Live Earth fact or Fiction?

Question

Apparently the cost of live earth is $3 Billion and is going to be carbon neutal if we plant enough trees according to the highly intellectual Joss Stone.

What if the pop stars stayed at home paid proper taxes and donated the $3 Billion to fight aids and homelessness?

What do you think is going on here, an excuse for a gig to earn money for those who make a living out of promoting the environment, or does your level of awareness need raising?

Will those watching drink, smoke and inject sufficient substances to be aware of even where the tiolets are?

Gordonluck that is a really interesting post. Sorry you got 3 thumbs down, but people don't like to see actual statistics that shatter their own 'views'. I did not realise the bias towards AIDS. and do believe it is a real threat, perhaps one of the key differences is that the others kill more 'quickly' and are associated with war, famine and other geo-political issues that tend to create sides. AIDS though is seen as an unfortunate tragedy from a natural act?

Answer 1

When Ireland announced last spring that it would sharply curtail a lucrative tax break for musicians, painters, writers and sculptors, the shift posed a financial threat to U2, which has made the Emerald Isle its financial power base for nearly three decades. The Dublin-born-and-bred rockers built their fortune on hit songs and, in part, on Irish laws that forgive taxes due on royalties.

As of last year, U2 had amassed a net worth of 629 million euros — around $908 million — according to the annual “Rich List” of top earners in The Sunday Times of Britain. Royalties are the income that artists and athletes earn from recordings, performances, trademarks, brands, patents, copyrights, film rights, product endorsements, videos, films and the ever-extending commercialization of those assets — in short, the major portion of an artist’s or an athlete’s income.

Last June, with the Irish tax break about to shrink, U2 heeded the advice of its longtime business manager, Paul McGuinness, and moved its most lucrative asset — a song-publishing catalog with hits like “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “It’s A Beautiful Day” — from Mr. McGuinness’s firm, located near the Liffey River in Dublin, to Promogroup, which operates beside the elegant Herengracht canal in the heart of elegant, old Amsterdam.

Promogroup’s headquarters are in a maroon-brick town house built four centuries ago for slave traders and spice merchants. Mr. Favie did not respond to repeated requests for an interview. To date, his company has not filed any information on funds flowing through U2 Ltd., the Dutch entity that holds U2’s song catalog.

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Points of Interest on NIH Research Allocations per 2005 budget, updated 8/10/04

'AIDS' attributed deaths from CDC estimated at 16,371 in 2002

Cardiovascular Disease kills 950,000 every year, yet receives over 1/2 Billion less than AIDS

The NIH is spending $3,084 on each citizen estimated as having HIV/AIDS

Diabetes kills more Americans than AIDS and breast cancer combined, yet the NIH spends only $80 on each diabetic

Alzheimer's Disease kills 3.3 times more than AIDS, yet the NIH spends only $155 on each patient with Alzheimer's Disease

Prostate cancer kills 2 times more than AIDS, yet the NIH spends only $150 on each patient with prostate disease

Hepatitis C (HCV) kills 12,000, yet the NIH spends only $25 on each hepatitis C patient

Hepatitis B (HBV) kills 5,000, yet the NIH spends only $32 on each HBV patient

The flu (influenza) on average, now kills almost 2+ times more than AIDS

Parkinson's Disease death rate similar to AIDS yet the NIH spends $162 on each patient

COPD = 119,999 deaths in 2000 yet the NIH spends only $5 on each patient

West Nile Virus cases in 2003: 9,858 with 262 deaths. West Nile Virus research allocation is $4,361 per patient. 406 cases and 7 deaths in 2004

Total USA HIV/AIDS budget for 2005 totals 20 Billion. 13.4 Billion for care, cash & housing assistance for patients. (From Henry J Kaiser Foundation)

The infection rate for AIDS throughout the entire world is 1 percent or less except in two countries, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean

Monkeypox cases confirmed in the USA: 37. SARS confirmed cases: 8. Deaths: 0 Research monies unknown. Press coverage: disproportionate.

