What if Oprah decided to turn green? Not just a light shade of green, but dark Kermit the frog green. She may have already, and she definitely promotes it on her website, but I really don’t know.
However, if she did it for real and not just rhetoric, then amazing things would happen. If I have learn anything from the media circus that has been following her around during her visit to Australia, that is that Oprah and her entourage are very, very influential amongst the people of many western nations. Hey, she even has our Prime Minister in her spell, and I believe she interviewed the US President more than once. This influence can be, and is a very powerful tool, which I think Oprah wields in a deliberate way. Everything or everyone that she endorses becomes an overnight sensation and very popular with the masses.
Which leads me to my question. Just imagine, if you will, an awakened Oprah who begins to take real baby steps towards a sustainable lifestyle. People would follow her in droves, mimicking her every action and make a start to reducing their own environmental footprints. If that was not enough, if Oprah sustained this behaviour on her shows, then the groundswell would be noticed by politicians who would be very nervous that they were not being seen as doing something by popular consensus of the masses, would actually begin to take climate change seriously and set emission reduction targets and meet them with help of the now aware masses.
With Oprah leading the way, even the worst political leader would look good if they jumped on the bandwagon. Even the entire United Nations would follow by finally negotiating a binding climate agreement and all fully fund the required actions. Success at last, and all because Oprah turned green. What a wonderful place the planet would become!
Now, we just have to convince her that this is a good idea. Does anyone have any suggestions, besides me writing her a great email? Do you think my cunning plan would work, or would the masses tire of it quickly.
Well that just goes to show what a truly creative person you are Gavin. While I was sitting here rolling my eyes and trying to figure what on earth the fuss was about you were thinking up ways to save the planet. 🙂
Go on send her an email!
i think that would be a brilliant idea but will the masses “buy it”? apparently so, get to work gavin, save the world via oprah……
did you hear about that Yoga teacher who wrote a book, “living oprah” in 2008 she followed everything oprah said or suggested. people do love to follow suggestions, you see it in responses to posts, those who will do/buy anything that they think others are doing/have. So, if you dont get thru to the “O” you, yourself are still influential.
Permaculture teacher Geoff Lawton has had Oprah in his sights for a few years now – he’s spoken often about how we need to engage people (including Oprah) in change. He’s offered her a personalised one on one Permaculture Design Course. I don’t know how far he got with it – but you never know. She’s had Julia Roberts on her show showing her and her audience how to set up a worm farm at home and other things Julia does at home that aren’t that different to what we are all doing. Small steps…
I love Oprah, though I’ve not watched her show in ages! When I did watch the ‘green’ shows she did, I wondered how much was just lip service to the ‘trend’…
I am waiting to see Australia’s Favourite Greenie (ie. you!) meeting Oprah, but I’ll settle for seeing the email that you send her! Hmmm, I think we should start a ’email Oprah to go green’ chain-email!