Supporting Sustainable Initiatives
This week: Mana
Courtesy BillBoard magazine
Mexican rock group Mana's commitment to the environment dates back to 1994.
That year, the band launched the environmental non-profit Selva Negra, and ever
since, has been unerringly consistent its message. Many of Mana's hits are
imbued with subtle environmental messages that go hand in hand with the group's
very pointed calls for environmental conscience.
Through Selva Negra, Mana has funded reforestation efforts throughout Latin
America, the upkeep of two turtle habitats in
Now, Mana is in the midst of its most ambitious project. The group has
brought together Mexican government officials and respected educational
institution Universidad Autónoma de Mexico (Unam) in an effort to create
mandatory environmental and ethics classes for
"We used to think it was all about education," says Mana lead singer
Fher. "There's a phrase in a
But there was another element that even superseded education.
"Ethics," he says. "We may have the know-how needed to preserve,
but if we have no ethical values, we're going to mess it up."
To that end, Mana is spearheading efforts to put a proposal before
"We've reforested, worked with native tribes and done so many things," he continues. "But if this transcends it, will be the most important of all. My wife is about to have our first child, and I always tell her: When my child goes to school, he will study what we built for him."
This week we feature singer/songwriter Will King and his album "Come on in from the Cold." King offered GreenCrier the use of his song "Kyoto" for a new promotional video. You can listen here.
King has shared the stage with countless musicians, including Richie Havens. Special guests on “Come in from the Cold” include Grammy nominated John Cohen [The New Lost City Ramblers, and featured in Martin Scorsese’s documentary on Bob Dylan, No Direction Home], John Ventimiglia, who played Arthur "Artie" Bucco on the The Sopranos, drummer Doug Yowell [Suzanne Vega] and bassist Saul Zonana [Ace Frehley].
Download Will King at iTunes or at CD Baby.
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Bonnaroo Receives Outstanding Greener Festival Award
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| A.C. Entertainment and Superfly Presents are very proud to announce that the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival for 2008 has been given the "Outstanding Greener Festival" award by the esteemed Awards Committee at agreenerfestival.com,
the arbiter of all things green in the live music industry around the
world. The "Outstanding Greener Festival" is the highest accolade one can receive, and was awarded to Bonnaroo this year along with only six other festivals globally. Thirty-one festivals are considered for the award. "We couldn't be more pleased to receive this award," said Bonnaroo's sustainability coordinator Laura Sohn. "We put a lot of work into reducing the impact the festival has on the environment and it's nice to be recognized." Since its inception, the Bonnaroo organizers have put into place large-scale greening initiatives and continue to take aggressive steps toward mitigating the event's environmental impact and raising awareness about green issues. By focusing on drastic carbon reduction at the festival and in the lives of its patrons, Bonnaroo continues its long time commitment to providing a first-rate entertainment experience while creating a community that cares for our planet. Clean energy initiatives, responsible product consumption, superior waste management, local sourcing and education programs are all part of the festival's aggressive environmental plan. Recognizing that green issues are of paramount importance to the organization, its patrons, and the world at large, Bonnaroo is proud to present an event that is not only a good time, but also an example of an environmentally sound gathering that helps our planet remain hospitable to life. _______________________________________________________________ |
Caption: Phil Lesh [center] playing a Dave Maize acoustic bass along side Grateful Dead bandmates Jerry Garcia [left] and Bob Weir. Photo: Dave Maize.
What better way to make green music than I instruments mad from re-claimed woods? For those in the "acoustic" know, you need look no further than luthier Dave Maize.
With clients such as the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh, Hot Tuna's Jack Cassidy, U2's Adam Clayton and Pearl Jam's Jeff Amnet, Maize instruments produce tones and sounds heard around the world.
"Since the beginning of my guitar-making career in 1990, I have made it a major part of my process to utilize both reclaimed and sustainably harvested tone woods for my instruments as well as for the materials which I furnish to other builders," Maize notes on his website. "I made this decision after seeing the diminishing supply of traditional luthery woods such as mahogany, ebony, spruce and rosewood. I discovered that there is a wealth of both re-claimed traditional tonewoods and under-utilized woods which can produce a superb instrument and help to stretch the supply of these precious materials."
