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Hip-Hop band The Roots are among the headliners of eight simultaneous, free Earth Day 2008 concerts organizers have announced.

On Sunday, April 20, The Roots along with Ricky Skaggs, The Neville Brothers, Los Lonely Boys and Mickey Hart from The Grateful Dead, are headlining free concerts in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Dallas, New York, Chicago and Denver.

The Roots will headline the flagship event in front of the U.S. Capitol building, along with other invited speakers, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, members of congress and even a possible presidential candidate.

The purpose of Earth Day 2008 is to raise awareness about climate change, global warming and each individuals relationship and impact on the environment.

“This Earth Day, it’s time to change the forecast for global warming,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “Climate change must rise to the top of the national agenda this election year. On April 20th, Americans will be hearing our global warming message and we will be mobilizing support for solutions.”

Over 1,000 colleges are also involved in the day-long celebration, which also includes hundreds of community events that are expected to attract hundreds of thousands of participants.

The Earth Day Network has a network of over 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries.

More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it one of the largest secular civic events in the world.

The Roots‘ newest album Rising Down is due in stores April 29 on Island Def Jam.