Live Earth set to kick off on every cotinent on July 7 New York (ANTARA News) - From New York to the Antarctic, from Shanghai to Rio de Janeiro, 6,000 events including eight giant concerts are scheduled Saturday for Live Earth to mobilize people against global warming. Promoted by former US vice president Al Gore -- whose film "An Inconvenient Truth" has served as a global alert over climate change -- the 24 hours of music, theater and other shows July 7 to be broadcast live worldwide will get the message out to two billion people of the need for drastic measures to protect the global environment, promoters told AFP. The principal concerts will take place successively around the world, starting in Sydney and rolling out through Tokyo, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Hamburg, London, New York, and Rio, with 150 stars including the Police, Genesis, Madonna, Bon Jovi, Ai Otsuka, Eason Chan, Mana, Joey Yung, Shakira, Linkin Park, Rip Slyme and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Smaller concerts will take place in other cities, most notably Kyoto, symbolic as the place countries came together to establish the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing gas emissions that help cause climate warming. Another show will be held at a British base in the Antarctic, where some of the effects of warming are the most visible. Kevin Wall, the main organiser of the round-the-world event, said Thursday in New York that he had the idea before watching Gore s Oscar-winning documentary.

Gore s joining the effort has helped elevate the publicity it has earned. As with the Kyoto accord, such a massive undertaking has not been without difficulties. Not all the countries organisers hoped would take part agreed to.

They could not get any Muslim country to take part; and the Turkish government vetoes a concert in Istanbul, for reasons of security and a lack of interest. reduction of CO2 emission Wall compared it to organizing ten World Cups at the same time. The concerts will be carried on television stations and on the Internet, at liveearth.

msn.com. Live Earth is using an unprecedented media architecture to reach a global audience," he said.

A key aim of Live Earth is to urge a massive reduction of CO2 emissions by 2050, Gore said Thursday. "If we are going to solve the crisis, we have to commit, and we have to do it now," he said. "Live Earth will ask people across the world to commit to changes in their lives and to move other people, communities, companies and governments to reduce our carbon output by 90 percent by 2050 and ensure there is a new, global treaty on climate change by 2009.

" The event s organizers are also calling on people to support energy conservation and alternative energy sources, to plant millions of trees and protect the world s forests, and to support groups dedicated to protecting the environment. Gore said he will attend the concert in New York and will also appear at another surprise venue. Each venue will feature top global performers: in London Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Black Eyed Peas will headline; in New York, Police and Smashing Pumpkins.

Tokyo will get Rihanna, Linkin Park and a bevy of Japanese stars like Ai Otsuka, while in Kyoto Ryuichi Sakamoto and Rip Slyme will top the bill. In Rio Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams, and Macy Gray will share the stage with Brazilian stars. Gore said he had asked the artists to compose songs for the occasion, and praised Black Eyed Peas for promising one and coming up with it in seven days.

He also cheered Madonna s offering: "Madonna s song is fantastic," he said. Ticket sales for the events will benefit The Alliance for Climate Protection" led by Gore.