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“Times like these demand action,” said former Vice President Al Gore, speaking to the sold-out crowd of about 52,000 in New Jersey’s Giants Stadium.
With other shows in London, Sydney, Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai, Hamburg, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro — and even a performance by a band of scientists at a research station in Antarctica — organizers promised the biggest musical event ever staged, dwarfing the Live Aid and Live 8 concerts.
- “My Pledge to Reduce My Carbon Footprint” is part of the Columbia Climate Change Coalition’s Step It Up Program. People sign pledges that they are “willing and able to reduce greenhouse gases locally.” The Footprint Pledges began in April to educate children about the importance of being aware of energy use and the effect it has on the environment.
- Bianca Jagger, center, and a hundred children from different countries hold letters as part of their performance during the Live Earth concert in Hamburg, Germany. Performers at the Hamburg concert included Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Katie Melua, Snoop Dogg and Yusuf Islam.
- Concert-goers cheer during the Live Earth concert in Shanghai, China. Live Earth staged shows around the world Saturday to draw attention to global warming.
Live Earth venues featured aboriginal elders, chimpanzee calls from scientist Jane Goodall, a holographic Gore and more than 100 of the biggest names in music — including Bon Jovi, Linkin Park and the Beastie Boys.
The concerts are backed by Gore, whose campaign to force global warming onto the international political stage inspired the event. At concerts around the world, musicians and celebrities encouraged fans and one another to take little steps, such as not leaving electrical devices plugged in when not in use, or changing to low-energy light bulbs.
At the London show, the stadium’s nonessential lights were turned off before the closing act — Madonna — came onstage, leaving the venue dark except for the glow of exit lights and camera flashes.
“Let’s hope the concerts that are happening around the world are not just about entertainment, but about starting a revolution,” said Madonna, who sang a song she wrote for Live Earth called “Hey You.”
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