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Martin Sexton
Martin Sexton's biodiesel-powered tour bus, parked up outside Nashville's
Exit/In, is about as far away from the globe-straddling glamour and glitz of
the upcoming Live Earth shows as it’s possible to be.
But for “new folk” artist Sexton and thousands of musicians like him, going
green is something to focus on every single day, rather than just 7/7/07 (Live
Earth).
“I’ve always been conscious of waste,” he says, sipping his “musician
strength” coffee (organic, of course). “I’m always conscious of turning off the
water, the lights, bringing the recycling out every Wednesday morning.”
Like many people, Sexton was profoundly influenced by Al Gore's
Oscar-winning film “An Inconvenient Truth.” “It handed to me on a silver
platter what my impact is from touring and just living on this Earth,” he says.
“So I figured I could take this a step beyond my own curbside recycling and
bring it into what I'm doing for a living.”
Sexton started planning a green tour, “but I wasn't sure how it worked.” So
he partnered with Berkeley, Calif.-based health food company Clif Bar’s
GreenNotes program, which helps touring bands nail down things like biodiesel (cleaner-burning
fuel made from natural, renewable sources), organic, recycled merchandise, and
the sale of renewable wind energy credits -- Cool Tags -- to offset the tour's
CO2 emissions.
“I love what they're doing,” says Sexton. “It’s setting a positive example that this can be done, it's not cost-prohibitive, and it's not a pain in the ass.”
Source: Billboard
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Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter KT Tunstall may have her Eye to the Telescope (suddenly, she sees!), but she's also got her finger on the pulse of green goings-on. Tunstall ran her tour bus last fall on a biodiesel blend and plans to make her future eco-commitment even more drastic (fantastic!). Tunstall's affiliation with The CarbonNeutral Company has enabled her and her fans to plant some 5,000 trees as offsets. She has also backed a "carbon diet" campaign by Global Cool, a group that brings entertainers and scientists together to fight global warming.
Source: Grist.
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Thom Yorke
Profile by Kevin Gorey
The 1997 release of OK Computer, Radiohead’s third studio album, lead singer and principal songwriter Thom Yorke and his band mates achieved worldwide acclaim and critical success. But in the years following, Yorke has not sat idly by and rested on his laurels.
Yorke continued to record and tour with Radiohead and even released a solo effort, The Eraser in 2006. But for all Yorke has achieved in music, it is what he is doing outside that arena that may be his life’s legacy.
Yorke, born in England has been an avid supporter of environmental protection and a passionate spokesperson for several worthy green causes.
Yorke has been a supporter Friends of the Earth International and in 2005 became one of the group’s spokesmen that were involved in The Big Ask, a project to reduce carbon emmissions.
Concerned about the impact his own touring was having on the environment, Yorke told The Guardian in 2006, “The way that tours are structured now and the way it works is a ridiculous consumption of energy. I would consider refusing to tour on environmental grounds, if nothing started happening to change the way the touring operates.”
Radiohead enlisted Best Foot Forward, a company devoted to recommending changes to increase eco-efficiency and reduce the impact on the planet to look at ways to help reduce carbon emmisions for their most recent tour and the full report from can be found on their website at http://www.radiohead.com/.
For more information on Yorke and Friends of the Earth, visit http://www.foe.co.uk/.
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Monolith Festival
Profile by Kevin Gorey
In just its second year, the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks in
Boasting over 60 bands on five stages during the second weekend in September, Monolith is now the largest music festival to take place at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
The musicians at Monolith come from all over the globe and they add their own brand of green sensibility to the Monolith audience.
The Monolith organizers and sponsors have gone to great lengths to insure that they not only put on a good show, but they take care of the environment around them.
According to Monolith’s website, the goal of the festival is to create an interesting, memorable, and most importantly, an environmentally responsible green music event. The event has certainly succeeded in reaching its goals.
In addition to promoting carpooling to the festival by offering a discounted Green Ticket Package, the organizers rolled out a new recycling and composting plan this year.
Another impressive undertaking at Monolith this year was the Monolith Reforestation Project, which was set up to help replenish native Rocky Mountain Juniper Trees in the Red Rocks area.
