VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE GOES GREEN

By Ella Tyler

If you are not familiar with the contemporary Vanity Fair, don’t be put off by the name. Yes, there’s still plenty of celebrity gossip and glossy advertising, but the magazine also has a reputation for publishing serious articles. And it has outdone itself with its first green issue.

A substantial part of the May 2006 editorial content is devoted to environmental concerns. The issue features an essay by Al Gore on global warming, “The Moment of Truth,” and an article, “While Washington Slept,” that examines the ways many Americans have been persuaded there is no global warming crisis. “While Washington Slept” is illustrated by dramatic images of how Washington, Manhattan, the San Francisco Bay area, and the Hamptons might look after three-foot and after eighty-foot rises in sea level. There is also a lengthy article about mountain-top coal removal, and a portfolio of fifty people from a variety of disciplines who are each doing something to help preserve the environment.

The articles about global warming and coal mining each detail the political and business connections between industry, Congress, regulators, and the courts.

Although the combination of celebrities, accessories, and environmental awareness may seem incongruous, the magazine is bringing the message to a much broader audience than environmentalists generally reach.