The Live Earth concert is up and rocking in front of thousands at Sydney's Moore Park. Former US vice-president Al Gore and a traditional welcome ceremony kicked off the first in a series of world-wide concerts designed to highlight climate change and inspire volunteers to join the fight against global warming. Six Aboriginal performers danced across the stage at Sydney's Aussie Stadium before Mr Gore welcomed the crowd.
Gore appeared on video screens to launch the worldwide initiative.
"Thank you for coming today and thank you for being the very first to launch this movement to help solve the climate crisis," he said, standing before the Capitol building in Washington DC. "Enjoy the show."
Federal Labor environment spokesman and former Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett called on the world's citizens to heed the call to action. "Your voice matters, make it heard," he said.
Sydney's opening concert will be followed by similar Live Earth events in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hamburg, London, Johannesburg, New York, Washington and Rio De Janeiro.
Performers in the all-day global extravaganza include Madonna, The Police and Metallica. A reformed Crowded House will headline the Sydney concert which is expected to draw an audience of 50,000 people.
The televised event will stretch to seven continents with an amateur band playing at the British Antarctic Survey Station in Antarctica. (Sydney Morning Herald)
