Was Michael Jackson The World's Biggest Environmentalist? (VIDEO, POLL)

TreeHugger: "Michael Jackson was famous for his socially-conscious music, but "Earth Song," his big, bold environmental call-to-arms, is often overlooked. Still, by sheer dint of his reach, the song might have made Jackson (who bears no relation to U.S. EPA chief Lisa Jackson) a kind of super-sized Al Gore, a decade before An Inconvenient Truth."

Read more at Treehugger.com.

Watch the video of the UK chart-topping anthem, which came out in 1995, but was never released as a single here in the US.

Quick Poll

What Do You Think of Michael Jackson's "Earth Song" and Video?

Pretty great, his environmental message still applies today.

Eh, I like the "Black and White" video better.

Sorry, MJ, but this one is just too hokey.

Share your vote on Facebook so your friends can take this poll

Comments

[rob roy]

Micheal had a good heart but his problem was he consumed way too much than one man ever should. This revokes any "great environmentalist" card he could have ever had.

[Materazzi]

great song, great message,amazing performance as usual. it should be released in the U.S.

[RedGinger]

http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=EDITORIALS&ID=565605631290114141

This is the editorial in the Santa Barbara Newspress, dated June 30th.

The trial was the beginning of the end.

RIP, Michael.

[BlackMagicWoman]

Funny, I never even heard this song before this weekend and now I can't stop playing it. Very powerful message indeed.

[mlaiuppa]

But Earthsong didn't activate change like Inconvenient Truth did.

[Simon Woodward]

Oh please Huff Post. Enough of the haigiography. What next? He was on the verge of discovering a cure for cancer or brokering peace in Palestine? The world's greatest environmentalist my foot. Lots of people have written songs, but they are very rarely the ones actually doing something. For inspiration on what NORMAL people can do, check out www.zuleta.com or www.duplooys.com

[bradwieser]

There hasn't been a nice thing said about MJ for over a decade, but now everyone worships him again. Im sure MJ appreciates you all being there for him now that he is dead.

[leduck]

paper or plastic?
michael jackson prefered plastic

[RedGinger]

NWAR

(not worth a response.)

[petridish]

YDRA

(you did respond anyway)

[elcerritan]

There's a very simple answer to the (ridiculous) headline's question: No.

[CarbonEmitter]

MIchael Jackson produced some of the most enetertaining music ever and I do not want to tarnish his legacy, but he was certainly not an environmentalist in practice. I am sure Neverland and his concert tours emitted their fair share of carbon into the atmosphere.

[leduck]

he was not only an environmen­talist...,
he was a conservationist

look at all the raw material he conserved.....

[RachelMc]

im happy MJ was not so hateful as some of u ppl are.

[Dynamohum]

ditto! What is wrong with some of these, well I cannot call them people!

[leduck]

michael jackson an environmentalist?
yeah right.....
the man was extremely materialistic
it didn't matter how useless it may have been..., he always needed more stuff

that's not environmental

he'd need to actually be environmental
not just sing environmental

[Judyisacutie]

You can be materialistic and environmentalist at the same time, actually. For example, you could collect antiques, like Michael Jackson did. He was not the kind of guy who buzzed around Hollywood in a Hummer like some celebrities.

[Simon Woodward]

OK Judy, Then what is the environmental impact of your own personal theme park? Most rides electronically powered? Often one, rarely used? You CANNOT be materialistic and an environmentalist - you can try to behave more responsibly by modifying your behaviour but inevitably the more things you consume, the greater your footprint. He didn't ride round Hollywood in a Hummer because he spent half the time sponging off people in the Gulf!

[bradwieser]

gayest thread ever

[texhall00]

This is not the time for this type of remark

[ccmd]

so gay that it merited precious few moments out of your life to type a hateful comment.


ignoramus.

[Judyisacutie]

I don't like the fact that you used "gay" to mean bad. Please evolve.

[Simon Woodward]

I thought it was a misprint and he meant greatest. It's the only time i've written three comments in five minutes. roflmao

[BlackMagicWoman]

And you are the OP. Hahahaha.

[Bude]

I suppose someone who's main purpose in life was to turn good food to fertilizer could be considered an environmentalist.

[DKLabRat]

Oh, give me a break! No multi-millionaire with the wasteful, over-blown lifestyle of Michael Jackson can call themselves an environmentalist. Good grief the land use alone is so wasteful it's out the stratosphere. Did he ever use a section of Neverland to plant veggies? I rest my case. One song does not a lifetime of consumer excess negate.

[Peachlicious]

Oh, give me a break!
Michael Jackson is in the 'Guiness Book of World Records' for the largest donations to charity in history, well over 300 million dollars of his over-blown lifestyle salary went to causes he never had to give a doggone about in his wasteful life.

[Bubbas]

Promoting Pepsi as an environmentally safe and healthy drink alternative over water was a good thing too.