LIVE EARTH Concerts (this weekend)

[DanielMark]

Live Earth is a 24-hour, 7-continent concert series taking place on 7/7/07 that will bring together more than 100 music artists and 2 billion people to trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis.

Live Earth will reach this worldwide audience through an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms - TV, radio, Internet and wireless channels.

Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year campaign led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group and other international organizations to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is the Chair of the Alliance and Partner of Live Earth.

Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, the Worldwide Executive Producer of Live 8, an event that brought together one of the largest audiences in history to combat poverty. Wall formed a partnership with Al Gore and the Alliance for Climate Protection to ensure that Live Earth inspires behavioral changes long after 7/7/07.

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 concerts will be broadcast to a live worldwide audience by MSN at www.LiveEarth.MSN.com.

(source)

Daniel

[fearless]

Ah, the irony of it all, holding rock concerts and broadcasting them requiring massive amounts of power to allegedly 'drive individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve global warming.' Obviously, rock stars are exempt from taking any action.

IMO Live Earth, Live 8, Live Aid etc, are a waste of time and money.

[DanielMark]

Funny isn't it? Whenever anyone tries to make a real difference to raise awareness of global problems, out march the critics. It's mind-boggling.

What's The Point Of Live Earth?
Facing Criticism, Al Gore Says Concerts Are Just The Beginning

Given the huge amount of resources that go into staging gigs on all the planet's continents — and the sad reality that many of those who attend the shows or watch on TV come away with little more than a T-shirt or a hazy memory of that off-the-hook Pink Floyd reunion, we wondered, what's the point of Live Earth?

Organizers have said that the shows will leave a minimal carbon footprint, with all the power supplied by green sources like solar, wind and biodiesel. They are also planning to feature food from local vendors at some venues, recyclable dishware at others and carbon credits bought to reduce the impact of the many flights artists have to take to reach their destinations.

In the United Kingdom, there will be belts for sale made out of recycled fire hoses from the London Fire Department. Organizers there are encouraging attendees to use public transport or carpool on their way to the shows, going so far as to supply "ride with me" Evites to help fans find rides.

Ticket buyers in Sydney, Australia, will also get free rides on public transport with the purchase of a ticket, according to a Reuters report.

Old tires and oil drums that will be part of the set at the New Jersey show will be reused, and some of the signs for the show in Johannesburg, South Africa, will be recycled as roofing. Then there's a company called Wheatware, which is donating 272 pairs of compostable drumsticks, 3,240 guitar picks and 4,100 clothes hangers made from biodegradable wheat-based materials to Live Earth musicians at shows in New Jersey, London, Sydney, Tokyo and Johannesburg. Proceeds from the events will go to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit organization chaired by Live Earth co-founder, former Vice President Al Gore.

After facing criticism from none other than Live Aid/ Live 8 mastermind Bob Geldof about the seeming pointlessness of the upcoming event, organizers unveiled a "7 Point Pledge" last week that they are asking attendees and viewers to sign, illustrating the concrete actions they will take to lower their impact on the planet. Commit to becoming carbon-neutral, make your home and workplace more energy-efficient and plant new trees and you might even see your name flash for a millisecond on one of the screens at a show on Saturday.

When asked what impact, if any, Live 8 has had two years after it took place and what Live Earth's impact might be, Kevin Wall — who produced Live 8 and co-founded Live Earth — said the answer is simple: plenty (see "Live 8, One Year Later: G8 Promises Are Falling Short Of Goals, Report Says").

"That had an end result," Wall said of Live 8's call for the cancellation of billions in third world debt. "Five days later, $50 billion in third world debt [was erased]. But with this particular project it's more complicated, and this is a long-term effort. The Alliance for Climate Protection has committed to a multiple-year campaign. What we are doing is creating a massive media event to effect change, but it's the beginning.

"One concert won't solve this problem, but one event like this will launch a behavioral change," Wall continued. "If we can create that change, if we can make that awareness, then people will start to buy green, they'll start to vote green, they'll start to demand of their neighbors, of their leaders, change."

Keith Farnish, a British environmentalist who founded the Earth Blog and wrote a 2006 article called "Why the Public Won't Change," said that based on what he's heard, he does not have high hopes for a huge groundswell of activity following the shows. "I think there's a very small minority of people it will make a difference to," he said. "[People] have very short memories. They're not stupid, [and] the vast majority of the public knows what's going on, but I'm not sure events like this make a difference."

It's possible, Farnish said, that a defining moment could come out of Live Earth. The original Live Aid's montage of images of starving African children set to the somber strains of the Cars' "Drive" stuck in viewers' minds and helped spur the outpouring of monetary support.

