South Florida Finally Provides Biodiesel Option for Touring Bands

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by Rebecca Carter August 24, 2007
Categories: Music, Transport.

Crowd Watches in West Palm Beach as Taking Back Sunday Performs

Linkin Park’s summer tour Projekt Revolution is about to come to a close. I had a chance to stop in and check out their West Palm Beach leg of the tour recently and these guys rocked. And to tell you the truth, I probably enjoyed My Chemical Romance even more. Gerard Way was born to perform. But was the concert green?

Most of the green concepts that Projekt Revolution was planning on using were behind the scenes. Our friends over at Reverb set up biodiesel where ever possible along their route, and we were pleased to hook up our South FSol Atlantic Biodiesel fills up Projekt Revolution Semi-Trucks in West Palm Beachlorida biodiesel buddies up with them! South Florida isn’t know for it’s “greenness”; that makes it particularly difficult for organizations like Reverb to find a supplier for biodiesel in our area. Sol Atlantic Biodiesel to the rescue! Our friends Lisa & Chris headed up to West Palm Beach to fill up 16 semi’s and 5 tour buses with B20 biodiesel.

First of all – wow – it takes a lot of trucks and buses to get this number of bands around the country. If you’re upset to see B20 (20% biodiesel), instead of B99, let me explain. The bus & truck companies haven’t completely come around on the biodiesel front yet. That’s all they’ll allow. However, each journey starts with a single step, right? Little by little, I think they’ll get there. It takes tours like this to get them accustomed to the idea of it.

Trash, but where’s the trash can?As for the “visible” greening of the event, it was non-existent. Garbage cans everywhere. Recycling bins no where. Garbage cans didn’t even seem available on the lawn, where the general admission seating was located. And then, miraculously, as we were walking out the gates at the end of the concert, there they stood, a line of concert-workers armed with recycling bins. I doubt they worked, however…there were no trash cans to be found. That means that probably everything went into the bin, rendering the recycling function absolutely worthless.

Oh well. Though there could have been more “visible” green aspects, we’re happy to see Linkin Park and the rest of the bands touring with them try out different pieces of eco-friendly touring like biodiesel. And we’re very happy that when bands come down to South Florida, they now have an option to fill up with that liquid goodness.

About Rebecca Carter

Rebecca Carter is the Co-Founder of Ecorazzi. Rebecca was recently featured in the book Hot, Rich, and Green. She is one of 70 eco-achievers featured in Glamour magazine in April 2009, named Best of Green 2010 by Miami Magazine and Best Environmentalist by Miami New Times Best of 2008. She's raising a couple of little boys in Miami and speaks English & Spanish. Find out more at www.RebeccaCarter.net. Follow Rebecca on Twitter: @rebeccacarter

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  • http://www.greenyourplace.com DW

    smart idea. glad they are starting to make the move towards biodiesel.

  • http://sutext.texeme.com John Bailo

    You want an “eco-friendly” concert…I just went to one a few blocks down the street from my apartment in Kent, Washington.

    It was our annual 47th District Republican picnic.

    Why was it Earth Friendly?

    1. Acoustic bluegrass music. That’s right, Bono — how about turning off the amps and using strings and other instruments without pumping the watts.

    2. We all made dishes. I made a pasta salad and put it in my big black stove pot, and then afterwards I took it back home and cleaned it. That was after I took the leftover pasta and mixed it up with a tomato sauce I made from scratch.

    3. We held it in an outdoor park in the evening. No lights, just a rare sun on a Washington evening.

    4. We talked to each other and used our ideas and discussions to entertain ourselves between speeches.

    5. Ok, I did use a PA system at one point…to lead the group in the Pledge of Alligience…but it’s short, and it still means something to some of us.

  • http://mysobe.com astrid.

    “smart idea. glad they are starting to make the move towards biodiesel.”

    could be a smart idea, probably, but not very easy to find it on a Miami Beach area. Just on part of florida.

    astrid.

  • http://www.myspace.com/nitefliteimagery Kim Kelterborn – Nite Flite Imagery

    To “ecorazzi” don’t just focus on what wasn’t idyllic. How many other artists out there can you say they have attempted to highlight these environmental issues and raise awareness to victims of disaster (tsunami, hurricanes and now the fires in California) or to put themselves out there to say it may not be the popular choice right now but “we’ll make a difference”. We as a civilization are finally coming to grips with what we have done to ourselves and the environment. We are in the process of wasting away our natural resources, and turning a blind eye to the pain, suffering, and loss of those around us. Yet getting up every morning and looking ourselves in the mirror as if there’s nothing we can do about it. The next time you look in the mirror ask yourself, “what have you done”? (no pun intended). I’m not saying Mike Shinoda should be out sorting the recycling after a show either; artists in the spotlight have such a unique opportunity. They can use the stage they have built from their talent if they choose not just to further their own careers but to make a difference, kudos to them, if for nothing else but to make you think. Which judging from your response to the tour, it did. You may not agree with how certain portions ended, but are you saying it didn’t work let’s just disregard the idea/concept. Your right it’s not enough there’s really no way we could go back in time and erase all that we’ve done. What we can do is use the outlets we are given to promote a positive change.

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