Must admit I have been a skeptic regarding the need or likely effectiveness of the Live Earth concerts. What can 150 proselytizing musicians making music on seven continents on 7/7/07 do? Awareness of global warming is not lacking, rigorous policy actions now in response are. So I was pleasantly surprised to see the Live Earth’s 7-point pledge (sign):

* To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy Earth;

* To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral;”

* To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

* To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

* To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

* To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

* To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Wow! ecologically rigorous and perfectly doable. I would have liked to see: “Have fewer babies and consume less”; but hey, they are not my concerts! We need to keep the heat on Al Gore to use his podium for sufficient climate solutions — and to work more closely with the rest of the movement (no need to reinvent everything).