"I haven't seen anything so far that's likely to have that impact," he said of the reports he's read on plans for the shows. "Live Earth doesn't seem to have an end game, or a target, which I have a problem with. It's very ethereal: 'Let's raise awareness.' But for what purpose? If the show could be tied to very specific targets for reducing greenhouse gases, that would be great."

Gore says he's heard the criticism of Live 8 and that he does have a plan. "This could not have happened without [Live 8's] pioneering efforts, and we listened carefully to their advice to make this not just a one-day event," Gore said. "[This is] the beginning of a multiyear campaign, and that is exactly how this has been designed. You've never seen anything like this one, and it is going to keep on going in the follow-up for three to five years."

(source)

Daniel

[Queen Tokelove]

Yeah, they mentioned that concert on ABC news tonight. I see Bob Geldof thinks it's a joke too. I kinda agree with him. Al Gore trying to get everyone together on a concert. Hell, I remember when his wifey was trying to lock up 2 Live Crew, now we're suppose to be united? And the only rapper I see on the bill is Kanye West, not saying he's selling out but how about Lil Jon, Yung Jock or Ying Yang Twins. It kills me.....ever so softly...

[DanielMark]

The event is aimed at prompting people and governments to help reduce carbon emissions.

At the launch of Sydney's concert lineup, Rob Hirst, drummer for Midnight Oil and a performer at Live Earth in his new band the Ghostwriters, called the traditional rock star life not eco-friendly.

"Any of the musicians here who've spent 24 to 30 years roaming the globe on planes, trains and automobiles should have a mighty guilty complex about what they've done to the environment,'' Hirst told local media.

Here's are some of the performer highlights for Live Earth, with some approximate times of the concert schedule:

Sydney, Australia: Crowded House, Jack Johnson
Starts: 10 pm ET/7 pm PT (Friday)

Tokyo, Japan: AI, Ayaka, Linkin Park, Rihanna
Starts: 1 am ET/10 pm PT

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell, Macy Gray
Starts: 2 am PT/11 pm PT

Shanghai, China: Sarah Brightman, 12 Girls Band
Starts: 4 am ET/1 am PT

Hamburg, Germany: Chris Cornell, Jan Delay, Katie Melua
Starts: 8 am ET/5 am PT

Johannesburg, South Africa: Angelique Kidjo, Baaba Maal, Joss Stone
Starts: 8:30 am ET/5:30 am PT

London, England: Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, James Blunt
Starts: 8:30 am ET/5:30 am PT

New York City: Akon, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi
Starts: 2 pm ET/11 am PT

(source)

[Queen Tokelove]

And I still say how about Yung Jock, Lil Jon, Ying Yang Twins? I don't see Macy Gray much of a talent, her singing sounds awful, coulda put Erykah Badu in her place. I do approve of Alicia Keys, Akon, and the Black Eyed Peas but I must say they are going with I guess what you would call "safe acts" for lack of a better word.

Modified to add: If they could have the Material Grandma surely they could've gotten Ms. Jackson. I would love to see another wardrobe malfunction....

[Cliff]

The Ying Yang Twins at Live Earth!?!  Q.A., I think that would be a bit too much.

I'm watching Duran Duran at the London concert.  Boring!  And they keep showing various stars in the audience.  Who cares.  This seems more like a publicity stunt for the entertainers, than a genuine desire to change human consumption patterns. 

I think most people are just there for the music.  That's the only reason why I'm watching. 

Madonna is coming on soon.  She's who I want to see.  So Q.A. wash your mouth with soap for that Grandma comment!!!!

[Queen Tokelove]

The Ying Yang Twins at Live Earth!?!  Q.A., I think that would be a bit too much.

I'm watching Duran Duran at the London concert.  Boring!  And they keep showing various stars in the audience.  Who cares.  This seems more like a publicity stunt for the entertainers, than a genuine desire to change human consumption patterns. 

I think most people are just there for the music.  That's the only reason why I'm watching. 

Madonna is coming on soon.  She's who I want to see.  So Q.A. wash your mouth with soap for that Grandma comment!!!!

I use to love Duran Duran back in the day and trips out when I see the Old Spice commerical with dude playing Hungry like the Wolf....Ahoy....lmao...Don't get me wrong, I like Madonna especially her older stuff. I miss her controversial side...sighs....but I guess she has matured....Aww  see, it wouldn't have been boring if the Ying Yangs Twins were there!!!!

(who is twerkin it )

[RapidRod]

Daniel, Al Gore? Give me a break. The man spends more on fuel to heat one of his homes than you make in a month. I'm suppose to take Al Gore seriously? I thought Al would be having a long conversation with his son this weekend over drug issues.

I do like the music though. But I wonder how many arrived in private jets to attend? How many tour buses are parked out front? How many tractor trailers were used for equipment transport. How many programs were made and fliers? I have no problem with anyone wanting to raise money for a cause.  

