Live Earth Makes Going Green Global

British band Kasabian performs on stage during the British leg of the Live Earth concerts at London's Wembley Stadium in London, Saturday July 7, 2007. This concert is part of a series of events, also taking place in the U.S., Australia, China, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and Antarctica. Live Earth was inspired and is backed by by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's campaign to force global warming onto the international political agenda by generating public concern. (AP Photo/Anthony Harvey) (Anthony Harvey - AP)

"I would like to ask each and every one of you to answer the call," Gore said.

Many of the celebrities and musical acts _ if they mentioned global warming at all _ focused on what everyday citizens could do to help out, and tended to stay away from partisan politics. Primatologist Goodall greeted the Jersey crowd with an imitation of a chimpanzee, while Cameron Diaz told concertgoers that the day "is not about gloom and doom. It's a celebration."

One of the exceptions was environmental activist Robert Kennedy Jr., who called on attendees to "get rid of all those rotten politicians we have in Washington, D.C."

Organizers promised that the huge shows were made green by using recycled goods, shuttling some concertgoers from distant parking lots in biodiesel buses and using biofuels for generators.

Critics have faulted the Live Earth concerts for lacking clear-cut, achievable goals, and for lauding rock stars whose jet-setting, high-consumption lifestyles can often send a different, less environmentally friendly message.

Many of the musicians acknowledged that they weren't rock stars when it came to the environment, but stressed that it was important to start a discussion about climate change.

"If you want to peg me as not being entirely eco-friendly, you'll win," said John Mayer, speaking to reporters after his set. "I also think it's very difficult to judge the success of a movement. ... You can't find out by 9:00 this evening how much awareness was raised. ... What you're really talking about is the placement of an idea at a rock show."

At other shows around the globe, an estimated 50,000 people grooved through a set by singer-guitarist Jack Johnson, while country stars Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood opened the Washington concert and Linkin Park entertained fans at a Tokyo concert.

On Rio's Copacabana Beach, more than 400,000 gathered as the sun set to hear Lenny Kravitz, Macy Gray, Pharrell Williams and Brazilian superstar Jorge Ben Jor. And in Johannesburg, the concert ended with the artists and audience clapping out SOS in morse code _ a reference to the evening's theme of answering the call to save the planet.

The shows appeared to come off without major hitches despite some 11th-hour activity. The concert in Washington was added Friday, and a Brazilian judge rejected a last-minute bid to shut down South America's concert after a prosecutor had argued safety could not be guaranteed for the large crowd.

At the New Jersey concert, the crowd was dotted with people who heeded the call to wear green. Many said they were already taking steps at home to lead a little more green lifestyle, and felt the concert wasn't just about music.

"Personally, I think it makes people more aware," said Sherry Ramsey, 44, who came to the concert with her husband by plane and train. "It was mass transit all the way here."

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Associated Press writers D'Arcy Doran in London, Rohan Sullivan in Sydney and Peter Muello in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

Live Earth Web site: http://www.liveearth.org