I’ve been attending the Earth Day Jam in the Philippines for the past five years, and the event is usually comprised of three main parts: 1.) a list of local acts—mostly rock bands—perform a free concert for the masses in hopes of bringing awareness about going green, 2.) a number of environmentalists go onstage to spread word about their causes, and 3.) celebrity hosts give away tree seedlings to audience volunteers who are willing to make an eco pledge to Mother Nature.
This year the venue was at 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, one of the greenest commercial locations in Metro Manila. Dimitri Productions, the organizers of the event, added a few new gimmicks—interactive eco booths, a street art section, and electric-powered vehicles that went around the venue to give people free rides.
I’d like to be optimistic about the good cause of this annual event, but I see the same mosh pit groupies who come every year and discard their garbage on the streets as soon as the concert is over.
Did they just come for the free concert again? My gut screams yes, but the eco geek in me is holding on to the small grain of hope that the saplings will be cared for and that one or two conscientious people will live a greener lifestyle after hearing what the environmentalists had to say that night.
Kudos to the Filipino rockstars who, in between songs, emphasized the need to take baby steps—from using eco-friendly shopping bags to disposing garbage properly—to make the world a greener place to live in.
I wonder how many of their screaming fans actually took these words to heart.