Live Earth
Live Earth | |
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The Live Earth logo representing the "S.O.S." message. | |
Genre | Pop and rock music |
Dates | July 7, 2007 |
Location(s) | Coca Cola Dome, Giants Stadium, Copacabana Beach, Rothera Research Station, Makuhari Messe, Tō-ji, Oriental Pearl Tower, Aussie Stadium, Wembley Stadium, HSH Nordbank Arena. |
Years active | 2007 |
Website | http://www.liveearth.org/ |
Live Earth is the name for a series of concerts of pop and rock music featuring various artists planned to take place on Saturday July 7, 2007 to give cause to global warming.[1] The concerts have the intent of bringing together more than 150 of the world's most popular music acts and drawing a worldwide audience of 2 billion people, making it one of the largest global events in history. The umbrella organization for the event is a new global movement under the name Save Our Selves (SOS).
The plans for the Live Earth concerts were announced at a media event in Los Angeles on February 15[2], 2007 by the former Vice President of the United States Al Gore and other activist celebrities. The inspiration for promoting the cause using the vehicle of benefit concerts comes from many similar events over the past 25 years including the 1985 Live Aid concerts and the 2005 Live 8 concerts and it will be the longest show ever to be recorded in the world records.
In addition to raising awareness of global warming, on June 28, 2007, it was revealed that Live Earth is to be the launch event for the Live Earth Call to Action.[3] During the concerts people will be asked to support the following 7-point pledge:[3]
- To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;
- To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become 'carbon neutral;'
- 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;
- To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;
- To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;
- To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,
- To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.
In subsequent interviews Al Gore indicated that the concerts would mark 'the beginning of a three year campaign worldwide to deliver information about how we solve the climate crisis'[4][5] and that 'the prospects for every future generation depend on us understanding, hearing and acting upon this information.'[4]
Further information on the issues raised by the concerts are published in The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook, written by environmentalist David Mayer de Rothschild the handbook is the companion book to the Live Earth concert listing 77 tips or skills that people can use to help stop climate change [6] [7]. Profits from the book will be donated to the Alliance for Climate Protection, as will some of the profits from the concerts.[8]
Locations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Cities_participating_in_Live_Earth.svg/280px-Cities_participating_in_Live_Earth.svg.png)
The organizers intend to present concerts on all seven continents. They have stated that the venues will utilize on-site power generation, efficient methods of energy utilization and sustainable facilities management in an effort to minimize environmental impact.
- Makuhari Messe, Chiba (Greater Tokyo), Japan
- Tō-ji, Kyoto, Japan
- Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai, China
Broadcasting
According to the organizers, the concerts will be broadcast on over 120 television networks around the world. [9] So far, it has been stated that the concerts will be broadcast on the following media outlets:
- Argentina: Canal 13, TN, Volver, Radio Mitre (Radio Station)
- Australia: FOX8 will broadcast the entire event live, Channel [V] and Max Channel will have behind-the-scenes coverage from Sydney, NineMSN provides internet coverage, Triple M provides radio coverage.
- Belgium: Jim
- Brazil: Rede Globo, Multishow
- Bulgaria : bTV (Bulgaria)
- Canada: CTV, MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, Bravo!, Star!, CHUM Radio
- Chile: MTV, FM Hit Radio, Rock & Pop Radio
- China: Shanghai Media Group, Dragon TV
- Czech Republic: Česká televize
- Denmark: DR2
- Finland: YLE Extra, YLE TV2, YLEX
- France: Metropole 6, W9, MTV France
- Germany: ProSieben, N24, ARD-Radio member stations
- Gibraltar: GBC
- Hong Kong: TVB Jade, TVB Pearl, TVBM
- Hungary: Cool TV, RTL Klub
- Iceland: RUV
- India: VH1, Radio Indigo 91.9 FM(Bangalore)
- Ireland: RTÉ Two
- Israel: Israel 10
- Italy: MTV Italia, La7
- Japan: NHK, Fuji Television
- Malaysia: 8TV will broadcast the Shanghai concert while NTV7 will air the London concert.
