VARIOUS: Celebrities lend a voice to save the planet ahead of the July 7 Live Earth concerts

Dozens of artists will perform in concerts in eight cities around the world on Saturday, July 7 in a bid to spur governments, corporations and the public to take action on global warming. Live Earth, staged on all seven continents, will feature such artists as the Police, Madonna, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Travis, Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray and Duran Duran. Former Vice President Al Gore who is spearheading the campaign has urged people world-wide to pressure their governments to cut global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half world-wide by 2050. Hundreds of artist from around the world have signed up to Gore's campaign, all wanting to contribute to the efforts to raise awareness about the harm man is doing to the environment. "Let's be honest, the only people that are going to make any difference are the politicians or the billionaires of the world," Francis Healy of Travis told Reuters at the Rock am Ring rock festival in Germany. And the little people like you and I and all the people that go to these things, they can just show support, can't really make a massive change unless people that are hugely wealthy or people that are hugely powerful actually want to make a change." In London Wednesday (July 3) to promote the global concerts Al Gore told ITN, "This will be the beginning, not the end. The beginning of a three year campaigning to deliver information about the climate crisis and how to solve the climate crisis." Gore said the July 7 Live Earth concerts -- to be held in Johannesburg, London, New Jersey, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Sydney and Tokyo -- will ask people around the globe to sign the climate change pledge. But it would seem that not all celebs are committed to the cause. Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese told Reuters in Cannes that she wasn't just about ready to loose some of the favorite carbon producing toys. "Well, things like paper, not using so much paper around the house and recycling things that's usually what I'm doing, but I'm not giving up my vintage hot rod cars anytime soon for a Prius car I got to tell you that." Scientists say smokestack and tailpipe emissions of heat-trapping gases cause global warming, which could lead to more deadly floods, droughts and heat waves. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that global carbon dioxide emissions must fall 50 to 85 percent by 2050 to stop the planet from heating up more than 2 degrees Celsius. Gore said Madonna and the Black Eyed Peas had each written original songs for Live Earth, while a third original song would be unveiled on the day. Concert organizer Kevin Wall also promised a surprise event in Antarctica. Following are details of some celebrities and politicians involved in environmental issues. * SPINAL TAP -- The spoof heavy-metal band immortalized by the mock documentary "This is Spinal Tap" has reunited to join a campaign to save the world from global warming. Director Rob Reiner, whose 1984 film set the bar for the "mockumentary" genre, has made a new short film called "Spinal Tap" as part of a campaign dubbed SOS/Live Earth. The band will also play in London at one of 7 Live Earth concerts on July 7. * MADONNA -- Madonna has written a new song for the July 7 Live Earth concerts and the first million downloads will result in a donation to the Alliance for Climate Protection. * LEONARDO DICAPRIO -- The actor started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in 1998 to promote environmental issues. His film, "The 11th Hour," is an environmental documentary on the impact of humans on the planet. It includes former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and leading scientist Stephen Hawking. However, DiCaprio's earlier movie, "The Beach," was controversial because of allegations by environmentalists that production work damaged a Thai beach paradise. DiCaprio fiercely defended the project. "I don't want a bad reputation as somebody who endorses something hostile to the environment," said the Hollywood star. * AL GORE -- The former U.S. vice president produced a documentary about a slide show he has given on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth." The short film was presented in Cannes in 2006 and won an Oscar this year. * ROBERT REDFORD -- Thirty years on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council, founder of Sundance Preserve, winner of 1993 Earth Day award, 1987 United Nations Global 500 award. In April 2007, he launched a weekly three-hour slot called "The Green," dedicated entirely to the environment, on his Sundance TV channel. * DARYL HANNAH -- The actress hopes to become a full time activist, campaigning on the environment and slavery. Hannah lives off the electricity grid in the Rocky Mountains, using solar energy and driving a car run on biodiesel made from recycled cooking oil. * WILLIE NELSON -- With Hannah and biodiesel producers Bob and Kelly King, the country singer helped set up the Sustainable Biofuels Alliance, bringing together activists and scientists to give consumers better guidance on clean fuels. * SHERYL CROW -- The singer travelled around U.S. colleges in April to raise awareness about global warming. Crow toured in a biodiesel-powered bus to university campuses with a final stop in Washington for Earth Day on April Crowe and Karl Rove, political strategist to President George W. Bush, clashed over global warming at a White House dinner just after her tour.

ITN Source | July 7, 2007

Tags:. .emissions. .continents. .recycling. .recycled. .willie