Live Earth

Live Earth

Location(s)	2007: Sydney, Johannesburg, New Jersey, Rio de Janeiro, Antarctica, Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai, London, Hamburg, Washington, D.C. and Rome
Years active	2007
Founded by	Al Gore, Kevin Wall
Date(s)	7 July 2007
Genre	Pop, Rock music
Website	www.liveearth.org

Live Earth is an event developed to increase environmental awareness through entertainment.

Background

Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action. A for-profit company, Live Earth seeks to leverage the power of entertainment through integrated events, media, and the live experience to ignite a global movement aimed at solving the most critical environmental issues of our time.^[1]

Live Earth 2007

Main article: Live Earth (2007 concert)

The first series of benefit concerts were held on July 7, 2007. The concerts brought together more than 150 musical acts in eleven locations around the world and were broadcast to a mass global audience through television, radio, and live internet streams.^[2]

Live Earth India 2008

The second Live Earth concert was scheduled for December 7, 2008 at the Andheri Sports Complex on Veera Desai Road in Andheri West, Mumbai, India and was managed by Kevin Wall who, after a request from Al Gore, planned to have the entire event take place in India.^[3][4] In September, 2008 Reuters stated that, "the December event will see U.S. rocker Jon Bon Jovi and Bollywood's biggest superstar, Amitabh Bachchan share the stage, and is described by organisers as one of the biggest events held in India." ^[3] Shekhar Kapur, Nobel laureate Rajendra Pachauri, Abhishek Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai also planned to star in the event.^[4] Additional acts included Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy,^[5] Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta,^[6] Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Will.I.Am, Hard Kaur, and Anoushka Shankar.^[6] Palash Sen stated that his band, Euphoria, was scheduled to launch a song written for the concert on the topic of global warming.^[7]

Live Earth would have been broadcast by STAR TV (Asia), which works in conjunction with the STAR Plus channel (United Kingdom, Middle East) and the Star World Channel. MSN was "the exclusive global broadband partner for Live Earth India."^[8]

The concert was cancelled shortly after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks on 26 November 2008. Wall, Gore, and Pachauri stated in a joint press release that, "due to circumstances far beyond our control, we are saddened to announce that Live Earth India has been cancelled. We will continue to work for solutions to the climate crisis for the good of the people of India and around the world. But for now, our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims of this terrible attack, with the bereaved, with the people of Mumbai and with everyone in India." ^[9][10] Some argued against the cancellation stating that "music could have helped fear-hardened Mumbai to ride the storm." ^[11] Jethro Tull and Anoushka Shankar, who also cancelled their 29 November Mumbai concert ^[12] after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, reorganized the performance as A Billion Hands Concert, a benefit performance for victims of the attacks, and held it in Mumbai on 5 December 2008.^[13]

Dow Live Earth Run for Water

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water took place April 18, 2010 and consisted of a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities aimed at igniting a tipping point to help solve the water crisis. Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angélique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher were due to lend their names and their time in support.^[14]

Controversy

Before and after the event there was concern over the sponsorship of the Run For Water by Dow Chemical, whose sponsorship of this event has been described as "the ultimate in greenwashing", given Dow's ownership of Union Carbide, their refusal to clean up the Bhopal site, plus their direct responsibility for groundwater poisoning incidents in Morrisonville, Louisiana^[15] and the Tittabawassee River in Michigan.^[16] Their much-publicised water filtration plants in India have failed because the local population cannot afford to replace the expensive high-tech filters.^[17][18]

Host cities

The Dow Live Earth Run for Water was hosted by about 200 cities around the world, including: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Brussels, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Cape Town, Chicago, Chongqing, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Jimbaran, Karachi, Lima, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mexico City, Minneapolis, Monterrey, Montreal, New York, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, San Diego, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Seattle, Singapore City, Sydney, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.^[19]

Live performances

Many of the cities featured live entertainment following the 6K run/walk. Artists include Melissa Etheridge in Los Angeles with The Roots; special guest John Legend in Brooklyn's Prospect Park; Rob Thomas in Atlanta; Collective Soul with special guest Sam Moore in Chicago; Kany García in Mexico City; Kevin Johansen and The Nada in Buenos Aires; and Slank in Bali.^[20]