Statistical supporting links may be viewed here



TOP KILLERS

Diarrhoea: kills over 2m
Pneumonia: kills over 2m
Malaria: kills about 1m
(So called) Aids: kills about 0.3m
Measles: kills 0.1m

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3022558.stm

Funny how you never hear about Diarrohea or see glossy TV commercials about the deaths it causes.

'AIDS' in Africa is based on the useless Bengui Definition that fits EVERY epidemic disease in the Third World (not even tests) and accounts for a mere 3% (WHO figure) of mortalities (even if you are fool enought to still believe in it) and yet commands 80%+ of ALL funding.

Utter Madness and a Crime Against Humanity.

Answer 2

Live Earth is a complete farce.It's sad that the people who will be attending this event will be doing more harm than good,not even to mention the performers,and to hear Joss Stone's little words of wisdom earlier this evening made me cringe.I hate being made to feel guilty like this too,by people who,in all truth,probably couldn't care less about environmental issues.

Great answer by Lady K.

Answer 3

Joss Stone doesn't know her *** from her elbow and like most celebrities should stop pretending to give a damn about causes when all their really interested in is the free publicity and sales figures for whatever crap they happen to be flogging at the time.
Carbon neutral?
Will no one fly or drive to attend Live Earth then ?
Will the artists help to minimise their carbon footprint by downsizing their entourage who normally accompany them on their plane journeys and will they all practice what they preach for longer than a day?
Live Aid and Live 8(no affiliation with Live Earth) hasn't eradicated poverty, hunger, famine or disease and even though we haven't been able to save our fellow human beings from starvation, we've to give more money and think we can save the planet?
I want to save the planet but I will do it in my own way, I am not giving any more money to these greedy [expletive beginning with the letter B] and I am sad that people in their droves will fall for this.
Live Earth is being led by Al Gore.
"Gore's mansion, [20-room, eight-bathroom] located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES)."
It's "An Inconvenient Truth", Al...indeed.

Edit
Why thank you marky moo, yours isn't bad either :)

Answer 4

I agree with you totally. Joss Stone is a very stupid and patronising girl who really doesn't know the first thing about the carbon footprint. Years ago at Band Aid I was very puzzled as to why Phil Collins sang in London THEN FLEW BY CONCORDE to USA so that he could technically perform the same thing on the same day on two different continents. I have been campaigning for over 30 years to make people aware of what is happening to the planet, but I am not famous, I don't have a 'name'. I am very, very cynical and reserved about all this nonsense. Performers fly in, audiences drive in, etc - it all makes total nonsense of what we should really be doing - I am however no longer surprised at how very stupid 'intelligent' people can be.

Answer 5

Today is the age of radical environmental babblers. YES, I ADMIT THAT WE DO HAVE SOME PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ! If any one takes to heart, believes, all of the propaganda that is being spread around, like bovine scatology on a cotton field, then that "any one" will buy the Brooklyn Bridge!
The people who investigate for the correct information, soon discover that about 95 % is, in fact, b.s. and the chief proviers are using them soley to fill their pockets.
Those who fall for for the bulk of this trash, full well deserve to be releaved of their monitary assets.
The perviers of b.s. typically emplore noted/ well known persons to support the cause. Unfortionally, these noted/well known people take the plate of b.s., as being gospel( true) , because so-and-so said so. So-and-so must be right, because I heard some one else say the same thing.
BEWARE OF ANY WELL KNOWN PERSONALITY WHO CHOISES TO ESPOUSE ANY THING THAT OFFERS A SLANDEROUS SLANT TO THE MAIN STREAM OF THINKING.
Uncle Will

Answer 6

Well, if the Alternative to "Live Earth" is people sitting at home on their fat rear-ends, drinking beer, spending money on the Internet for more Stuff, and complaining about how high their electric bills are getting because of the hot weather - I'll call it "Fact". :)

Answer 7

big love to Robbie.
people are aware of apparent global warming,but who wants to use the inadequate over priced public transport that often doubles as public toilet,not me.
where does it say g/w wouldn't happen anyway?

Answer 8

Live Earth is a complete farce. If we don't listen to scientists why would we listen to airhead popstars?

Answer 9

the show goes on an on

Answer 10

its taking people for fools while people are making money out of it or reviving their careers