The Greening of Gavin

Archives for July 2009

Earth Song

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Love him or loath him, Michael Jackson struck a chord with me well after he released the Earth Song. I first saw the video clip just after my green epiphany in 2006, even though the song was released in 1995 on the HIStory album. I missed it because my head was swimming with conspicuous consumer thoughts at the time and it was the year I got divorced from my first wife. A pretty ordinary time in my life I must tell you!

Anyway, even though you had a troubled life Michael, you left us with many gifts, and I believe that this one is the most meaningful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Gavin

Home Giveaway Winners!

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After much deliberation, I have chosen, not one, not two, but three winners! I couldn’t help myself, and the movie is just so good.

Heather @ Tenderbreak Permaculture Farm – for such a great plea, checklist of reasons and the passion to win the movie.

Nevyn @ Nevyn’s Place – for doing extra research and being such a great help.

Sarah – for suggesting that it could be a chain film so that lots of people can enjoy it.

This gift from me to you has one eco condition. I want you to share this movie with at least 10 other people (as in lend or have a group screening) and show it to your immediate family as soon as you receive it. It is such an important message that I hope you agree needs to be spread far and wide. The peak everything clock is ticking!

Thanks to everyone else who wrote a comment and participated. It was loads of fun including the research. Can the winners please email me with their details please, to the address in the top left sidebar. I will send the disk off in the mail on Monday.

Now, if I don’t receive an email from the winners within a week I will be sending off a spare copy to Margaret @ Margaret’s Ramblings in the UK, so she can listen to the wonderful music and share the movie with family and her “Buddy’s”.

Gav

Home Revisited

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Nevyn posted a comment on the Home post I did with a link with more information. Thanks Nevyn, because after a bit of French translation and some digging around, this is what I found.

The movie home was a joint project between Luc Besson and Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Now apparently the reason why the movie was removed from YouTube was that Luc did not want the movie being distributed for free, where Yann did want free distribution. This is Yann’s reason for wanting free distribution (translated from a French website by google translator):

“Without doubt the ecologist think will happen to tons of CO ² and oil it takes to manufacture the DVD home and carry it to sell that FNAC. Carbon and oil probably much higher than the environmental cost of transporting data over the Internet”

A damn fine reason if you ask me even if the translation is a bit sloppy!

Now, because Luc owned the copyright to the film, and loves lots of money, it was removed 10 days after its release on YouTube and there was not much Yann could do about it. Although Luc Besson does not want to release it for free, Home is in fact widely distributed for free on P2P networks, and BitTorrent in particular, in excellent quality. Gee, I wonder where I got my copy from? 🙂

It remains only to Luc Besson to give the green light for downloading becomes legal. Do the right thing Luc and put it back on YouTube. Greed comes in many forms, however at the end of it all, you cannot eat money Luc.

I will leave you with a talk that Yann Arthus-Bertrand gave earlier this year at TED. It is quite an eye opener.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand captures fragile Earth in wide-angle

Also, regarding the Home movie giveaway, I have now have two copies to give away, to anywhere in the world, postage paid! If you are deparate to win a copy, free of charge, please leave a comment as to why you would like to win it back on the original Home post. Best of luck and don’t give up!