- Mexico: TV Azteca, MTV Latin America
- Netherlands: Nederland 3 (BNN,NOS) TMF Netherlands, MTV Netherlands [10]
- New Zealand: C4, The Edge, 1XX
- Norway: NRK1, NRK2
- Pakistan: The Musik
- Poland: RMF FM TVP Kultura
- Peru: TELESTEREO 88 FM Lima, Peru - www.telestereo.com, MTV Latin America
- Portugal: RTP
- Singapore: MediaCorp TV Channel 5 will broadcast the entire event live
- Spain: Canal+ 2, Canal+ móvil
- Sri Lanka: Yes FM (MBC Radio Network)
- Switzerland : TV : TSR2, SF zwei, Radio : DRS3
- Sweden: SVT2, SVT HD
- Taiwan: PTS
- Turkey: NTV (Turkey)
- Uganda: Touch FM
- United Arab Emirates: Dubai 92
- United Kingdom: BBC, BBC HD, BBC Radio 1
- United States: NBC, Universal HD, The Sundance Channel, Bravo, Telemundo, mun2, CNBC, MSNBC, Premiere Radio Networks, Sirius Satellite Radio, XM Satellite Radio, WORLDSPACE Satellite Radio, Radio Express, Music HD
- Worldwide: MSN
Tickets
Tickets for the US Live Earth concert are priced at $53, $83, $173 and $348 and went on sale on Monday April 16 via the Live Earth website and Ticketmaster. A special block of tickets was set aside for AlGore.com members.
Tickets for the UK concert became available via a ballot. Those wanting tickets registered via the Live Earth website from 12 p.m. Friday April 13 and this was only possible for 72 hours. Successful applicants were invited to buy tickets from Wednesday April 18. This was done to prevent what the organizers call "ticket misuse". Organizers said on April 17, that 200,000 people had registered to get tickets. Tickets in the UK cost £55 each and were available through Ticketmaster
Tickets for the Australian Live Earth concert went on sale on Friday May 18, and later on Friday June 8 via Ticketek. Tickets are priced at $99 and they are limited to 4 tickets per one transaction. Ticket price includes bus, ferry and train transport on the day of the concert.
Online auction site eBay has confirmed it will allow the sale of tickets for the UK and US concerts, with a mandatory 20% of the final price going to the The Alliance for Climate Protection charity.
Tickets will not be required at the Brazilian concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, which was officially announced by Al Gore on Saturday May 12. The concerts will be free of charge, something that distinguishes it from all the other shows. This venue is going to be the biggest venue of all Live Earth concerts, and the estimated audience is 1,000,000 people.
Tickets for the German Live Earth concert went on sale Thursday May 24th and they can be purchased via Eventim. Tickets are priced at €55, €50 and €45, and the price includes all fees and public transportation.
Tickets for the Japanese Live Earth concert in Tokyo went on sale June 9th through PIA, Lawson, Ticket Navi and eplus. Tickets are priced at ¥10,000
Tickets for the Kyoto event are priced at ¥15,000 (SS seat), ¥9,000 (S seat) and ¥7,000 (standing space). They are available exclusively via eplus.[11]
Tickets for the South African Live Earth concert went on sale June 11 through Computicket. Tickets are priced at R250, which includes all service fees.
Tickets for the Chinese Live Earth concert in Shanghai went on sale June 20 and they can be purchased through Ticketpro. Tickets are priced at CNY 220, 550 and 1 100
Confirmed performers for Live Earth
The intention of the organizers is to invite over 150 of the world's most famous artists to perform on the concerts. So far, the artists who have confirmed their performances are the following:
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Tō-ji (Japan)
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Controversy and criticism
The concerts have drawn a lot of criticism over the use of private jets. One of the people criticizing the concerts is Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy, who told BBC 6 Music, that it seems hypocritical to support an event that could have an opposite effect on the climate. "Private jets for climate change, not sure about it that seems to be a bit on edge really – that’s an issue really, so we need to think about it!”. Organizers have defended the use of jets on the music events by saying that the concerts will have eco-friendly electricity and sustainable lighting. Ashok Sinha, the director of Stop Climate Chaos, a group involved in the event, said that criticizers should not put the finger of blame towards the music stars taking part in the event. “They have to reduce carbon emissions, we have to reduce carbon emissions, and in just the same way that we may look at a pop star and say, ‘you use more carbon than I do,’ then people from Africa could look at us and think we don’t go flying around everywhere, I have met people in Africa who haven’t even made a phone call let alone get on a plane.”
At least 2 of the artists appearing at the event have left themselves open to potential media criticism due to their involvement in commercials advertising SUVs. R&B singer John Legend is featured in a new Lexus SUV commercial while Sheryl Crow's song Everyday Is A Winding Road is heard playing in an advertising campaign for Subaru SUVs.
