The Material Girl And Limousine Liberalism

Oddly enough, I was mulling these very issues while getting dressed this morning:

The stars of a major Live 8-style concert to raise awareness of climate change have been condemned as hypocrites for failing to lead environmentally friendly lives themselves.

The likes of Madonna and Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform at Live Earth at Wembley Stadium on July 7, yet campaigners say they are among the least "green" individuals on the planet.

More than 100 rock and pop stars will perform during the 24-hour live concert.

But green campaigners called the stars' involvement hypocritical last night saying their lifestyles which demand they jet themselves and their huge entourages on world tours give them enormously large carbon footprints.

Last year, for example, they report how Madonna flew as many as 100 technicians, dancers, backing singers, managers and family members on a 56-date world tour in private jets and commercial airliners.

Madonna herself also has a collection of fuel-guzzling cars, including a Mercedes Maybach, two Range Rovers, Audi A8s and a Mini Cooper S. Yet she will headline the London concert to "combat the climate crisis".

"Madonna's Confessions tour produced 440 tonnes of CO2 in four months of last year. And that was just the flights between the countries, not taking into account the truckloads of equipment needed, the power to stage such a show and the transport of all the thousands of fans getting to the gigs.

"The Red Hot Chili Peppers produced 220 tonnes of CO2 with their private jet alone over six months on their last world tour which was 42 dates.

"The average a British person produces is 10 tonnes a year," said John Buckley, managing director-of CarbonFootprint.com.

He added: "It's great for the celebrities to come out and support the cause, but they then have to follow it up in their own lifestyles.

"We should now keep a close eye on whether Madonna and the others makes any changes to their own lifestyle.

"Perhaps her next world tour will be performed in one venue, but broadcast to billions over the internet."

Why stop there? If we're calculating carbon footprints here, why not also include all the resources and energy that go into the recording, production, distribution and playing of the jagillions of CDs, DVD's and whatnot that these people put out every year? To say nothing of all the ancillary tie-ins? I would posit that if Gloooooobal Waaaaaaarming!!! is as dire a man-made threat as AlGore &c routinely tell us, then the entire entertainment industry is a fearful waste that we, as a planet, can no longer afford.

When Madonna sells her worldly goods, moves into a hut and begins to spend her days minding free-range chickens and working rice paddies by hand, then she can come tell me what an awful threat to the environment my quiet little life is.

Until then, she can shut the hell up.