[Dachshund]

Snoop was in the hizzle in Hambizzle my nizzles. Too bad Mr. Gore can't do something about the hot air around the fizzles.

[redhotmuslbear]

Instead of being jaded f^cks and nay-sayers who jump to find potential inconsistencies with this event, I wish that people could rise to the occasion with constructive commentary..... like, how many people insist on receiving their prescriptions in recycleable containers?   The pharmacist thought I was nuts when I asked for a Type 1 or 2 plastic container for an antibiotic a few weeks ago--he wound up dispensing the pills in a paper sleeve. 

Hmm.... so, as an untreated LTNP I have a smaller carbon footprint than HIVers on HAART.  Can I apply a "credit" towards moving up from a thrifty small SUV (paid of in six months) to an Urban Assault Vehicle?   

Cheers,
David

[RapidRod]

David, I don't believe paper would be a good choice for HAART meds since they come with moisture preventive absorbers in them. I may be a jaded f^ck. but I didn't say anything that wasn't true about Al Gore. You can drive whatever you like, I could care less.

[Dan J.]

Since it is summer here in the U.S. I did a little research on how much emissions law mowers & other gas powered lawn equipment use. Did you know that mowing your yard with a 2006 lawn mower puts out as many emissions as a 100 mile trip in a 2006 model car? Americans use 80 Million barrels of oil every year to power these machines. With the advances in battery technology, the availability of E85 ethanol & bio diesel (which doesn't degrade like gasoline or regular diesel) why not make these  machines more "earth friendly? The goverment wants us to drive more fuel efficent cars, but most Americans are unaware of these alternative sources of power. I found 1 manufacturer of electric riding mowers in the U.S. but they aren't widely available accross the country. There aren't even any emissions laws governing these machines that I know of. Seems like a good place to start to me. It would get Americans familiar with other sources of fuel so they will be more accepting of these types of technologies in their automobiles.

[Queen Tokelove]

Snoop was in the hizzle in Hambizzle my nizzles. Too bad Mr. Gore can't do something about the hot air around the fizzles.

What I missed Snoop...Oh snap!

[Queen Tokelove]

I do like the music though. But I wonder how many arrived in private jets to attend? How many tour buses are parked out front? How many tractor trailers were used for equipment transport. How many programs were made and fliers? I have no problem with anyone wanting to raise money for a cause.   

Very Good Point Roddles, my main man!!!!!

[libvet]

Daniel, Al Gore? Give me a break. The man spends more on fuel to heat one of his homes than you make in a month.

Well, yes, Gore does spend more on his home energy because he pays a premium to the power companies to ensure his power comes from "green" sources.

You'd think that righties would welcome the news that Al Gore is proving to them that we don't have to live in unheated huts and eat wheat grass to reduce our carbon footprint, but instead, it just seems to make them angrier and angrier.

[RapidRod]

libvet, what are you doing dreaming? That isn't true at all. Tell me where he can get jet fuel "from green sources?" Now back that one up bud.

[Cliff]

Madonna just finished.  She put on a good performance!  She has so much energy and can really get the entire crowd going.

Live Earth UK is now over.  It's made a small impact on me.  I went to Pret A Manager for a sandwich and crisps.  When they asked me if I wanted a bag, I said no.  



Who will speak for Planet Earth?

[thunter34]

One question: 


Where is Sheryl "One Square Per Poo" Crowe in all of this?

[Dan J.]

One question: 


Where is Sheryl "One Square Per Poo" Crowe in all of this?

She's saving up her squares so she can wipe her butt.

[redhotmuslbear]

Since it is summer here in the U.S. I did a little research on how much emissions law mowers & other gas powered lawn equipment use. Did you know that mowing your yard with a 2006 lawn mower puts out as many emissions as a 100 mile trip in a 2006 model car?

Dan,
The lawn mower rant is a canard whipped up by the automotive industry to steer the conversation about emissions.  Electric mowers don't get charged from lightning bolts and gerbil-driven turbines:  electricity comes from nuclear power with its panoply of issues, or from the burning for coal or other materials that will release water valpor and carbon-based gases in the process.  Likewise, bio-diesel may create fewer carbon-based emissions that regular diesel and gasoline, but it has its demons, too.

Most biodiesel is not a local, carbon-neutral product. Biodiesel requires a large investment of energy before it arrives at petrol pumps. Coupled with the deforestation, and monoculture farming techniques used to grow crops, biodiesel represents a serious threat to the environment. Forests contain large quantities of carbon which are released when they are burnt to make space for farming. Forests also trap carbon in humus and soil, something that farming biodiesel crops does not do. Clearing forests is a cause of global warming and desertification. These problems will be exacerbated as biodiesel becomes more popular unless stringent laws are introduced and enforced to control biodiesel production. Biodiesel produced from clear cut forest land offers no environmental advantage over petroleum diesel, while diverting corn and other grain to ethanol spikes commodity prices and could threaten human hunger.  To borrow a phrase, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

The smart solution to the fuels dilema in densely populated areas is impactful mass transit over single-occupant vehicles.  During the two years I worked in Silicon Valley and Toronto, I was amazed how much I could be on the go and never have need of a car or feel that being without one was wasting my time.

