Where Will You Be on 07-07-07?

Every so often you find yourself not only witnessing, but in the middle of, a defining moment in history. Tomorrow I’m heading to Giants Stadium to attend the U.S. Live Earth concert. It’s one of several that will take place on seven continents on Saturday to call for global action against climate change. The most famous faces in music will appear on stages in New York, London, Johannesburg, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Hamburg.

But what’s amazing is that beyond the actual concerts, more than 6,000 Friends of Live Earth events (and counting) have been organized in 109 countries. To find out about one near you, go to http://www.liveearth.org/friends_of_le.php. Check out your local NBC affiliate for broadcast information, or MSNBC.com for webcast information.

I really believe Live Earth is the beginning of a new era of political activism in the world. It is a defining moment in the fight against global warming. Think of it: we’re uniting millions of people from seven continents in one day to fight the common threat of global warming.

These concerts, the millions who will attend and the millions more who will tap in via the Internet, combined send a powerful message of urgency and hope. We demand a better future for our families and we will not take empty rhetoric for an answer. Let’s turn this moment into lasting momentum in the fight to stop global warming.

Let’s not leave these concerts satisfied we did our part. We all have to do much more. You can start by going to http://www.algore.com/ and signing the seven-point pledge. It’s not enough to say ‘I care.’ We have to demand more of ourselves and of our political leaders. The time for debate is over. The time for action is now.

We have to do everything we can to help people and wildlife survive a world of extreme weather events, massive forest fires, and shifting ecosystems that directly affect our lives and livelihoods.

Scientists warn us we must begin now to reduce global warming pollution by 80 percent or more by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change. If we start now and cut our own global warming pollution by at least 2 percent each year, we can do it.

I urge every concert-goer to call on their families, communities, places of worship, and elected leaders at every level to commit to a 2-percent annual reduction in global warming pollution to protect our children’s future.

The momentum generated by these unprecedented concerts on every continent must continue long after Live Earth is over.

Where will you be on 07-07-07 and what will you be doing on 07-08-07 and every day after to help in the fight against global warming?