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MJ's Final Campaign

The Michael Jackson Global Warming Awareness Initiative Michael's last few days, literally, were spent readying the main message of This Is It. These are in fact his last words intended for the public and his fans. This is truly his epitaph. The concerts were to have begun in a few weeks, in July 2009. The newspapers at that time were filled with news of the upcoming November 2009 UN climate summit in Copenhagen. The world was watching anxiously, hoping the world leaders would finally sign a binding climate treaty. Michael hoped to mobilize his massive global fanbase into action, rather than watch from the outside as events unfolded. The treaty failed. Who knows, maybe if Michael had lived it, he would have added just that extra amount of momentum, with the astounding million plus London ticketholders and the subsequent press. Michael then wanted to take the extravaganza on the road. Perhaps Michael could have embarrassed Obama into a more courageous position. We'll never know. "Earth Song" was to be climax of This Is It, where Michael delivers the show's message. Let's look. The song opens with a film, to have been in 3D. A glorious paradise, a little girl reveling in nature's flora and fauna. She falls asleep in a flowery glade. She is awakened by the approach of bulldozers and flames. But she doesn't flee. She remains unflinching as the dozer rises above her, digging in the dirt with her bare hands to rescue one last green tree seedling. There is power in each of us, he is saying, even such a seemingly tiny and helpless one. Michael 's voice soars, crying out in anger at God and humanity both amidst the flames and destruction. The film becomes reality -- a real bulldozer and the little girl emerge onto the stage. Michael stands in its path. The driver slowly raises his blade in acquiescence. The original Earth Song video and stage productions included scenes of war, poverty and starvation. Michael has now chosen to pick his battles and pinpoint his message for greater power and timeliness. The military tank Michael once braved on stage has been replaced by a bulldozer. War scenes have been replaced by whales and polar bears. Melodramatic, sure. Effective? Brilliantly so. Try and watch without tears. Whatever it takes, damn it. The song was to end with Michael speaking to the audience: "Nature is trying so hard to compensate for man's mismanagement of the planet. The planet is sick... like a fever! If we don't fix it, it's at the point of no return. This is our last chance to fix this problem that we have, or it's like a runaway train, and the time has come. This... is... it. People are always saying 'Oh, they'll take care of it... the government... 'they'... 'they' who? It starts with us. It's us! It's us... or it will never be done."
In the film, Michael makes a speech to his crew: “Love is important. To love each other.  We’re all one. That’s the message. To take care of the planet. We have four years to get it right or else it’s irreversible, the damage we’ve done. So I have an important message to give, OK? It’s important.”
"Four Years"?  OMG! 2012 Mayan Prophecy! Wrong. That would be 2013, not 2012. MJ was speaking of science and politics, not astrological pseudoscience. Of a real crisis, not a made-up one. Leading up to MJ's speech were numerous statements by world leaders and scientists that it was particularly important that global warming action take place within approximately four years. Why? --The expiring UN climate treaty. --Obama starting his 4-year term, a possible last shot for US climate leadership. --Physical trends like polar ice cap melting.  See examples on right.	"We have only four years left to act on climate change’ Jim Hansen is the 'grandfather of climate change' and one of the world's leading climatologists… Hence his warning to Barack Obama, who will be inaugurated as US president on Tuesday. His four-year administration offers the world a last chance to get things right, Hansen said. If it fails, global disaster - melted sea caps, flooded cities, species extinctions and spreading deserts - awaits mankind. (The Guardian 1/19/2009) Arctic summers ice-free 'by 2013'  Scientists in the US have presented one of the most dramatic forecasts yet for the disappearance of Arctic sea ice. Their latest modelling studies indicate northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within just 5-6 years. (BBC 12/12/2007)  New UN Report: Action Needed by 2012  [The U.N.] Secretary General… released the final report of a United Nations panel on climate change… and called on the United States and China… to begin talks on creating a global climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012... The panel, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month, said the world would have to reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions by 2015 to prevent serious climate disruptions. “If there’s no action before 2r012, that’s too late,” said Rajendra Pachauri, a scientist and economist who heads the IPCC. (New York Times, 11/18/2007) Umm... about that 2012 calendar scare... Tip:  When a calendar shocks you with a last page: 1) Remain calm. 2) Quickly acquire a new calendar. 3) Crisis averted. Incredibly, ancient Mayans may have acquired this knowledge too.  Most likely from extraterrestrials.
