The day after Live Earth any number of sources are looking back on the event. There’s one thing no-one can deny, with eight concerts around the world and some 2 billion viewers it was certainly a huge event.

Which is not to say there wasn’t any criticism of the event. The amount CO₂ emitted because of the concerts, and as part of the lifestyles of the stars appearing on stage, have led to accusations of hypocrisy.

The concerts have almost certainly raised awareness of the issue for a little while. But it remains to be seen whether they’ll have the sort of lasting political impact sought the organizers.

More on retrospectives on Live Earth are available from The Observer, The New York Times (free registration may be required) and many others