Peace,
David

[redhotmuslbear]

Madonna just finished.  She put on a good performance!  She has so much energy and can really get the entire crowd going.

I may get my homo card revoked for this, but Madonna long ago passed into the realm of unoriginal musically and the likeliness of my best teenage best friend's scary nympho mother style-wise.      

[Dan J.]

Where I live there is no mass transit & I am not going to walk anywhere in 98 degree temps with 100 % humidity. At least I try to do my part by driving a Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle that gets 43.1 mpg.

[RapidRod]

David, the corn used for ethanol is not the kind of corn you place on your plate. We have an ethanol plant being built the next county over. Their corn usage will not impact the corn supply in the least, nor the water supply, plus the by-product is animal feed.

[Dan J.]

There is an ethanol plant being built here is Jackson as I type this. My nephew is a farmer he uses biodiesel to run his tractors & he will grow corn that is going to be used to produce ethanol.

[RapidRod]

This plant will consume apx 80 million bushels when it begins it's first year and that is no corn at all. They dump that much on the ground around here because no place to put it. Dan we don't have mass transit here and the nearest Taxi is 11 miles away and it doesn't run but 8 hrs a day.

[redhotmuslbear]

David, the corn used for ethanol is not the kind of corn you place on your plate. We have an ethanol plant being built the next county over. Their corn usage will not impact the corn supply in the least, nor the water supply, plus the by-product is animal feed.

Rod,
The corn used may not be ordinality destines for human consumption, but the increase in demand for corn by the ethanol industry impacts market prices that make human-edible corn more expensive, along with corn used for animal feed that makes animals and their products more expensive.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19343814/

http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/April06/Features/Ethanol.htm

As for food that rots on the ground anywhere, that's evidence of a supply that cannot meet a demand, due to transportation gaps, lacking demand, or poor planning by the producer.  In the case of corn on the ground, that doesn't make the impact of ethanol production any less problematic--it's bigger than your backyard, the U.S. or North America.  Ethanol may benefit some corners of the world, but in others the promise of ethanol money for corn threatens to lure some farmers away from other vital local food crops and to entice others to flatten or burn forests and grasslands to grow corn.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301625_pf.html

Peace,
David

[RapidRod]

Sorry David, that's all that is produce here. Corn, soybeans, wheat and oats, this is the corn belt. You can only put out so much wheat because of government restrictions and no it will not influence production at all. Will it cause corn prices to raise, I sure to hell hope so. I wouldn't guit raising 8 dollar a bushel beans, for 2.85 bu corn.

[DanielMark]

RR,

I agree that Gore was not perhaps the best person to have spear headed this event, but as far as I'm concerned, anything that helps raise awareness can't be all  bad. We are killing the planet which sustains us. How suicidal is that?

I don’t own a car and never will. Public transit is a pain, but it’s available so I use it.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Little children know this stuff.

Daniel

[Cliff]

I think you will only get so much from people voluntarily.  You really have to legislate change.  You have to force governments to provide good public transportation.  Having a concert to ask people to wash their close at 30 degrees (85 F) and recycle will only last for so long.  Everyone knows there is a global warming problem, (or at least a debate about a problem).  You get that on the news on a weekly basis now.  A concert to warn the public about global warming seems like a waste of resources.  And having the very people who are the worst polluters preach to the normal polluters is cheeky at best.

Madonna, whose carbon footprint is estimated to be 92 times higher than the average person, asked the world to jump up and down if they care about the Earth.  She soon stopped jumping but kept screaming at the audience to keep jumping.  That to me, symbolises Live Earth.

How many of those artists have private jets, 10 cars (and not Hondas mind you), 3 mansions, use private helicopters just to get around a city, etc.?  They should have committed to giving up some of their luxuries and maybe that would have had a much bigger impact.  So I do think the fact that Al Gore put on the event is hugely important.  It means most people won't take the event too seriously.  If Gore and Madonna can have their mansions, then I can wash my underwear at 75 degrees without feeling too guilty.  Afterall, I don't own a car and don't use private jets.  I've done my bit.

But the music was good!

[Matty the Damned]

I agree that Gore was not perhaps the best person to have spear headed this event, but as far as I'm concerned, anything that helps raise awareness can't be all  bad. We are killing the planet which sustains us. How suicidal is that?

Why? What the fuck did Al do wrong? And anyway, who do you queens want to run this event, Jesus H. Particular Christ?

For the record Matty the Damned agrees with Little Steve. Live Earth is for tosspots.

MtD