Stars led by Paul McCartney have released a song to push for strong action on climate change, in the latest effort by artists after ambitious plans for global concerts fell through.
"Love Song to the Earth," unveiled on Wednesday, comes less than three months before expectedly tough UN-led talks open in Paris with an aim of reaching a long-term agreement to control rising temperatures and their destructive impact on the planet.
Over a melody typical of mainstream Western pop, a succession of stars sing verses about the Earth that include, "Looking down from up on the moon / It's a tiny blue marble / Who'd have thought the ground we stand on could be so fragile?"
Besides Beatles legend McCartney, stars who lent their voices included rocker Jon Bon Jovi, folk-pop singer Sheryl Crow, acclaimed Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo and Jamaican rapper Sean Paul.
English pop singer Natasha Bedingfield, who also participated, said that the message was for people to take care of the planet rather than turn a blind eye.
"With this song we wanted to talk about the environment in a way that would help people feel empowered to do something rather than be paralyzed by fear," she said in a statement.
The song, along with a video that features footage of nature and children holding up placards with slogans, went live today on Apple Music and will go on general sale on Friday.
Proceeds will benefit the UN Foundation and the US arm of Friends of the Earth, which have both campaigned actively against climate change.
The effort by the musicians come after plans for "Live Earth" concerts -- which had been billed to take place on each inhabited continent on June 18 -- failed to materialize.
Former US vice president turned environmental activist Al Gore and "Happy" singer Pharrell Williams had announced the concerts at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.
Despite an active social media presence, Live Earth did not go so far as to announce performers and later said there would instead be a free show on September 19 near the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
But several sources said that concert would not take place either.
The Climate Reality Project, a non-profit group founded by Gore, said it was merging Live Earth with "24 Hours of Reality," an online event on November 13-14 that will feature speakers on the challenges of climate change.
