Modern science, and even economics, tell us that global environmental protection is a necessity and must become a greater priority. But what we know in our minds isn't enough to inspire action. We need to feel with our hearts the magnitude of our responsbility to care for the earth.
Music is, and always has been, a primary motivator for humans. La Marseillaise was valuable to the French Revolution, and We Shall Overcome was a major component of the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960's. Nkosi Sikeleli's music was helpful during the South African struggle against apartheid. In Estonia, between 1987 and 1991, hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered publicly to sing forbidden patriotic songs and share protest speeches, risking their lives to proclaim their desire for independence. Their successful effort became the the Singing Revolutionwhere the Estonian people strategically and willfully sung their way to freedom -- and helped topple an empire along the way.
We need music linked to environmental activism! Environmental activist Tim DeChristopher often expresses his own deep faith in the power of song, to unite people and empower them to act without fear. Referring to environmental and climate justice advocates in America, Tim summed up his own perspective: "We will be a movement," he frequently stated, "when we sing like a movement."
And its beginning to happen! A Belgian initiative in 2012 launched a Sing for the Climate initiative with a rousing song "Do it Now!" In Belgium that year, more than 380.000 people sang 'Do it now"! and the resulting video was was given to Belgian and European Union political leaders with great success. They now hope people will make their own music videos singing the song and upload it to share with world leaders at the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Paris. So far people from 23 countries and 430 cities have done so!
In the United States, People's Climate Music is helping to expand the climate movement by organizing diverse and influential artists to create music and culture that inspires action to solve the biggest crisis humanity has ever faced – climate change. Organizations leading People's Climate Music include Hip Hop Caucus, 350.org, Avaaz, NRDC, and Sierra Club. Check out their environmental album, Home, a compilation of rap and R&B songs whose title doubles as a stirring acronym: Heal Our Mother Earth.
For one of the most recent songs of this genre, see "Love Song to the Earth" - a benefit song with some of the world's biggest names in music joining voices to inspire action on climate change. Every time the song is purchased, streamed, or shared, the royalties go directly towards the efforts of Friends of the Earth to keep fossil fuels in the ground and lower carbon emissions, and to the work of the U.N. Foundation to inspire international action on climate change.
But let's not let just the professional musicans sing these songs. We need to sing our own songs for the Earth, climate justice, peace, and freedom. Let all of these Earth Songs inspire us to greater love and protection of the Earth.
Do you know of other outstanding songs, albums, or links that are not listed here but should be? If so, please send information or a demo for review. Please e-mail to me at harold (at) planetpatriot.net or and I'll add them to the list!
Are you a musician? If every musician writes a song to stop global warming, the world will listen. Join the MUSE Campaign to write and record a song about our environmental crisis!
- Audio Sources for Earth Songs
- Albums Featuring Environmental Songs
- Individual Earth Songs by Various Artists
- Instrumental Earth Music
- Environmental Songbooks
- Songs for Hetch Hetchy
- Environmentalists in Song
- Songs for World Peace
- Environmental Music Links
"Keep your sense of humor. There is a 50 - 50 chance that the world can be saved. You - yes you - might be the grain of sand that tips the scales the right way." - Pete Seeger
This page is maintained by Harold Wood.
E-mail: harold (at) planetpatriot.net