The earth is alive?

This Saturday 7/7/07 marks Al Gore's Live Earth concerts for awareness about global warming. While I agree with the cause, I don't really see how a concert will make a difference. They tried global concerts for awareness a few years ago with Live 8, for debt relief to Africa. They staged free concerts around the world, and in between acts showed videos of people who supported the cause. Most of the people where wealthy entertainers who could have ponied up some dough for causes like this. Or maybe it is just the image that they set out there, that they are rich, I don't know. But not asking for money, only awareness seems weird to me.
The Live Earth concerts, for the most part, do charge the people who attend them. The concert at Giants Stadium in my home state of New Jersey features some big acts like Kelly Clarkson and Bon Jovi, and I know those tickets weren't free. That makes me think that they are actually raising funds for the cause and not just paying lip service to the whole thing. I do know that Mr. Gore is an environmental activist with his speeches and movies, but with concerts the whole message thing might seem tacked on. There haven't been big political concerts in while, since the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, that have raised significant awareness for a cause. There could have been another one, but that was the last one I remember, and that one faded from existence. The concerts for a cause seem to be a passing trend every few years and I wish it wasn't like that, but getting all these big acts on one stage for a cause does seem a bit empty. I would rather see the artists donate some of their money to the cause at hand, and do the show for free, or not charge people to go.
I would like to see Live Earth be a success, and that there is something being done about global warming or climate change, whatever you call it. But I really cannot stand Al Gore. I didn't vote for him once, and I won't vote for him again if he runs and wins the nomination of a party (I doubt he'll run or win). But global warming is a serious issue that is being addressed by these concerts and I do hope that awareness is raised, not just among concert goers, but by people who are in governments who can do something about it.
On another note, I'm glad to see that Kelly Clarkson is doing a show this summer. She recently canceled her entire summer tour due to lack of ticket sales, due to the buzz (or lack their of) surrounding her new album. I am a Kelly Clarkson fan, more so for looks than her music, but I do enjoy her music. She did a half hour long special on Fuse a few weeks ago, where she sang some new stuff. She looked really good on it, I like the chunky not on tour Kelly, rather than the skinny Kelly. From what I've heard of her new album, it is pretty good. I liked the last one (Breakaway) and from what I've heard, the new one (My December) is more personal and dark.