Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent
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It took Bob Geldof’s persuasive powers to rally support in aid of Africa. Now Al Gore is hoping to help to save the planet with a day of global concerts designed to raise awareness of climate change.
Madonna and the Police will be the star attractions at a series of concerts stretching from London to Shanghai organised by Mr Gore, the former US Vice-President, to raise awareness of climate change.
More than 100 acts will take part on five continents in the Live Earth event, scheduled to take place on July 7. The organisers hope to reach an audience of two billion people via television, radio and the internet.
Red Hot Chili Peppers, the reformed Genesis and Madonna will be headline attractions at the British concert, which will be staged at the new Wembley Stadium.
Star names will appear at events in the United States, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Japan and China during a day of music that organisers say will “deliver a call to action” on global warming — and provide some practical solutions to dealing with climate change.
Mr Gore said: “By attracting an audience of billions, we hope that Live Earth will launch a global campaign giving a critical mass of people around the world the tools they need to help to solve the climate crisis.”
The concerts are modelled on Bob Geldof’s Live8 event in 2005, which focused attention on debt relief for Africa.
But Mr Gore recognises that rock stars alone cannot save the world. “Ultimately, corporations and governments must become global leaders taking decisive action to stop global warming,” said Mr Gore, whose documentary on climate change, An Inconvenient Truth, won two Oscars.
Mr Gore has called for emissions of carbon dioxide by the US, the largest source of greenhouse gas, to be pegged at present levels.
A novice as a stadium rock promoter, Mr Gore has engaged Kevin Wall and Harvey Goldsmith, the producers of Live8, to secure his wish list of music megastars. However, the organisers of Live Earth are aware that the concerts themselves will require a vast amount of kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to be staged.
They have hired John Picard, a sustainability expert and former member of President Clinton’s White House environmental task force, to help to generate the first “green” stadium rock shows. The electricity used at the concerts will be from biodiesel generators and renewable utility supplies.
Food and drink sellers will be directed to suppliers of agricultural or biodegradable plastics such as those made from corn. A comprehensive recycling system for waste is promised at each venue.
Vehicles used to transport the likes of Madonna and Kanye West to the stage will be petrol-electric hybrids or run on other clean fuel sources. VIP air travel required to get stars to the stadiums will be offset by carbon credits.
A spokesman for Live Earth said: “We hope to implement a new green event standard that will become the model for carbon-neutral concerts and other live entertainment events.”
More acts will be announced for the shows, with Bruce Springsteen, Kylie Minogue, Muse and Bono in the organisers’ sights.
Tickets for the London show cost £55 and will be allocated by ballot to minimise touting. Fans will be able to pre-register for them at www.livenation.co.uk/liveearth on Friday.
The Police headline an array of big names who have agreed to perform at New Jersey in the Giants Stadium.
Proceeds from the shows will go to the Alliance for Climate Protection, which is chaired by Mr Gore. But the concerts themselves will cost millions of dollars to stage, and corporate sponsorship is being sought.
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Catherine O'Connor, Madonna doesn't actually HAVE a private jet.
>>Vehicles used to transport the likes of Madonna and Kanye West to the stage will be petrol-electric hybrids or run on other clean fuel sources. VIP air travel required to get stars to the stadiums will be offset by carbon credits.<<
Surely the Greenest way to get to the stage is WALKING??
D G, Glasgow, Scotland
Can anyone tell me who is handling all the promotional products at these Live Green Concerts?
Shawna Quinlan, Oakton, VA
I just think it's a complete nonsense to have someone as selfish as Madonna headlining a concert that is supposed to be about raising awareness of global warming and all such related issues. This woman who swans around the world in her private jet. It's truly ludicrous. Her and her ilk who do more damage to the planet with their constant travelling than probably populations of people put together. Exactly how is this going to benefit the world? What real difference will it make? It only serves to further inflate the already gargantuan egos of those entertainers who have signed up to perform. They actually think that we think they care - Ahhhh bless.
