitt and Jolie's adventures.
Norton is the narrator of the short-lived National Geographic documentary Strange Days on Planet Earth, about scientists eager to solve mysteries around the world involving disappearing forests and other environmental dilemmas. The documentary did not create significant buzz for Norton. However, his role in the film illustrates a genuine concern for the environment. Norton appears to be very serious and dedicated to his environmental beliefs and doesn't seem to be involved in green programs simply for popularity.
Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, bashes society's wasteful habits and consumer-centered mentalities within his songs. Skimming through the numerous albums that the band has released, including some Yorke solo albums, it's not hard to pick up on the environmental preaching and the hard blows he makes towards society. The song "And It Rained All Night," off of Yorke's The Eraser solo album, talks about how the rain washes away all the filth of New York City drains. Later on in the song, Yorke makes allusions to our weakening environment – a common aspect of many of his songs.
With such a large and current issue as sustainability and green technology, it is hard to determine if celebrities are genuine about their activism. Leo still flies his private jet to film his various movies, just as Jolie flies to Cambodia and other developing nations to do her altruistic work. Perhaps these green heroes of today are not so righteous and industrious. With such lame faux-activists saving our world, there is only one substantial group of people left to turn to: college students.
We intelligent, alternative, open-minded college students of today need to learn a lesson from our college student ancestors of the 60s: speak out for those whose voices cannot be heard (nature, our environment). The celebrities have temporarily stolen our glory, but we can still take it back by pursuing careers as politicians, chemists, or ecologists. With these jobs under our belts, we will be able to competently discover, create, and enact – something I'm not quite sure many of these celebrities are capable of.
Michelle Udem is a second-year economics and environmental studies major and is an avid supporter of alternative energy.
