Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Prince of Whales?

Dave Rochlin - www.climatepath.org

The French revolution was about overthrowing the monarchy, and of course the American revolution rid the colonies of the imperialist policies of King George III. So can royalty start a revolution?

This Friday, NBC is airing a special called Harmony, which highlights the three decades of work by The Prince of Wales to combat climate change and find innovative solutions to the global environmental crisis, and shows how these values are expressed through the people and programs that he has supported.

Prince Charlie? Who Knew?

As he says in the book on which the film is based:

"This is a call to revolution. The earth is under threat. It cannot cope with all that we demand of it. It is losing its balance and we humans are causing this to happen. Revolution is a strong word and I use it deliberately. The many environmental and social problems that now loom large on our horizon cannot be solves by carrying on with the very approach that has caused them."

I had a chance to hear the filmmakers on a conference call this week, and they mentioned that the prince supported this film in order "to speak out and collaborate" on the issues of sustainability that have been important to him. Perhaps Lancelot was right in lamenting "the land without a king"?

It sounds like Prince Charles' intention are...well... noble, and I look forward to hearing his message. But to quote some other even more famous brits:

- You say you want a revolution....Well, you know we all want to change the world.
- You say you got a real solution ...Well, you know we'd all love to see the plan.

Harmony has its broadcast premiere at 10 PM/ET on Friday, November 19th on NBC. Prior to the premiere, “Dateline” will air an exclusive interview of Prince Charles speaking with Brian Williams at 9 PM/ET.