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By ANNE GLEASON
Blethen Maine Newspapers Sunday, July 8, 2007

Everyone was greeted by climate-change displays showing how a rise in sea level might affect Bath and Portland, literature on global warming and laptop computers that allowed people to sign up for an individual carbon challenge to reduce emissions.

The local Live Earth events held Saturday -- like the massive global event -- provided entertainment, but with a focus on raising awareness about climate change.

Events were held in Brunswick, Yarmouth, Peaks Island, Scarborough and York, among other places across the state.

The Brunswick event, co-sponsored by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, ran for 12 hours, starting with the global concerts during the day and continuing with a talk and prime-time viewing at night.

"It's a nice opportunity for people to see what's happening" with climate change, said Ryan Ewing, action network coordinator with the state Natural Resources Council. "The issues are getting more attention."

The organization set out laptops for people to sign up for the Maine Global Warming Challenge, which seeks to reduce carbon pollution in the state this year by 2 million pounds.

Alan Jagger of Portland stopped by the Live Earth displays after eating lunch.

Jagger said he planned to watch the Live Earth broadcast with family and friends later Saturday.

"It's a huge issue," he said. "The whole Al Gore thing really brought it to the forefront."

All local Live Earth organizers were provided with a short DVD message from the former vice president to be played during the events.

More than 10,000 local "Friends of Live Earth" events were organized in 130 counties and all 50 states, according to the Live Earth Web site. In Yarmouth, college students Shannon Goggin, Amrit Robbins and Ned Jones held a Live Earth event Saturday at the Yarmouth Log Cabin through their newly formed GoVert group, which they created to increase awareness about climate change.

"What we really want is for people to come here and talk, learn, listen," said Goggin, who will be a sophomore at Georgetown University this fall.

"It's kind of an exciting event. We're just a small part of a global event."

Organizers estimated on the Web site that 2 billion people would watch the concert series, held in New York; Sydney, Australia; London; Johannesburg, South Africa; Tokyo; Shanghai, China; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Hamburg, Germany.

More than 100 artists were scheduled to perform.

Robbins said GoVert holds events to reach out to all people, but will focus on trying to energize young people.

"The current generation started this effort," he said, "but as far as really taking future steps, those are going to have to be made by our generation." Goggin drives a hybrid Toyota Prius, and both Goggin and Robbins and their families have switched to energy-efficient light bulbs and tried other conservation measures.

An event held in Scarborough featured an "earth-friendly" cookout, conversation and concert viewing, and an event in Newmarket, N.H., featured 17 regional singer-songwriters in support of climate initiatives for a healthy biosphere.

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