Al Gore Throwing Live Earth for Global Warming

Complimentary Madonna and Another Star-Studded Extravaganza

The world is heating up, therefore we need a concert. It’s worked so well for Africa (has it?) that Al Gore and other environmentalists are copying the format started by Bob Geldof for his Live Aid and Live 8 concerts by throwing a multi-continent concert called Live Earth. Very original.

To kick things off, Microsoft is offering a free Madonna song available for download through May 24 only so get it while it lasts! This song, written in honor of Live Earth, is called “Hey You”, and Microsoft will donate 25 cents to the Alliance for Climate Protection for the first million songs downloaded. Come on, Microsoft, you couldn’t shell out more than $250,000?

Madonna, who will be one of the performers at the London concert on July 7, will join countless other performers at simultaneous concerts around the world for this global-warming awareness event. Even my guy, the ever reclusive Howard Stern, is on Wikipedia’s list of rumored celebs showing up, but I highly doubt that rumor to be true.

The concerts, however well-intentioned, are not without controversy. There’s criticism that the celebrity participants will be traveling via private jets. When you have a concert for global-warming awareness, that’s a valid point, unless of course you ask John Travolta who, as we previously reported, wouldn’t be able to get to events without his.

Also Bob Geldof, the inventor of the “Live Blah Blah Blah” format, really doesn’t like this event, and he doesn’t want anyone to think that he’s in any way involved, despite the similar name. Yeah, I was one of those people who figured Geldof was involved. He doesn’t feel that the organizers have a real, concrete mission, and because of that it’s just another pop concert:

I would only organize Live Earth if I could go on stage and announce concrete environmental measures from the American presidential candidates, Congress or major corporations.

“They haven’t got those guarantees, so it’s just an enormous pop concert or the umpteenth time that, say, Madonna or Coldplay get up on stage.

“I hope they’re a success. But why is Gore actually organizing them? To make us aware of the greenhouse effect? Everybody’s known about that problem for years. We are all f***ing conscious of global warming.”

Well, yeah, most of us are conscious of global warming, and those that are in denial won’t be convinced by this concert. Geldof shouldn’t feel so bad. Forgetting about starving African children and planets dying, Live Earth’s lineup pales in comparison to the star power that he managed to attract.