It was just by chance that I was sitting in my room listening (in the distance) to the MTV's 2006 Video Music Awards......
The announcer just announced Queen Latifah onto the stage. I glanced over, just to see what she was going to be announcing. But then she started talking about how it has taken 10,000 generations for the global population to reach only 2 billion and now in just one lifetime it has sky rocketed to 9 billion. She starting talking about saving our future and how we are messing with mother nature. (Thought bubble: "... random. Where is this going?") Before I knew it, they were annoucing the "Special Guest"; Former Vice President of the United States of America, Al Gore! I rushed over to watch to see what this truly surprising appearance was all about.
The video is now up at MTV. Go here, click on "2006 Video Music Awards on Demand" and scroll down to "Queen Latifah, Al Gore's Message". If you can't find it, here's a transcript below.
I'm typing this up as I re-watch the video so bare with me if there are any mistakes....
"Okay, I actually was not planning on being here tonight. But then MTV explained the me that Justin Timberlake was bringing "Sexy Back", so here I am."
[Cheers]
"But enough about me. So here we are in the 25th year of MTV. And that quarter century has given us some great memories, some great music, and some fantastic musicians here tonight. Christina Aguilera, TI, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce are all 25 this year. And during their lifetime, our world has certainly come a long way. But because of the rapid buildup of global warming polution in our's earth's atmosphere, it has also been suffering."
Nice. Connect the stars that the nation's youth identifies with to a growing trend of global warming.
"Here is a photo of a glacier in the Italian Alps. And here is a shot of that same glacier now. Here's a glacier in Argentina 20 years ago; same glacier today. This is Peru 27 years ago; and today. 75 years ago in Catagonia, the tip of South America; and now this vast expanse of ice is gone. Our earth is getting warmer and dramatic changes are taking place; glaciers and icecaps are melting; animal species are going extinct; storms are getting stronger and deadlier. Our planet is in trouble. Many of you already know this and have long since been connecting the dots.
In the latest MTV poll, for the very first time, the environment was the number one response when you were asked what is the biggest problem your generation will face. We- we can solve it, but we must act quickly. You are the generation that can and will literally save our world. Visit think.mtv.com to learn more. With your help, we will rise to this challenge and we will secure our future. Thank you."
[Cheers]
Thanks Al, for the surprise appearance. Although it was short, it was nice to see something of such importance on an MTV show such as this...
It IS up to us now...