to add some further information:
I use Lucid Lynx amd64

my Graphic card is this one: 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82945G/GZ Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 02)

The I want to enclose the output of the crashlog of google earth to give you some further hint:

Major Version 5
Minor Version 2
Build Number 0001
Build Date Jun 10 2010
Build Time 16:15:55
OS Type 3
OS Major Version 2
OS Minor Version 6
OS Build Version 32
OS Patch Version 0
Crash Signal 6
Crash Time 1277297541
Up Time 1,37172

Stacktrace from glibc:
./libgoogleearth_free.so(+0xd030b)[0xf76d030b]
[0xf7729400]
/lib32/libc.so.6(abort+0x182)[0xf59f2d52]
/usr/lib32/dri/i915_dri.so(+0x237bf)[0xec9077bf]
/usr/lib32/dri/i915_dri.so(+0x50802)[0xec934802]
/usr/lib32/dri/i915_dri.so(+0x21ab9)[0xec905ab9]
/usr/lib32/mesa/libGL.so.1(+0x3d939)[0xf4d64939]
/usr/lib32/mesa/libGL.so.1(+0x1a18b)[0xf4d4118b]
/usr/lib32/mesa/libGL.so.1(+0x1576a)[0xf4d3c76a]
/usr/lib32/mesa/libGL.so.1(glXChooseVisual+0x36)[0xf4d3d566]
./librender.so(+0x4d673)[0xf4fc2673]
./librender.so(_ZN12RenderWidget4initEv+0x116)[0xf4fc3056]
./librender.so(_ZN12RenderWidgetC1EP7QWidgetPKc6QFlagsIN2Qt10WindowTypeEE+0x16c)[0xf4fc3eac]
./librender.so(_ZN5earth6render12RenderWindow12createWidgetEv+0x82)[0xf4fa6432]
./libgoogleearth_free.so(_ZN5earth6client12ModuleWidget9showEventEP10QShowEvent+0x94)[0xf76ad2d4]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget5eventEP6QEvent+0xabb)[0xf6b6b7ef]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN19QApplicationPrivate13notify_helperEP7QObjectP6QEvent+0xa0)[0xf6b1be20]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN12QApplication6notifyEP7QObjectP6QEvent+0x16f)[0xf6b258a3]
./libQtCore.so.4(_ZN16QCoreApplication14notifyInternalEP7QObjectP6QEvent+0x70)[0xf739dd50]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0xcc)[0xf6b6e55c]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate14show_recursiveEv+0x74)[0xf6b6e264]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1f2)[0xf6b6e482]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x33b)[0xf6b6ea97]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1d9)[0xf6b6e469]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate14show_recursiveEv+0x74)[0xf6b6e264]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1f2)[0xf6b6e482]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x33b)[0xf6b6ea97]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1d9)[0xf6b6e469]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate14show_recursiveEv+0x74)[0xf6b6e264]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1f2)[0xf6b6e482]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x33b)[0xf6b6ea97]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1d9)[0xf6b6e469]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x33b)[0xf6b6ea97]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1d9)[0xf6b6e469]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x33b)[0xf6b6ea97]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate12showChildrenEb+0x1d9)[0xf6b6e469]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN14QWidgetPrivate11show_helperEv+0x45)[0xf6b6e4d5]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10setVisibleEb+0x33b)[0xf6b6ea97]
./libQtGui.so.4(_ZN7QWidget10showNormalEv+0x4a)[0xf6b5ee9e]
./libgoogleearth_free.so(_ZN10MainWindow18readScreensizeInfoEv+0xc35)[0xf7695225]
./libgoogleearth_free.so(_ZN5earth6client11Application12SetupMainWinENS0_3Kvw7ProductEb+0x29e)[0xf76d461e]
./libgoogleearth_free.so(_ZN5earth6client11Application3runEv+0x42f)[0xf76db47f]
./libgoogleearth_free.so(earthmain+0x27d)[0xf76cf73d]
./googleearth-bin(_init+0x122)[0x80486c2]
/lib32/libc.so.6(__libc_start_main+0xe6)[0xf59dbbd6]
./googleearth-bin(_init+0x91)[0x8048631]

perhaps this can help you to solve this problem.

Thank you for any answer how thiscan be solved.

Greetings
Linuxexperte