LAST TREE ON EARTH
To support the release of their new album,´Three Colours Red´ have a new campaign, to understand it fully please read the parable below then the information that follows it.
The Last tree on Earth – a parable for our times
Once upon a time there was a island in the middle of a big sea.
On this island there lived many people and animals, it was teeming with life and beautiful things. There was great harmony and nature was king.
After becoming conscious of themselves the people of the island formed into groups where everyday tasks could be shared for the mutual benefit of all.
These groups prospered so well that they began to turn into communities each with their own leaders, languages, rights and rituals.
Over time different skills were learned and the leaders or Kings as they were now known became powerful.
For one prospering tribe in particular the King decided a statue shoud be built in his honour.
The statue they felt would represent their status above the other tribes on the island - it would be magnificent!
Many months later a huge stone statue was rolled to the top of the hill using trees cut down from their locality. The tribe was immensely happy as it could be seen by all the other tribes.
One of the neighbouring tribal kings was so upset at being upstaged by the other king he decided a bigger and more magnificent statue will be built, many months later and again using the trees from the locality they rolled the stone statue to the top of the hill. He was so proud and the people danced and rejoiced.
All this noise upset the other tribes who decided the only way forward was also to create a stone statue, soon the top of hill had eight statues then as the ages passed more and more , they were becoming bigger and more intricate as the new Kings demanded there statue was the best.
One day as a tribe was completing a stone statue they realized they could not move it to the top of the hill as they did not have enough trees to roll it on.
The tribes king got so angry he decided the only choice was to wage war on a defenceless tribe on the coast so he could use their trees. At his orders the workers invaded and the coastal tribe was murdered so the greedy king could have use of their resources.
The bloodstained statue was set on top of the hill, with there lives secure the people danced and rejoiced whilst the other tribes stood back in awe.
One Tribal King decided to set to work straight away on a new statue, but when the project was half way through he was asked by a farmer if he would listen to what he had to say.
The King agreed and the farmer stated that all the tree cutting was having a negative impact on the land and there was not enough food to feed the workers.
The king said ´no problem´and sent out an army to a neighbouring tribe who after several bloody days took over the neighbouring kingdom taking their food and using their trees
That summer there were terrible storms and floods and each surviving tribe was finding it increasingly difficult to live without the trees, some astute people declared that cutting down the trees was insane and was the source of the problem but the greedy kings just laughed and the people kept on working obediently.
Now there were only five tribes left with hugely powerful kings and many others living in misery. Food and water was scarce, animals were dying, and the seasons increasingly unpredictable.
One night, after a bad dream, one king decided that perhaps all the tribes should meet to discuss the problems on the island. After much deliberation a plan was hatched to save the island from destruction. Still, even after this, the statue building went on and on.
Another age passed and as things worsened one tribe even took to the sea in hope of finding new life, another tribe simply starved to death as the other tribes looked on and did nothing.
It was late December with only one tribe left when the order to cut the last tree on the island was given.
From this tree which was set on top of highest hill you could see the whole island. The person who was sent with the rope to the top of the tree could see death and destruction all around with the gaze of the mighty statues upon it all.
He started to become angry and realized the folly of it all, after sometime he came down and decided to take on the might of the last tribal king.
He told others he trusted his plan, and soon discovered that they also were tired of working for the king . "How could we be so blind ?
" he said "that all that sustains us should be taken from us, it is to the trees we should place importance not to those foolish faces on the hill, it is time to work for the good of all not for the minority who look down on us without respect and compassion".
From these words they took great strength and together they marched in unity to seize power from the king so the island could be rich in life once again.
The king powerless without his workers was soon overwhelmed,
and from that very last tree on the island the people began to grow seeds of growth and understanding for the place which gave them life. The statues were left on the hill as message to future generations that all in all , all is one.
By Matt Kemp
December 2010
Not enough water in the well by Three Colours Red
Here and Now in the 21st century humanity is faced with many great problems, at the heart of many lies the unchecked plundering of the earths resources and the continued destruction of many species and eco-systems.
As technology advances, society is becoming more and more removed from the things that sustain it, which in turn means we are less conscious of our place in the great web of life.
For this reason we (Three Colours Red) have decided to create ´The Last Tree On Earth´. Through this tree we hope people can express their ideas and inspirations and most importantly take action so this tree never actually becomes reality for future generations.
We simply ask people to think about one major change you can make in your life to help the environment and then imagine adding a leaf to the 'Last tree on earth' and of course follow the action through.
For example we as a band are focusing on the issue of the use of Plastic and how people should be aware of how much damage is causing to the earth and its many oceans.
To follow this idea through we have started a campaign at our gigs called ´STOP´ promoting awareness about this issue and of course the tricky bit tried to STOP as much as possible our use of plastic.
For example Did you know?
In an area called the 'Great Pacific patch' a plastic rubbish tip has accumulated so much that it now makes up more than six times the percentage of plankton across a distance estimated to be the same size as Spain.
Little Ripples Make Waves!
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