An Inconvenient Truth

Do you think that most of the people who watched An Inconvenient Truth had some knowledge or concern about global warming anyway? Do you think the average Joe, Maria or Mei Ling, who value quick, mind-numbing entertainment over anything informative, would have seen this documentary? It's people like this, who form the bulk of society, that need to be educated about global warming. These are the kind of people who don't give a shit about anything happening in the world. They are self-obsessed, celebrity worshiping, group mentality, mainstream entertainment watching, materialistic consumers. They are the type of people who buy a Toyota Prius because Cameron Diaz drives one, not because it's a hybrid car (I know a girl who did this). How do you get the global warming message out to the Asian teenager hanging out at the shopping centre to pass time? How do you inform the guy whose main concern in life is buying a flash car and finding a hot chick? Celebrity endorsement. I think Toyota should pay Paris Hilton, Vin Disel and Nicolas Tse to drive Prius'. I think celebrities should be on ads to inform people about the steps they can take to help the environment. What about an ad where Jay-Z and Beyonce show people the energy efficient products they have in their home. Educate people through movies. In Ben Stiller's next film, why not have a few scenes where he recycles his beer cans rather than throw them in the ordinary trash can.

Many of the existing environmental awareness ads are targeted to households. What about businesses? Think of all the paper that gets thrown away and lights left on at your office. My company doesn't even have recycling bins for glass, cans and plastic. I'm going to ask for one. Why doesn't the government sponsor more ads to inform businesses to switch off the lights in their building after work? Or at least use an energy efficient source of light. Surely there will be a positive effect on the environment if all the office building lights in Shanghai and Manhattan were off for one night. Why not have a global blackout day, where every city skyline will be dark for one night. Once you've seen one glittering skyline you've seen them all anyway. If you want a picture, buy a postcard or print one off from the internet.