Cancellations and protests

Some venues, such as London, cancelled their involvement, citing low registration (possibly as a result of an embargo on naming the "world renowned artist" due to perform at the associated live music concert). Demonstrations against the run had been planned by the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal.^[21]

The Dow sponsorship of the Run For Water was protested by organizations representing the victims of the Bhopal tragedy, supported by Amnesty International.^[22] Planned events were also cancelled in Milan.^[21]

In New Delhi, the event^[23] was protested by a group of activists^[24] who disguised their involvement by creating a fictitious front organization, the Hindustan Sea Turtle Alliance, to register their event with Live Earth.^[25]

Beneficiaries

All donations raised by the Dow Live Earth Run for Water will be disseminated to fund sustainable and scalable water programs. A growing global network of NGO partners including Global Water Challenge, A Child's Right, Akvo, Fondo Para La Paz, Indonesia Water Partnership, Lien Aid, Pump Aid, Wildlands Conservation Trust, and many others.^[26]

See also

	Sustainable Development portal
	Global warming portal
	Energy portal
	Environment portal
	Earth sciences portal
	Ecology portal
	Music portal

• Individual and political action on climate change
• Climate change
• Earth Hour
• Global warming
• Hurricane Katrina
• Politics of global warming

References

1. ^ About Live Earth accessed February 10, 2010
2. ^ 07.07.07 accessed Feb 10, 2010
3. ^ ^{a b} Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (September 20, 2008). "Live Earth show to help light homes with solar energy". AP. http://in.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idINIndia-35574720080920?sp=true. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Next Live Earth concert in Mumbai". Times of India. September 20, 2008. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Developmental_Issues/Next_Live_Earth_concert_in_Mumbai/articleshow/3504723.cms. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
5. ^ "Bachchans, Hrithik, Preity & 'Rock On' team at Live Earth India concert". Bollywood Hungama. http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2008/11/21/12214/index.html. Retrieved 21 Nov 2008. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Bollywood royalty lines up for Live Earth India concert, Agence France-Presse
7. ^ Who wants to carol in a slowdown
8. ^ Bhushan, Nyay (September 19, 2008). "Live Earth will have an encore in India". Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3if071151a9941bb2d0cd923bdde5d1684?imw=Y. Retrieved 2008-09-21. ^{[dead link]}
9. ^ Joint Official Statement from Live Earth Founder Kevin Wall, The Office of the Honorable Al Gore and Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman IPCC regarding Live Earth India
10. ^ Live Earth terror struck
11. ^ Live Earth India concert cancelled, music lovers disappointed
12. ^ The flute of his labours
13. ^ A Billion Hands - Join The Fight Against Terror and For A Better Tomorrow
14. ^ http://www.wateronline.com/article.mvc/Dow-Launches-The-Dow-Live-Earth-Run-For-Water-0001 "Dow Launches The Dow Live Earth Run For Water – The Largest Global Water Initiative In History To Help Solve The World Water Crisis", WaterOnline.com, October 14, 2009, accessed October 19, 2009
15. ^ History and health policy in the United States
16. ^ Dow + “Live Earth” = the Ultimate in Greenwashing? (14 November 2009) accessed 11 Feb 2010
17. ^ Bhopal: Generations of Poison (2 Dec 2009) accessed 11 Feb 2010
18. ^ Bhopal.net: The Truth About Live Earth
19. ^ Live Earth - Run, accessed April 15, 2010
20. ^ Live Earth - Photos, accessed April 15, 2010
21. ^ ^{a b} Hackney gazette news story (accessed 20 April 2010)
22. ^ Amnesty International website: News: Dow cannot run from the legacy of Bhopal by sponsoring ‘Run For Water’ events 16 April 2010 (accessed 20 April 2010)
23. ^ Hindustan Sea Turtle Alliance-Aqua Justice Run (accessed 3 May 2010)
24. ^ Washasia (news on water supply, sanitation and hygiene in Asia): India: protests against Dow Chemical sponsorship of Live Earth 20 April 2010 (accessed 20 April 2010)
25. ^ Hindustan Sea Turtle Alliance website: events (accessed 20 April 2010)
26. ^ The Run for Water - Partners, accessed October 19, 2009

External links

• Official Live Earth website
• Live Earth Video site