Perhaps Alanis could tell her fans “please carpool or find green ways of coming”, rather than driving? Or offer bus pick ups of groups of people?

If they're really her fans, they may comply.

Nor am I being nihilistic: Nobody is suggesting we stop having concerts or shut down our personal electronics. People will consume. That's neither avoidable, nor a bad thing. What we want is sustainable consumption.

You're right — celebrities have influence. They get noticed. But it's not as if people haven't heard the environmental message, and we're past the stage where we need someone like Paris Hilton stumbling unconvincingly through a few scripted talking points about the virtues of buying a hybrid car.

The kind of positive impact we need now is the real work of remaking our lives, not sound bytes from celebrities.

I respect your opinion, but this is why numerous groups are working on LEED certification for such events. Concerts are designed to encourage consumption, and you're not thinking of the thousands of aggregate road miles driven to even a modest gathering. Nor does anyone pulls their circuit breaker before leaving home.

I'm certainly not saying we should stop having concerts, or that efforts to green them are unworthy. But the idea of using as an environmental spokesperson a celebrity whose carbon footprint and resource consumption is many multiples of the average person is plainly wrongheaded, and the irony doesn't escape notice.

The environmental movement has matured to the point we no longer need to piggyback on the fame of rock stars and actors (though many are committed conservationists). People understand the need for change. We've arrived at the action phase, and it's time for the celebrities to take a bow and step offstage. From here out, it's up to us.

Anytime you can get a celebrity onto a movement, it has the potential to be a very positive thing for that movement. First, these rock stars influence people. When one of these individuals steps off a jet to speak about green endeavors, they obviously are being a bit hypocritical by flying the jet, but they are potentially having a positive impact on thousands of individuals.

Also, these folks do not need to take steps to preserve the environment. They do not need to use biodiesel busses, turn the lights off… etc. The fact that they do is positive and that they are telling other people is also positive.

Ultimately, everyone can be greener. We, as bloggers, could be greener by telling people to not use their computers or not use our own computers. Although there are certainly inadequacies that can be pointed out of these rock stars, I think it is of great benefit to promote the positive environmental steps that these rock stars take.