07.07.07 Live Earth

In just under an hour the Live Earth concerts for a climate in crisis will begin at the Aussie Stadium in Sydney, Australia. Live Earth will stage official concerts at Giants Stadium in New York; Wembley Stadium in London; Aussie Stadium in Sydney; Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro; the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg; Makuhari Messe in Tokyo; the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai; and HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg.

Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent series of concert events on 7.7.07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to inspire a global movement to “Answer the Call” and help solve the climate crisis. Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, CEO of Control Room, the company producing the events globally.

Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection in the US, We’re in This Together and I Count in the UK, and other international organizations, to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take immediate and lasting action to solve the climate crisis. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection and a Partner of Live Earth.

"By engaging individuals all over the world, Live Earth will drive corporations and governments to tackle the climate crisis"
Al Gore

The ambitious event has generated criticism for the hypocrisy of the carbon footprint of the event and those that will be performing at the events. I have mixed feelings on the event, whilst I agree that the event will have a large carbon footprint, the events are allowing the message of climate change and CO2 emissions to be at the forefront of 2 billion peoples mind, should this empower each individual to install a single CFL bulb this could save 76m tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. However some people will go alot further, and others will simply do nothing, as in business you have to speculate to accumulate.

If you want to "Answer the Call" to help the environment, why not try some of these;

• Check your carbon footprint
• Look at our energy saving tips
• Find out more about plastic bags, why paper is as bad, and alternatives
• More information on why a CFL bulb is much better for the environment
• How renewable energy such as Solar PV, Solar thermal or wind power can help lower global carbon emissions (and you can even use renewables for free, almost).
• Improve the efficiency of your home with cavity wall insulation and loft insulation can reduce your footprint by several tonnes per year, and won't cost the earth, it will save you much more.
• How recycling can save huge amounts of energy, whether it's a sheet of paper, a plastic bottle or a steel tin.
• By supporting local produce and using tap water you can reduce food transport.
• Also using environmentally friendly modes of transport can help reduce our personal footprints.

Locations, Times & Headline Acts

Sydney - 0110 BST (1110 local)

CROWDED HOUSE, JACK JOHNSON, WOLFMOTHER, JOHN BUTLER TRIO, MISSY HIGGINS, ESKIMO JOE, SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM, PAUL KELLY, GHOSTWRITERS , TONI COLLETTE & THE FINISH, BLUE KING BROWN

Tokyo - 0400 BST (1200 local)

ABINGDON BOYS SCHOOL, AI, AI OTSUKA, AYAKA, COCCO, GENKI ROCKETS, KUMI KODA, LINKIN PARK, RIHANNA, RIZE, XZIBIT

Johannesburg - 1100 BST (1200 local)

ANGELIQUE KIDJO, BAABA MAAL, DANNY K, JOSS STONE, THE PARLOTONES, THE SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR, UB40, VUSI MAHLASELA, ZOLA

Shanghai - 1130 BST (1830 local)

ANTHONY WONG, EASON CHAN, EVONNE HSU, HUANG XIAO MING, JOEY YUNG, SARAH BRIGHTMAN, SOLER, WINNIE SHIN, 12 GIRLS BAND, ARTISTS FROM THE POPULAR TELEVISION PROGRAMS “MY HERO AND “MY SHOW”

Hamburg - 1300 BST (1400 local)

CHRIS CORNELL, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS, JAN DELAY, JULI EINENEUERTAG, KATIE MELUA, LOTTO KING KARL, MANDO DIAO, MARIA MENA, MARQUESS, MIA., MICHAEL MITTERMEIER, REAMONN, REVOLVERHELD, ROGER CICERO, SAMY DELUXE, SASHA, SHAKIRA, SILBERMOND, SNOOP DOGG, STEFAN GWILDIS, YUSUF

London - 1330 BST

BEASTIE BOYS, BLACK EYED PEAS, BLOC PARTY, CORINNE BAILEY RAE, DAMIEN RICE, DAVID GRAY, DURAN DURAN, FOO FIGHTERS, GENESIS, JAMES BLUNT, JOHN LEGEND, KASABIAN, KEANE, MADONNA, METALLICA, PAOLO NUTINI, PUSSYCAT DOLLS, RAZORLIGHT, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SNOW PATROL, SPINAL TAP, TERRA NAOMI

Washington - 1530 BST (1030 local)
GARTH BROOKS, TRISHA YEARWOOD, KIM RICHEY

New Jersey - 1930 BST (1430 local)
AFI, AKON, ALICIA KEYS, BON JOVI, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, FALL OUT BOY, JOHN MAYER, KANYE WEST, KEITH URBAN, KELLY CLARKSON, KENNA, KT TUNSTALL, LUDACRIS, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, ROGER WATERS, SMASHING PUMPKINS, TAKING BACK SUNDAY, THE POLICE

Rio de Janeiro - 2000 BST (1600 local)

LENNY KRAVITZ, PHARRELL WILLIAMS, MACY GRAY, XUXA, O RAPPA, MARCELO D2, JORGE BEN JOR, JOTA QUEST, VANESSA DA, MATTA, MV BILL

Kyoto (Special Broadcast Event)
BONNIE PINK, MICHAEL NYMAN, RIP SLYME, UA, YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA

Live Earth Antartica (Special Broadcast Event)
NUNATAK