This year a special VIP tent was set up to showcase the musical talents of groups such as Cloud Cult, White Williams, The Dutchess & the Duke, Passion Pit and Young Coyotes while local
Other acts playing at the two-day event included Snowden, Dressy Bessy, KaiserCartel, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, The Veils, The Muslims, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Electric Touch, Moonspeed, Astra Moveo, Rob Drabkin, Alyse Black, Silversun Pickups, Atmosphere, Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, The Avett Brothers, Superdrag, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Mickey Avalon, The Kills, CSS, Does it Offend You, Yeah? and
The festival has also become carbon neutral, this year alone Monolith planned to offset over 240 short tons of carbon dioxide generated by the event, while their main sponsor, Esurance, has pledged retrofit one low-income home with energy efficient lighting for every 10 tons of CO2 reduced by those on the Monolith Carbon Tree.
Monolith has redefined the music festival, making the weekend not just about the sounds coming from the stage, but the green ideas and implementation that will help sustain the surrounding environment.
As Monolith grows, so will the awareness of an entire generation of music fans, and that is something all the organizers and sponsors should be very proud of.
To get additional information on Monolith and their greening history, visit http://www.monolithfestival.com/.
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As lead singer for Jane's Addiction, Farrell helped pioneer alternative rock, but more recently, through his work on the Lollapalooza festival, he's helped pioneer the use of alternative fuel to power major music fests. In 2003, he planned to run one Lollapalooza stage on biodiesel, but ended up using the fuel to run the whole show; this year he's planning even more eco-initiatives. Farrell has also helped put to music a previously unknown poem from Doors frontman Jim Morrison; the song, "Woman in the Window," will be used as a theme for a global-warming campaign by Global Cool.
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The Ditty Bops
Photo: Normnan Jean Roy
Profile by Kevin Gorey
The Ditty Bops, a female duo based in California, have pulled off some unique endeavors including playing music while educating Americans on sustainable initiatives.
Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett’s musical approach has been defined as Western swing, ragtime, gypsy-jazz pop, and vaudeville-era musical theater. Those labels may conjure thoughts of early American music; however, The Ditty Bops dedication to preserving the environment is anything but old-fashioned.
Like most bands, after they released their second album, Moon Over the Freeway, The Ditty Bops hit the road to promote their release. Unlike most bands, Abby and Amanda went across America by bicycle. They played 40 shows in 2006 and promoted a green lifestyle every pedal of the way.
In 2007 the pair toured farming communities across the country and capped off that successful tour with an appearance at the widely-known nonprofit concert, Farm Aid.
In addition to their tour of American farms, 2007 also saw DeWald and Barrett begin “You and I Save the World”; a nonprofit group that has already helped San Francisco become the first American city to pass a ban on plastic bags.
“Every little bit helps. I'm glad to see Los Angeles is trying to pass similar bans to San Francisco. I hope that city by city our nation will ban the use of plastic bags,” Barrett told Green Crier.
The DeWald and Barrett team have already put their stamp on green living, but they haven’t run out of ideas to promote their strong feelings toward sustainable initiatives.
Their latest effort is a show called “Storm Drain To Paradise,” a story about a young girl who falls into a storm drain and comes to rest on an island of garbage in the middle of the ocean. The message of their new venture is certainly clear.
“With our new show, “Storm Drain To Paradise,” we’ve incorporated a more obvious environmental theme than in our past musical endeavors. Usually we're not so blunt. I hope that we’ll record our new songs for Storm Drain and make it into an upcoming album,” Barrett said.
The Ditty Bops have already played a couple of shows in California to promote the new idea and have incorporated the work of puppeteer Lynn Jeffries to help illustrate the journey the little girl takes to help save the world from human destruction.
Back at home, DeWald and Barrett have greened their personal space by turning their cement driveway into a garden full of organic fruit trees and leafy greens.
They are also taking a proactive approach with regards to future musical releases.
“When we were with Warner Brothers, we wanted to use more recycled packaging, but weren't allowed to with the price point of our record. That was frustrating, but at least we could get partially recycled packaging which was a start. Now we're putting out our own records,” Barrett said and noted that their new album will be a special pop-up CD made with 100% recycled paper.
Read more about the Ditty Bops at http://www.thedittybops.com/main.htm.
