‘Earth’ by Lil Dicky is a song that aims to raise money and awareness to help address issues surrounding climate change. The song features a host of famous musicians and actors, from Justin Bieber who features as a baboon, to Ariana Grande who features as a zebra, to known environmentalist Leonardo Di Caprio who features as himself.
Lil Dicky speaks about working patiently on this project, gradually adding more and more artists to the track. This approach is a smart way of broadening the reach of the song, allowing for a larger overall impact. Modern day popular culture is hugely fuelled by online hype, and ‘Earth’ does a great job in channelling this hype towards climate change. All of the profits generated from ‘Earth’ streams will be donated to nonprofits that tackle issues such as climate change, the energy crisis, and sustainable farming. By simply watching the video you are actively making a difference, as more views means more money raised for environmental causes.
The song is also accompanied by a Pixar like animated music video that will capture the imagination of children and adults alike. At first this may not seem very impactful, but fun, light-hearted approaches like this can get everyone engaged with climate change, both young and old.
Aside from the song itself, Lil Dicky has also published a website that discusses climate change more in-depth and suggests some areas where we can all have a greater impact. The first step you can take is to sign a petition which aims to call on government leaders to support a ‘Global Deal for Nature’. This deal would bring formal protection to 30% of the Earth’s land and sea and another 20% to its sustainable management.
On top of signing the petition, you can show further support by paying a voluntary “carbon tax” that contributes towards protecting critically important forests and coastal ecosystems. To see how your carbon footprint compares with the average American, you can take part in this quiz.
All of these changes are heavily dependent on the governments that are in power and there are still some world leaders, including Donald Trump, that are damaging efforts to address the destruction of our planet. On the ‘Earth’ website, Lil Dicky urges us to remember that one of our strongest powers is having the opportunity to vote. If you vote, you are able to call for representatives who care about the environment. Voter apathy has been a problem in recent years, but instead of following the rhetoric that ‘all politicians are all the same’, make a change in your next vote and commit to those that are committed to tackling climate change.
Whether you like the song or not, listen to it, watch it and share it. It’s not about the song itself, it’s about the message that it represents: raising awareness and saving the planet.
