WASHINGTON - Al Gore was forced yesterday to defend himself against criticisms that to-day's Live Earth concert series -- an eight-city rock spectacle he has organized to raise awareness about global warming -- may do more to pollute the environment than protect it. "There are 3,000 concerts around the world every year. These are eight of them," Mr.
Gore said as he sought to quell controversy spawned by the magnitude of the event. "These eight will set a new green standard for the entire music industry." Gore has touted Live Earth as the biggest benefit concert in history, outstripping past events such as LiveAid and Live 8 in both ambition and global reach.
Organizers predict as many as two billion people worldwide will watch televised performances broadcast from the eight main concert sites in London, Sydney, Shanghai, Hamburg, Tokyo, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro and New Jersey. A ninth mini-concert was added yesterday on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
, despite objections by congressional Republicans who sought to block Mr. Gore's attempts to host a show in the U.S.
The Live Earth series has become a target for musicians and environmentalists who questions its value. Sir Bob Geldof, who organized 1985's Live Aid concerts and the Live 8 concerts in 2005, triggered a feud with Mr. Gore in May by branding Live Earth a "hollow spectacle" that lacked a specific goal.
Whereas Live Aid raised almost $250-million for African famine relief, the Live Earth concerts has a less-defined mission to "trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis." Concert-goers will be asked to sign a seven-point climate pledge, including pressuring politicians to reduce greenhouse gases. "Why is [Mr.
Gore] actually organizing them? To make us aware of the greenhouse effect?" Mr.
"Everybody's known about that problem for years. We are all [expletive] conscious of global warming." The criticism intensified when rock legend Roger Daltrey of The Who told British media "the last thing the planet needs is a rock concert.
" Daltrey and several other musicians warned the carbon emissions produced by hosting such a massive concert series -- ranging from electrical costs to the cost of flying superstars to venues in private jets -- would outweigh the benefits of increased awareness. Matt Helders, drummer for the British band Arctic Monkeys, called the Live Earth concerts patronizing, "especially when we're using enough power for 10 houses just for [stage] lighting." Even People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a Live Earth supporter, weighed in.
The animal activist group demanded organizers of the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium in London refuse to serve hot dogs or hamburgers. Gore said he has taken several measures to ensure Live Earth leaves as small a "carbon footprint" as possible. Electricity is being supplied from renewable sources, LED light bulbs will be used in some of the production lighting, concert-goers will be encouraged to recycle their trash and rock stars will be chauffeured in hybrid cars "where possible," organizers say.
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