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Bonnie Raitt
Profile by Kevin Gorey
Just about the time Bonnie Raitt started to achieve commercial success and worldwide acclaim for her blue-infused music, the California native began a tireless campaign to help preserve the environment.
In 1979, Raitt, along with fellow musicians Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and John Hall, founded Musicians United for Safe Energy. The group formed after the Three Mile Island accident in March of that year and went on to play several No Nukes concerts to raise awareness of the dangers of nuclear energy.
The group remains active and currently boasts over 8,000 signatures on a petition at http://www.nirs.org/ that is calling for an end to new construction of nuclear reactors and a greater focus on renewable energy technologies to assist in reducing greenhouse emissions.
In the years since Raitt became known to audiences around the world she has always remained a clear voice for change and helping advance the cause of the environment.
Not one to rest on her laurels, just three years ago Green Highway was launched. An online companion to Raitt’s 2005-06 tour; http://www.greenhighway.net/ explored new forms of renewable energy and attempts to teach readers different ways they can help advance the cause.
The success of Green Highway helped launch Reverb, a company that helps educate musicians about ways they can green their own tours and encourage their fans to join the effort to advance environmentally friendly initiatives.
Raitt has been a fixture on the world music scene for four decades, but her dedication to environmental causes has become a legacy for younger musicians to emulate.
Read more about Raitt’s work at http://www.bonnieraitt.com/. For nearly two decades, Pearl Jam has been making music and playing concerts in front of countless fans. The band has released eight studio albums and boasts five American Music Awards and one Grammy Award. However, some of the Seattle-based alternative rock bands best work in recent years has not been in the studio or on stage, but in their dedication to sustainable initiatives and environmental awareness. The most recent aspect of the band’s green efforts is their Carbon Profile Strategy. According to Pearl Jam’s website, the Strategy donated $100,000 to nine different organizations doing work around climate change, renewable energy, and the environment in 2006. Pearl Jam’s Strategy allows them to determine how much carbon they emit in a typical tour. In 2006 the band offset those emissions by using B100, pure bio-diesel in their production trucks and in their buses. “We hope that by highlighting and creating a commons for these groups, we can advance preservation of existing ecosystems, restoration of degraded environments, and continued investment in clean, renewable energy technologies,” the band states. The band even provides a link to carbon counters on its website to encourage their fans and anyone interested in helping reduce carbon emissions worldwide. For more information on Pearl Jam’s Green efforts, go to www.pearljam.com/activism
By Kevin Gorey Cloud Cult, a Minnesota-based group of musicians and artists has been focused on supporting environmental initiatives and raising awareness of social responsibility since singer/songwriter Craig Minowa formed the band in 1995. Minowa has been focused on bringing awareness to eco-friendly living from the outset. When Cloud Cult began exploring ways to release their music to the public, Minowa wanted his CD's to be as environmentally friendly as his band. “When we putting out the first Cloud Cult CD, there were no companies out there who made environmentally friendly recycled CD’s. Now there are dozens,” Minowa told Green Crier. Cloud Cult’s dedication to sustainable initiatives has not always been welcome with open arms in the music industry, but times, and attitudes are changing. “The music industry has changed a lot over the years, when it comes to its approach to the environment. There are more mainstream artists who are publicly open to supporting various environmental initiatives. I think it’s starting to be considered a ‘cool’ thing to try and be environmental,” Minowa told Green Crier. Cloud Cult has done more than just try to be environmentally conscious. For over a decade they have brought an awareness and understanding that is unsurpassed on the indie-rock scene. Cloud Cult’s recording studio was constructed entirely of recycled and reclaimed materials; all of their CD’s are packaged in recycled or reclaimed jewel cases and according to their website, the band has planted nearly a thousand trees to absorb pollutants from travel and manufacturing. “When we started, it was scoffed at quite a bit, because the trend-makers in the music industry tend to still think it’s cool to be pessimistic and cynical. The environmental movement and the future of this planet require the opposite of that…hope, wonder and optimism,” Minowa told Green Crier. In addition to Minowa, the current lineup of Cloud Cult includes cellist Sarah Young, violinist Shannon Frid, painters Connie Minowa and Scott West and bassist Shawn Neary and Arlen Peiffer. The band’s latest album, “Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-partying through Tornadoes),” was released in April