Sting is one of the most interesting artists around, and boy doesn't he pay for it by catching every kind of flak. Just for daring to be different and go beyond the usual rock clichés. He's always had an intellectual turn of mind - remember the references to Jung? Calling someone put-down names just because they use influences from literature, history or (horrors) classical music is reverse snobbery of the worst kind.   

He's got talent, success and money - and the last two of those things have to be worked for, hard. He's used some of that money to establish the Rainforest Foundation to try and stop the wholesale destruction. He also supports a long list of other charities including Amnesty, foundations for breast cancer, AIDS, children with tumors and a whole raft of others. So suffering people benefit directly from his success. This is no idle dabbler.

More info here: http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/212-sting            

The last thing Sting can be called is pretentious or smug. Good on him - can't wait to see what he does next.