Hollywood actress Toni Collette is to help kick off the Live Earth concerts with her band Finish, which includes her husband Dave Galafassi. The 34-year-old Australian, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000 for The Sixth Sense, will share the Sydney stage with Jack Johnson, Wolfmother and other artists to help raise environmental awareness. "It's not a time to be ignorant about what is happening to the planet," Collette said. Collette's debut vocals album, Beautiful Awkward Pictures, was released last year and contains one song, Look Up, which is about the impact of climate change. "Look Up is also about remaining positive and not letting the knowledge of what could be very horrible get you down," she said. After Sydney, Live Earth moves to Tokyo, Johannesburg, London, New York and other cities with performances led by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, The Police and Smashing Pumpkins.

Collette says the work started by US Vice President turned environmental activist Al Gore demonstrates the power celebrities can wield to make positive changes to the planet. "It can be a great pressure, but the more people know, the more they will hopefully feel they have a responsibility to the planet," Collette said. "Certainly Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth spoke to a lot of people and if the message can get out in any shape or form that's a good thing. Music can create unity."