Live Earth To Be Carbon Neutral, Model of Sustainable Entertainment
Filed under: music — Michael d'Estries @ 10:03 am
February 16th 2007
One of our readers, CPL, left a comment on a previous post pointing out what appears to be some dramatic green initiatives on the part of Live Earth organizers to make this event a massive model of sustainability. This is not your father’s concert event. We’re talking wild and wacky green all around. Here’s what we know:
- First off, John Picard, the award-winning sustainability expert and former member of President Clinton’s Green White House task force, is leading the SOS team of sustainability experts. SOS (Save Our Selves) is the green group behind the entertainment at Live Earth. Anyways, their job is to follow the waste streams of this concert, and as I mentioned previously, cover their tracks with green sustainable offsets. We’re may even likely see the first concert powered entirely from the garbage of the people attending. You can read more about this type of technology here.
- Second, all electricity powering the event will be from renewable sources. From bio-diesel to solar to wind.
- All concession stands will be directed to use biodegradable plastics (corn-based) and waste will efficiently reduced through organized on-site recycling.
- CFL and LED lighting will reign supreme from on-stage to the performers’ trailers. In fact, any hotel wishing to accommodate Live Earth staff, must switch out any inefficient lights with either CFL or LED alternatives. Additionally, non-toxic cleaners will be used for cleaning, and recycle bins provided for each room.
- All air travel for Live Earth will be offset with carbon credits.
Pretty impressive, right? Organizers are hoping that such improvements create a new LEED certification for entertainment venues. I’m psyched; and based on comments here and around the web, a lot of other people are too. Are you planning on attending? Check out the Live Earth site for more information — and also hit up the unofficial site, Live Earth Concert, for news from around the web on the event. Rock on! Rock Green!
Carbon neutral and Green would mean NO concert at all. This is a mega global concert. You’re looking at each concert having a soundsystem gulping one million watts per hour. Lights, infrastructure, transportation, refuse, food heating/cooling, etc all add up to millions of watts of energy wasted and tons of resources exhausted. All for a concert…..
So what if some of it is using biofuel or green technology? It’s still a major footprint against mother earths backside just so Gore can play rockstar.
For example, look at biodiesel. It’s not a zero impact resource. Land and wildlife habitats had to be destroyed to grow this fuel. Oil based fertilizer used. Chemical based pesticides used. Machinery gulping down energy to maintain, harvest and process it to fuel and then transport it. Then you have the fact that this is a food source. How many tons of grain will be used to power this concert which could have been used to feed the hungry? etc…etc..etc..
Through raising awareness, sometimes you can accomplish more than doing smaller, quieter acts. Don’t get me wrong, I hope they do this right and really get into some creative, ground breaking ideas here. But if it is done right, it will bring the right issues to the front of mind for many, many people – Globally.
I also think this concert will set an example for the rest of the music industry — whose tours each year contribute an incredible amount of waste. If Live Earth can be a model of inspiration for other venues to reduce, reuse, and recycle — the planet will be better off as a result.
Concerts are not going to go away. The best we can do is make them more sustainable. I’m hopeful we’ll see some residual effects as a result of this event!
Michael is right. Concerts and dance clubs are not going away. I wouldn’t want them to. there is something ingrained in our dna that makes us want to not only dance, but to do so in together. Environmentalists need to lighten up and stop being so dour. You’ll never build a powerful enough movement to effect the necessary global change by being bitter.
The good that Live earth does in getting people educated and activated will fare exceed its power consumption.
I am afraid I side with PMRC Victim on this debate. PEople like Al Gore, KT Tunstall and others are just undermining the imortance of the green message. The news that KT is to get rid of her car is just sick-making really – so is she going to walk to her gigs? I don’t think so. And as Gore jets around the world — well I do not want to bang on too much – please see my article “Gore is a bore” at
http://www.off-grid.net/index.php?p=643
Thanks
OffGridNick in London
07971 543703
Also tickets for Live Earth concert will be available at this weekend. But only for concert at Wembley Stadium in London and for concert at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
Live Earth its a joke. Offset Carbon credits my arse, what does that really mean, they purchase some credits in a developing nation to plant a gnetically modified plantation forest or a biofuel crop on land they have evicted the indigenous farmer from who now cant afford his grain for food because Gore wants his grain as a carbon offset bio-fuel…give me a break. Please , just cos your hugging a tree dont keep your eyes closed. Awareness of climate change, even the Amazonian rain forest dweller never seen by a westerner is aware of climate change, f**k all this awareness crap, Gore and Madonna do something about it or get off the stage…literally.
The Live Earth events will be devastating for the environment with millions of people on the move, and private jets flying stars and their entourage.
Carbon offsetting maybe makes you feel good, but has no impact. If you want to be green then DO NOT FLY! Buying a tree does not take away the damage you did, no matter how good it makes you feel.
Please read this article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=466775&in_page_id=1879