MADONNA - LIVE EARTH CONCERTS HIGHLIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

LIVE EARTH CONCERTS HIGHLIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE

Al Gore's Live Earth concerts are taking place around the world today, drawing attention to the global crisis of climate change.

The former US vice president, now one of the world's highest-profile environmental campaigners, kicked off proceedings in Sydney's Aussie Stadium at 01:00 BST.

He thanked the crowds there for "being the first to launch this movement" before Blue King Brown became the first act of the day.

Gore's presence was again felt in Tokyo three hours later. He appeared as a hologram image in the Japanese capital, warning of the "global problem" the world faces.

The Live Earth concerts will continue throughout the day in Johannesburg, Shanghai, Hamburg and London before shifting across the Atlantic to Washington and New Jersey. The final concert, which starts at 20:00 BST tonight, takes place on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Organisers say two billion people in over 100 countries will watch the event on television and over the internet, making it one of the biggest media events ever.

They hope to channel this enormous coverage into action on tackling climate change, but some have expressed scepticism about the extent to which the concerts will be able to create change.

For now the focus remains fixed on the concerts themselves, however, with excitement building as some big names prepare to do their bit for the cause.

Among the artists and bands appearing in the London concert, which is taking place at Wembley Stadium – are Madonna, Keane, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran and the Beastie Boys.