Catherine O'Connor, London, United Kingdom
Good call Mr Gore - well done for putting your money where your mouth is.
Hopefully the weird people who don't care about the environment will get brighter soon.
Zarich, London, UK
I assume they won't have Phil Collins doing the transatlantic "I'm no ordinary pop star - I'm going to play at concerts in two continents on the same day" thing that he did for Live Aid. Just wouldn't wash in this day and age.
Jane, Manchester, UK
They say it wont harm the planet but they say the want people to watch it on tv radio and on the internet so if 50 million or so people are watching it im sure it wont be good for the planet and contribute to 'global warming'
plus a concert wont make me go.... oh my god i am going to stop using my car, pc, tv because a bunch of millionaires think they are 'doing there bit' really annoys me when celebs become scientists and jump on the go green bandwagon...I will live the way i want thanks. it hard enough without all these go green people trying to cap and ban cars which produces 2 much co2....ok you buy me a nice brand new expensive hybrid engine car if you so want me to get 1
Rick Nicol, Stockport, Manchester, United Kingdom
Pravin, thank God fpr commonsense. These Eco Wacko's will, literally be the death of us. St Al Gore is leading his lemmings to the "promised land. I can promise you that that St Al and his G5 will have flown away when they arrive. Does anyone think these rock stars will pay their own way, or travel coach? . Maybe a group hug and the whole world singing kumbaya would help.
Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA Texas
I'm sorry to hear that there is global warming in England. Not in the USA where this is the coldest April on record.
George Leonard, San Francisco, California
I'm just so very happy about everything!
Jerry Payton, Lummi Island, Washington, USA
Great another opportunity for the gullible, weak-minded, scientifically challenged tree-huggers to huddle around, sing songs and order the rest of us on how to live our lives. Personally as rotting leaves create more CO2 then mankind I think Ill cut down a few trees.
Oh and lets stop all flying in the UK after all it will help reduce the global temperature by 0.0016 C (in 100 years)
Pravin, uk,
have to say, I am yawning already!
alastair harris, Derby, England
Mr Gores house is environmentally friendly - he uses green energy! Oil companies have a lot to use if we save the planet so they are using every dirty trick in the book to smear Al Gore. They have spent more than $25 million funding propaganda, think tanls and corrupt sientists to make us think there is mass disagreement about this in the scientific community when there is not. Always check your sources!
Matthew, London,
The earth is our real mother, the sky is our real father. Everytime we breathe, everytime we eat we are in touch with them. We really are them.
Edoardo Erba, Rome, Italy
That house / earth / fire / hose / intelligence analogy is appalling, really truly rubbish. What were you thinking?
David Lewis, Cardiff, UK
What a fanstastic news! Mr. Al Gore was amazing with his scary documental An Inconvenient Thruth! and I am very glad to see that he will organize concerts to create more awareness on global warming.
The other day on this "paper" I was reading comments from US. people (I am American also) and Britons specially who considered global warming as histeria or not a fact - Yes there are people like those!
However, teachings have to be followed by examples and the other day I saw on the news that Mr. Gore's house is not environmentally friendly at all...! That is terrible! However he conpensates with everything he is doing for the earth.
Please think about your children, grand children; etc.; etc.
Andres , Guayaquil , Ecuador
Everyone seems to want to focus on the bad part of a person / organizations. It doesn't matter who the person is, if they are trying to bring the human group conciousness level in sync with earth and nature, that should be considered a good thing........
Our house (earth) is on fire. There are enough fire hose's (human intelligence) to put out the fire, but everyone is fighting and pointing out the bad things on each others fire hose and not using their fire hose to put out the fire.
It's time for everyone to put aside their differences and work together on making earth a place to live.
We all know there is enough food and medicine that comes from the earth that can feed the hungry and heal the sick.
try to think positive
George Newell, Bellingham, Wa