Jul 6, 2007 5:53 pm US/Eastern
'Live Earth' Set To Take On The Globe
Concert Series Expected To Draw Audience Of 2 Billion
By Drew Levinson, CBS News
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBS) ―
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The Red Hot Chili Peppers are just one of the 150 musical acts that will participate in the Live Earth concert series on Saturday, July 7.
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Former Vice President Al Gore (file)
AP
Raising awareness, while rocking the world.
Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts kick off Friday night in Australia and by Sunday musicians on all seven continents will have come together to publicize issues associated with global warming and climate change.
It's hard to say exactly who's headlining Live Earth. There's Madonna and the Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. There will be more than 150 artists in all playing to huge crowds on all seven continents.
Though there might not be much of a crowd in Antarctica it won't be an icy reception either.
Since "Live Earth" is all about raising awareness of the climate crisis, this band of scientists-by-day was more than happy to take a break from research to rock.
"I also hope that it will draw attention to the fact that being a scientist is a really cool and worthwhile occupation," said Prof. Chris Rapley, Director of British Antarctic Survey.
It'll be much hotter at Giants Stadium, one of two U.S. venues for the worldwide concert. Vice President Al Gore, who's spearheading this event, said "Live Earth" will set a new green standard for the music industry.
"The challenge that lies before us as a nation and as a global civilization is almost ... it stretches our ability to really imagine it could be as big as it is," Gore said.
But critics say concerts aren't exactly environmentally friendly and jet-setting rock stars are some of the worst energy offenders.
This will be different from other mega-concerts like Live Aid, since the goal here is not raising money, but raising awareness and activism.
"Live Earth" is expected to draw an audience of 2 billion when you add up TV and online viewers, an event spanning the planet, with the goal of saving it.
They're expecting tens of thousands of people at Giants Stadium, but the show is not a sellout, not yet.
And the Empire State Building is going green in honor of the "Live Earth" concert series. Friday night through Sunday, the tower will be lit up in green lights.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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