Thousands attend Earth Day rally in Washington

WASHINGTON — An Earth Day rally and concert Saturday drew thousands to the National Mall to see performances by Mary J. Blige, Usher, No Doubt and others, who are seeking to highlight global poverty and climate change.

Among the dignitaries expected to attend were United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and a handful of members of Congress.

Earth Day Network President Kathleen Rogers said eliminating poverty will require solving climate change. So advocates on both issues are collaborating to push for sustainable international development and hope Saturday's event inspires people to support it. The rally was a cooperative effort with Global Citizen. The actual Earth Day observance is April 22.

"Whether it's the big migrations we expect to see or soil depletion or emptying the oceans, loss of species, loss of timberland — all these things are creating poverty at the same time that they are also creating climate change issues," Rogers said.

Usher, who took the stage using a gold-colored crutch, performed with a cast on his left leg. He underwent surgery on his foot earlier this month.

"D.C., one foot don't stop no show," he said. "I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world. This is all about love, hope, togetherness, peace."

The free event, which was scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., coincides with meetings at the World Bank and IMF.

Earth Day Network also announced a deal to work with the developers of the popular "Angry Birds" game to incorporate an in-game experience designed to raise environmental awareness. Angry Birds has been downloaded 2.8 billion times and is played all over the world.

"By leveraging the global reach and informational power of gaming technology, Earth Day Network and Rovio Entertainment — the creators of the beloved and wildly successful Angry Birds — will mobilize millions around the world to take action on climate change," Rogers said in a statement.

The in-game experience, called "Champions for Earth," will be rolled out in September, when world leaders gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

"It's a cause that really matters to us both and to Angry Birds fans as well," said Patrick Liu, Rovio creative director. "Stay tuned. This will be fun."

Contributing: Associated Press