	Michael Jackson Wanted This Is It Shows To Warn About Global Warming The name 'This Is It' was a message about saving the Earth, music supervisor Michael Bearden explained: “[MJ] wanted the world to know that this may be it when it came to seeing him tour, and also that if we don't start paying attention to the world around us now, then it will be it for the Earth too. " 'This Is It' — obviously people equate that to the last tour," Bearden said of the tour name's dual meaning. "His passion was to save the world save the planet, to heal the world. ... "He would say to me, 'If we don't stop doing what we're doing with global warming and the Earth and how we're treating each other ... it could be irreversible in four years or five years or something like that,' " Bearden explained. "So, 'This Is It' meant to him that this is it: We don't have much longer to save the planet, to heal the world." [Photo: This is It choreographer Travis Payne, left, and musical director Michael Bearden, right.]
	ABC News phone interview with MJ August 2008, rereleased in 2009 with new quotes: Q : "You have a lot of fans out there who would like to come out with some way to celebrate your birthday – what would you like them to do, to commemorate your 50th?” MJ: “Oh, to think about our planet – seriously. I mean how to make it a better planet. The global warming issue is a concern to me very much. Just make the world a better, happier place. It's our home. I'd like to see us do a better job of taking care of it.” Q : “Is that because you are a father and you look at your kids and worry about what we are leaving for them when we go away?” MJ: “That – and I have always felt compassion for the planet. Sometime I just start to get emotional. I cry because I can almost feel the pain in the air.”
Here Michael said "it's never too late." In This Is It, he said it will be too late if we don't act soon. As the news emerged, his optimism waned.	Ebony magazine, Dec 2007. Q: “How do you see the shape of the world today?” MJ: “I’m very concerned about the plight of the international global warming phenomenon. I knew it was coming, but I wish they would have gotten people’s interest sooner. But it’s never too late. It’s been described as a runaway train; if we don’t stop it, we’ll never get it back. So we have to fix it now.”
1/25/2010 -- Machine Management's Craig A. Johnson filed for reimbursement from MJ's estate for costs related to "The Michael Jackson Global Warming Awareness Initiative."	The Michael Jackson Global Warming Awareness Initiative
Memo To: The Children of Michael Jackson; Katherine Jackson, their guardian; and their estate's executors From: Bo Green, author of the website "Michael Jackson, the Man" Subject: Your Progress on Michael Jackson's Last Wish for a Major New Humanitarian Campaign: Engaging the Public to Help Slow Global Warming Our deepest condolences for your unimaginable loss. Michael Jackson was deeply and public invested, immediately prior to his tragic death, in a major undertaking to engage the public in humanity's biggest challenge ever. His urgency was unmistakable. He spoke of it in each of his last interviews. He made a speech to his This Is It The crew explaining that the show was dedicated to this campaign. He made it the very climax of the show itself. show that did not happen. Yet it produced vast proceeds for you. Is it not only proper to carry out his wish, the mission that drove This Is It? You found, posthumously, an old little love song and retitled it This Is Itand released it. It was very nice, thank you. Next you released an album entitled This Is It, of old recordings. It was very nice too, thank you.  However, these contain no reference to Michael's intended meaning ofThis Is It. Lastly, you released a film entitled This Is It, which was magnificent and we are all incredibly grateful. I appreciate that the film included his speech to his crew, in which he conveys the show's message. However, one still must go the many interviews with Michael and colleagues to learn precisely what the threat is that he is urging his fans to combat. To the best of my knowledge, Michael's specific message for This Is It has not yet been communicated to the public by the estate itself. Most importantly, there does not seem to any move yet by the estate to actually carry out Michael's last wish to help slow global warming. Michael has clearly and unambiguously stated to friends, colleagues and journalists that This Is It referred, not only to it being his final tour, but to his message that for the planet, we must act now, because this... is... it -- the time to act is now to slow global warming. Thank you for your most urgent consideration of this important request. Bo Green Just a fan, a writer, and member of your planetary family http://mjjtheman.wetpaint.com/page/MJ%27s+Final+Campaign