Live Earth shows aim to set new green standard

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It would play right into the hands of critics if the seven Live Earth concerts to be staged worldwide July 7 were to come off in an unfriendly environmental way. And it's probably fair that no concerts in history will be more closely monitored for how well they manage power and waste.

Live Earth producers want the world to watch what they do. "We want to make the concerts themselves part of the solution," Live Earth's Yusef Robb says. "What we're working very hard to do is something that has never been done before: establish a new green event standard that Live Earth will not only follow but hopefully future live events will follow as well."

The concerts will be built "from the ground up to be as green as possible," Robb says. "If there is a choice between a dirty lightbulb or a greener lightbulb to light the stage, we're working to find the technology that can generate the least amount of carbon. If there's a choice between two cups at a concessions stand, we want to identify the best one that not only makes a beer taste good but can also be recycled and didn't use a lot of carbon to produce in the first place."

Obviously, there will be some carbon that Live Earth will not be able to "design out" of the process, Robb says. "That's the reality of life in the 21st century. So we'll offset any remaining emissions."

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN1928935820070619?feedType=RSS&rpc=22