of this year, the same month Rolling Stone listed Could Cult as a Breaking Artist. Cloud Cult’s desire to produce environmentally friendly CD’s led Minowa to start Earthology Records in 1997. Located in Northwest Minnesota on an organic farm powered by geothermal and wind energy, Earthology donates their profits to environmental charity work. Where some bands might take certain aspects of the industry for granted, Cloud Cult never strays from its vision, and Minowa seems to look forward to the challenges that a green lifestyle presents. “Touring is also getting more difficult because of lack of access to truly green biodiesel, but’ we’ll figure it out,” Minowa told Green Crier. In recent years the music industry has helped reduce its carbon footprint. There are several music festivals that focus on a green way of living and try to impress upon the concertgoers the things they can do to help the environment. Minowa, citing a recent study by Cornell University offered a simple, but effective tip to those looking for a way to help. “People put out more CO2 via their diet than their cars. It takes a lot of oil to raise, process and transport meat. Reducing your meat consumption by just a third, you can reduce as much CO2 as a person who buys a Prius,” Minowa told Green Crier. In addition to his work with Cloud Cult, Minowa is currently focusing on finalizing the nonprofit status of the Earthology Institute, which is the parent organization of Earthology Records. “My wife, Connie and I will be focusing on using the institute to broaden our scope of environmental work into sustainability, children’s environmental health and the arts,” Minowa told Green Crier. After a releasing five albums in the last five years, not to mention a relentless touring schedule that included headlining the second stage at the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks last year, the band is planning on releasing a feature length DVD documentary before taking some well-deserved time off. However, despite taking a break from their music at the end of the year, do not plan on Minowa and his dedication toward environmental awareness to go away. “Every man, woman, and child needs to strive to live in a more environmentally friendly way, or things are going to crash pretty fast. We’re all lucky to have been blessed with the gift of life. With that, it’s our responsibility to maintain this biosphere for future life.” For more information, visit: www.cloudcult.com. ____________________________________________________________
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Sarah Harmer
Photo: Wireimage
This Canadian singer-songwriter co-founded the environmental group PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land), which is campaigning to prevent a proposed gravel development from harming the Niagara Escarpment, a wild area along the U.S.-Canadian border that includes Niagara Falls. Harmer walks the talk with her commitment to the cause -- she hike along the Escarpment with her acoustic band to play shows and raise awareness throughout the area, a tour documented in the film Escarpment Blues.
Visit: www.sarahharmer.com
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This week: Pearl Jam
Profile by Kevin Gorey
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Cloud Cult
Outsiders on the way “In”
Cloud Cult’s green attitude setting industry standards.
Jack Johnson
Photo: Queen/Wire Image
One of Hawaii's favorite surfing sons, Johnson offers more to the world than smooth, catchy songs. He co-founded the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, a nonprofit supporting environmental education in the schools and communities of his home state.
Johnson is concerned with the impact his tours has on the environment. To this end, he opts for biodiesel-fueled buses - maybe he and Willie Nelson have crossed paths - see below]. Johnson's tour T-shirts are made from organic cotton. His tour posters and CD packaging are printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper. Along with these top sellers at his concerts, Johnson and his organization tout reusable water bottles and hemp tote bags and continually encourage fans to reduce their waste.
In 2005, the Climate Neutral Network granted Johnson's tour a Climate CoolTM certificate for his "multi-faceted approach to reducing the environmental impact of a typically resource-intensive endeavor."
For more information, visit www.kokuahawaiifoundation.org.
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July 21, 2008
Willie Nelson
Caption: Willie Nelson and Neil Young
filling-up his tour bus with biodiesel fuel.
A co-founder of Farm Aid, and all-around amazing songwriter, singer and guitar player, Willie Nelson, 75, continues to tour the country singing the songs that made him famous including “Crazy,” “Always on My Mind” and “On the Road Again.”
In 2004, Nelson learned about biodiesel when his wife Annie purchased a car that could run on biodiesel. After realizing the benefits, he started The Willie Nelson Biodiesel Co., which produced and distributed BioWillie biodiesel, at Carl’s Corner, a well-known truck stop, on Interstate 35 between
This is the very same sustainable fuel that keeps Willie's bus on tour.
“The BioWillie is produced to help eliminate
For more information, visit www.biowillieusa.com.