Live Earth Concerts Tune Up to Unite 2 Billion People to Fight Climate Change

Live Earth—a 24-hour musical and environmental extravaganza—will kick off early tomorrow (Saturday, July 7, 2007) in an effort to spark a worldwide crusade against climate change and the effects of global warming.

_{Al Gore, Kevin Wall and Alliance for Climate Protection CEO Cathy Zoi at a Live Earth press briefing. -- Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images}

Listen to the Music
Nine concerts on all seven continents, featuring more than 150 top musical acts, will circle the globe and be broadcast on television and radio in more than 100 countries and streamed live over the Internet on MSN.com. About 2 billion people—just under one-third of the global population—are expected to either attend or tune into the Live Earth concerts.

Organized by eco-activists Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth) and Kevin Wall (Emmy-winning producer, concert promoter and entrepreneur), Live Earth may seem like just another in a long line of concerts for causes, but there’s one big difference. Instead of raising money, the goal of Live Earth is to raise awareness about the danger and urgency of climate change, and to inspire people around the world to make lasting changes in the way they live their lives and impact the planet.

Australia Kicks Off Live Earth Concerts
Live Earth will begin with a concert in Sydney, Australia, followed by concerts throughout the day in Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Hamburg, Germany; London, England; Johannesburg, South Africa; Rio de Jan¬eiro, Brazil; New York; and at the British Antarctic Survey Station in Antarctica.

Performers at the concerts will include Madonna, The Police, Dave Matthews Band, Shakira, Smashing Pumpkins, the Beastie Boys, Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz, Bon Jovi, John Mayer, Keith Urban, KT Tunstall, Jack Johnson, Melissa Etheridge, Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens) and many other stars.

Live Earth also includes more than 7,000 other registered events worldwide—from house parties to major festivals—all designed to help raise awareness about climate change and motivate people to take action to address the problem. Concert attendees and viewers will see more than 60 short films and public service announcements featuring stars such as Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz.

Take the Live Earth Pledge
Everyone participating in Live Earth will be encouraged to take the 7-point Live Earth pledge:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global-warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crises by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become "carbon neutral";

3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crises and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Criticisms of Live Earth Misplaced
Some critics—including such musical notables as Roger Daltrey, former lead singer for The Who, and Bob Geldof, who started concerts for causes with his Live Aid concerts—have called Live Earth counterproductive because performers and fans will burn massive amounts of fossil fuels just getting to the concerts. To help neutralize that problem, the Live Earth organizers are recommending transportation alternatives to help lessen carbon emissions and have committed to making each of the concerts as “green” as possible.

Frankly, the recurring criticism that nearly any effort to curb global warming also adds to the problem in some way is wearing a little thin. If Live Earth brings the kind of change its organizers and participants hope, any short-term damage the event creates will be more than offset by the gains it inspires. More to the point, people who are willing to make a commitment and take action to help solve what is arguably the biggest global crisis mankind has ever faced should be encouraged.

Why Live Earth is Needed
According to some reports, there is little interest in global warming outside Europe and North America. News stories claim that people in many developing countries are too focused on getting enough food or clean water, or so beset by the immediate health effects of air and water pollution, to worry about the effects of environmental damage. Others report general ambivalence among people in many countries. That position is supported by what happened in Turkey, where a Live Earth concert had to be cancelled for lack of local support.

Rather than being an argument against Live Earth, the lack of interest among many of the world’s people makes a persuasive case for greater awareness and the type of civic education Live Earth is designed to provide. Just because too many people are ignoring or discounting the problem of climate change doesn’t make it any less severe.

Tune in to the Live Earth concerts on Saturday, and for more information about Live Earth events, see LiveEarth.org.