U2 have come under fire from environmental campaigners for the damage their mammoth U2360 world tour will cause to the world climate.

Somewhat hypocritically for a band who preach about saving the Earth, it's claimed that U2's colossal tour will create a carbon footprint big enough for the band to fly to Mars and back.

The ambitious world tour takes in 100 dates in 18 months and will see the Irish rockers clock up 70,000 air miles in their private jet alone.

Added with the vast 200 strong entourage needed to transport and put together their ambitious 'alien space station' stage set-up, plus the average 90,000 fans travelling to each of their shows, the environmental impact is vast.

Carbonfootprint.com’s environment consultant Helen Roberts told the Belfast Telegraph: ““The carbon footprint generated by U2’s 44 concerts this year (2009) is equal to carbon created by the four band members travelling the 34.125 million miles from Earth to Mars in a passenger plane.

“You also have to add the carbon emissions from the same number of concerts again next year.

“Just looking at the 44 concerts this year, the band will create enough carbon to fly all 90,000 people attending one of their Wembley concerts to Dublin. To offset this year’s carbon emissions, U2 would need to plant 20,118 trees.”

It all seems a far cry from multi-millionaire Bono's cry in Tokyo last year when he said: “My prayer is that we become better in looking after our planet.”

The band started the U2360 World Tour in Barcelona last week before moving on to the San Siro stadium in Milan yesterday.

(by Scott Colothan)