In New Zealand, climate change activists in the Climaction Coalition have called people to protest on the day instead.[21] (The group previously organised a protest when Al Gore came to Auckland, accusing him of "greenwashing".)[22]
Before the goals of the concerts were announced on June 28, the concert was criticized by Sir Bob Geldof and Roger Daltrey of The Who about a lack of a final goal. Geldof said in an interview on May 15th, that the concerts are a waste of time.[23]
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He also criticized the choice of the name of the event, Live Earth "It sounds like Live 8. We're getting lots of responses from people who think we are organizing it."[24] Daltrey told The Sun on 19 May
Bollocks to that! The last thing the planet needs is a rock concert. I can't believe it. Let's burn even more fuel. We have problems with global warming, but the questions and the answers are so huge I don't know what a rock concert's ever going to do to help. Everybody on this planet at the moment, unless they are living in the deepest rainforest in Brazil, knows about climate change. My answer is to burn all the fucking oil as quick as possible and then the politicians will have to find a solution.[25]
A spokesman for Live Earth has hit back on the comments, saying that the concerts are intended to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change. "People are aware of global warming but millions are not doing anything about changing their lifestyles." [26]. Al Gore responded to the criticism in an interview with The Sun on June 18th, saying that the concerts have specific goals, but they haven't been announced yet.
We will have specific goals that will be very significant and hard-hitting. We will announce those before the concert then emphasise them heavily during the concert. What Bob Geldof did with Live Aid and Live 8 was fantastic and he has followed up very diligently, as many of the others involved with Live Aid and Live 8 have. I’ve nothing but good things to say about them. These concerts would not be possible in any way without the pioneering and creativity of Geldof and those who helped him. But he has said in the aftermath of those efforts how important it is to have specific goals and a continuing follow-on effort and we have designed the Live Earth concerts in just that way.[27]
On June 21st it was reported that the Istanbul leg of Live Earth has been canceled due to lack of sponsors and government support. Cengizhan Yeldan from Purple Concerts, the company organizing the event, denied these reports in a phone interview with Today's Zaman the same day, saying that while the organizers have faced financial problems, the concert will be held but there will be some slight changes to it. "The event might be smaller than we initially planned. But it is not canceled. The reports that appeared in newspapers today (Thursday) are not based on an official statement. … I would never let such a fiasco happen. We will go ahead with our plans. … We have already put a lot of investment in this task. Even if we do not have any sponsors, we will carry on with what we started and assume the rest of the costs." Yeldan added that the organizers are planning to make the concert free of charge, and that the lineup will include both international headliners and local acts. Also they will find a new venue for the event. "There are artists who've told us they will come and sing at the event even if they have to sing from a balcony." Yeldan said that official statements will be made at a later date when the details of the event become clearer.[28] On Tuesday June 26 the organizers announced they are pulling the Istanbul show out of the schedule due to lack of time. [29]
See also
- Global warming
- Al Gore
- Global warming controversy
- Politics of global warming
- Action on climate change
- Kyoto Protocol
External links
- Official Live Earth Web Site
- MSN Live Earth Site
- Official Live Earth blog
- Unofficial Live Earth Blog
- British Antartic Survey
References
- ^ "Live Earth Aims to Cause Lasting Change". Washington Post. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
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(help) - ^ "Live Earth revealed", Reuters
- ^ a b Al Gore, Kevin Wall issue far-reaching Live Earth Call To Action, Live Earth, published 2007-06-28, accessed 2007-07-03
- ^ a b Live Earth a climate 'SOS', BBC, published 2007-07-03, accessed 2007-07-03
- ^ Moving Beyond Kyoto, New York Times, published 2007-07-01, accessed 2007-07-03
- ^ The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills To Stop Climate Change, author: David de Rothschild, publisher: Rodale Books, ISBN 159486781X
- ^ Rodale Books to publish the official Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook, Live Earth, published 2006-05-16
- ^ Live Earth switch-off is vetoed, BBC, published 2007-06-04, accessed 2007-07-03
- ^ "Live Earth UK unveiled", Liveearth.org
- ^ Template:Nl BNN: Live Earth op Nederland 3 en 3FM
- ^ Official Live Earth Japan Website
- ^ http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=34120
- ^ www.liveearthhamburg.de
- ^ http://www.liveearth.msn.com/about/factsheet?GT1=10227
- ^ http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,133525.shtml
- ^ www.liveearthhamburg.de
- ^ www.liveearthhamburg.de
- ^ http://www.liveearth.msn.com/about/factsheet?GT1=10227
- ^ http://blog.nam.org/archives/2007/07/live_earth_hamb_1.php
- ^ http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=414342
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ [4]
- ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,4-2007230155,00.html
- ^ http://www.7days.ae/showstory.php?id=50913
- ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007280084,00.html
- ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=114662
- ^ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LIVE_EARTH_ISTANBUL?SITE=WSPATV&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-06-26-15-13-54