Hi Folks!
Now, you may or may not have heard that The Muppets were banned from performing their quirky song, “Man or Muppet”, written by Bret McKenzie of hilarious comedy duo Flight of Concords, at The Oscars, despite having a hit new film and entertaining folk for generations, apparently as it contains an environmental message. How inconsiderate of them, hey? Perhaps somebody behind the scenes is pulling strings? They could possibly have their arm inserted somewhere undesirable, in any case... It still didn’t stop the song winning the award for Best Original Song, so perhaps shows that enough people care about this subject.
Similar treatment was given to the recent Pixar adaptation of Dr Seuss's The Lorax. American Republicans were getting worried that such scurrilous films were influencing children to be considerate towards animals and the environment. How awful! Films clearly have never tried to influence through propaganda, such as Rambo, Under Siege or anything by Mel Gibson.
Trying to stick to environmentally-friendly principles when half the other people around don’t seem bothered can be a little trying at times. There are even points that make you want to give up. The fact is, that history has been changed by small groups of people taking a stand, such as the Suffragettes or the followers of Martin Luther King or Mahatma Ghandi, so it is possible to succeed in the face of adversity. Big businesses may be happy to destroy the environment and decimate rare creatures, but if enough people can act differently and take action to protect the environment, we can give life on this planet a chance for long term survival. Politicians may spout their empty words while kowtowing to business pressures, but we need to hold them to account and make sure that they start following ethical principles that will sustain life on this planet.
To close, here is a poem about being green (any likeness to anything by Tammy Wynette is purely coincidental):
Sometimes it’s hard to be eco-friendly
Giving all your love to just one planet
You'll have oil spills
And you'll have corporations
Doing things that you don't understand
But if you love life
You'll protect it
Even though it's hard to understand
And if you love Earth
Oh be proud of it
'Cause after all, it's just our home
Stand by your principles (ok, that doesn’t really scan, but it fits the meaning)
Give them your thoughts to cling to
And something sensible to come to
When nights are cold and lonely
Stand by your planet
And tell the world you love it
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your plan…et
Stand by your planet
And show the world you love it
Keep giving all the love you can
Stand by your plan……..et
Stay free!
Tom Read, Norwich Greenpeace Member
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