Al Gore's Live Earth series opened on 7 July 2007 with concerts in Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai, London, and Hamburg, with events following in New York, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Washington, and at a British Antarctic Survey station in Antarctica.
London's lineup included Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In Tokyo, Linkin Park and Rihanna played to more than 10,000 fans. Shanghai held a smaller show near the Oriental Pearl Tower, with British soprano Sarah Brightman as its top international act. Attendees across all venues were asked to sign a seven-point pledge calling for personal emissions cuts, opposition to new coal plants, and support for a binding international climate treaty.
Critics raised objections on two fronts. Greenpeace Germany protested DaimlerChrysler's sponsorship of the Hamburg concert, while commentators questioned whether the events' own emissions undercut the message. Organizers described Live Earth as the first phase of a three-year campaign. A planned Istanbul concert was cancelled on security grounds, and the Rio show nearly collapsed after a judge raised safety concerns about an expected crowd of 700,000 at Copacabana beach.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in July 2007, in its own words.