Articles by Geoff Dabelko

NYT asks ad firms to take on energy addiction

What would the government's ad campaign look like if were it trying to shake Americans out of their energy consumption addiction? The Ad Council isn't putting out any bids, so The New York Times asked three fancy schmancy ad companies to try their hands at a poster.

While living the high life described in HAZMATLIFE looks like a thrill a minute, I am partial to Iranian petroleum drowning Texas while Iraqi crude takes out Florida. Those wild and crazy ad boys sure can be ironical.

NASA invests … on the moon

Typically I am in the tank for investment in basic science. But it mystifies me that NASA would announce they are going to set up camp on the moon's south pole as a galactic jumping off point. Gives new meaning to the idea of forward basing -- something that isn't working out too well in practice here on Earth.

If we are going to make a super-sized investment in science, how about jumping on the climate bandwagon here at home, an area where NASA already does some good work, like here or here or here or here.

Rapper gets thumbs-up from water expert

I wrote last week about Jay-Z tackling Africa's considerable water and sanitation problems, and an NYC shindig to preview the MTV documentary on his visits to Angola and South Africa.

I was with a good friend, Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute, the morning of the UN bash, before he hopped a train to NYC to share the podium with the rapper and music mogul. Peter, one of the world's leading water experts, was at the Wilson Center in Washington that morning presenting his new book, The World's Water 2006-07.

I asked Peter about the event and his take on Jay-Z as a force for progress on the issue. He wrote in an email:

Jay-Z pimps for clean water

Rapper and media mogul Jay-Z has joined the ranks of entertainment stars speaking up on environment, health, or development issues. Last week at the UN he shared stories from his recent trip to sub-Saharan Africa, where he focused his attention on the dire water and sanitation situation. MTV will air a 30 minute documentary on his trip Nov. 24th.

It is easy to be cynical and say he sees the good free press other entertainers have garnered for similar humanitarian efforts. But it takes all types to tackle these huge problems. If helping him sell some more records (and he apparently needs the help, as the new album is getting panned) is the cost of alerting new audiences to the plight of the 1.1 billion without access to clean water and 2.6 billion without access to adequate sanitation, then pump up the volume.

And it is refreshing that Jay-Z has chosen one of the less photogenic environmental and health issues -- water and sanitation gets such a low "cute and cuddly" score compared to other charity choices.