by Monica Schrock

Many of you may know SXSW as one of the premiere music, film and interactive festivals in the nation, bringing an array of exceptional and unique talent to the lone star state every year.  You may not know that this year’s SXSW festival will bring a new exceptionality to the streets of Austin, TX… sustainability.  SXSW 2010 is striving to reduce the carbon footprint of their music and film festival March 12th – 21st.

SXSW became a carbon neutral company in 2006 and have been reducing their footprint ever since by using less energy as well as cleaner energy and supporting companies that do the same.  The music department has been using the paperless registration process since 2003 and was able to save 12,000 pieces of paper last year, inspiring the film and interactive departments to do the same. Their other efforts include installing solar panels, using hotels with sustainable hospitality training as well as encouraging fans and professionals to use green lodging.  They also give fans visiting Austin easy access information to public transportation, walking directions, bike renting affiliates and carbon offset programs through Enterprise Rent-A-Car. To top it all off SXSW is advising all bands and professionals to green their marketing programs at the festival.  If paper is necessary, they urge that the brochures and flyers be printed on FSC certified paper, the same paper that all SXSW directories and event publications are printed on.

This year, support SXSW’s sustainability efforts by implementing some of your own on your trip to Austin. Reduce your footprint by carpooling with your friends, bringing reusable coffee mugs and water bottles, and taking advantage of the public transportation in downtown Austin.

View the SXSW 2010 Promotional Video:

by Monica Schrock

The World Music Expo, Womex, linked up with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP15) in November of this year to discuss strategies for the music industry to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of a low carbon future. Headlining as ‘Advocating for Change’, Simon Broughton, Songlines (UK) with Alison Tickell, Julie’s Bicycle (UK) and Esben Danielsen, Roskilde Festival (Denmark) led sessions called “It’s not easy being green, but its not as difficult as you think”, on how the music industry can adapt to climate changes and challenges. These sessions launched some of the first sustainable efforts at Womex responding to the climate changes of our planet. With the help of COP15, Womex got the sustainable word out over 5 days of jam packed music consisting of 49 concerts played by 300 musicians from over 40 countries. Womex also has a trade fair with 320 tents attracting and exhibiting 1425 companies, including labels, publishers, distributors, managers, producers and journalists. The first whispers of a green future at Womex could be a huge step in climate change awareness for the world of music.

by Planetwize

Power Up The Planet, a new compilation CD by cause-based music company Planetwize, is a dynamic, funky mix of 14 global fusion tracks from top international artists, including Thievery Corporation, Brazilian Girls, Zap Mama, B-Side Players, Balkan Beat Box, Ozomatli and more. From reggae and Latin to electronic and Afrobeat, every song on Power Up The Planet taps into the theme of energy, empowerment, and hope.

With tracks in English and Spanish, the funky benefit project is about spreading power—enough to run a radio or mobile phone or to have a little light. To this end, every download or physical CD sold helps SolarAid fight climate change and poverty, by training people in poor communities to harness the power of the sun. With successful projects in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Kenya, SolarAid brings solar lanterns, mobile phone and battery chargers to rural and remote communities throughout Africa, replacing dangerous and expensive kerosene lanterns with clean, renewable power.

To learn about the Power Up The Planet initiative and music compilation view the video posted by Planetwise:

Green Day, the environmentalist rock band, teamed up with the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to push the cause to take action to help end America’s “dangerous dependence on oil.”  Green Day’s lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong explains, “This campaign is about channeling the power of millions into something positive and powerful. People are sick of our oil addiction and feel like nobody is doing anything about it. The solutions are there, the support is there, but the leadership is not.”

View the latest video to promote this cause and learn how you can take action on the Green Day + NRDC site.

About the NRDC (from their site):

NRDC is the nation’s most effective environmental action group, combining the grassroots power of 1.2 million members and online activists with the courtroom clout and expertise of more than 350 lawyers, scientists and other professionals.

Everyone knows that transportation is the largest challenge for the music industry when trying to be more green.  Whether it is the performers tour buses and their 150,000 lbs of annual CO2 output or the many fans driving to shows from miles away, it is a real problem without an easy answer.   Purchasing carbon offset credits for the carbon that fans and bands create related to music events is one solution with a potential real impact.   The Bumbershoot Festival, taking place in Seattle on Sept 5th through 7th, has made it easy for fans to purchase their carbon offsets by allowing an optional $2 charge to be added to tickets to purchase a 367 lb offset.  We think this is a great idea and all performance events should provide this option to fans.

We applaud Bumbershoot’s continued commitment to being a green festival.  Find out more on their Green page.

From the Bumbershoot site:

How do we do it?

• A “carbon offset” balances the impact of unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions produced. How? When you buy an offset you purchase an emission reduction credit. This in turn is money invested in a project, such as a clean energy or reforestation project, that results in less carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere than would otherwise occur.
• Bumbershoot purchases carbon credits to offset all artists’ transportation (air and ground, both to and from the Festival). These credits are purchased from NetGreen, a Northwest offset provider that offers project-based offsets. Projects that receive funding from NetGreen are designed and evaluated for carbon-reducing services not currently available without some sort of investor funding.
• In 2008, Bumbershoot offset 251.5 metric tons of greenhouse gas!

Just when you thought this year’s festival season was nearly over, a few festivals with green awareness goals remain.  The Project 30-90 Green Art and Music Festival on Saturday, September 5th in New Orleans is one.   As they outline on their Green page, they have an eye on many of the key elements required to minimize the environmental impact of a music festival including the challenges with power, trash, transportation and merchandise.  Additionally, they have an education goal and are including educational and non-profit organizations in their vendor village.   Music festivals have the power to raise awareness and provide music fans with the information they need to live “more green” lives.

From the Project 30-90 site:

Project 30-90 is an environmentally conscious music festival being held in New Orleans on September 5, 2009. Our stages will be run on solar and wind turbine power, we’ll offer paperless green tickets, recycling, carbon offsets and more. Put simply, we are going to rock your world and leave no carbon footprint behind.

Project 30-90 Founder Don Kelly speaks on who and how he selected the bands that are playing at the inaugural 30-90 Festival:

The Saturday music line-up starts at 3pm…

[Read more →]

With his 2009 release “Evolver” and his green summer tour, John Legend climbed to the top of the Billboard Green 10 list for 2009.  By working with Reverb and the Show Me Campaign to make his tour green as possible, John has done his part this summer in both taking action and raising awareness among his music fans.  Visit the Projects page on Reverb for more green artists.

You can preview and buy songs from John Legend’s album “Evolver” using the player below.

Jack Johnson is continually hailed as one of the most green artists.  The on-going education he provides to the music industry and fans about what it means to be a green artist inspires and challenges us all.   For more about what you can do as a green touring artist to both reduce and offset your carbon impacts visit the “greening” section on Jack’s website.

1% For The Planet is a global movement of 1236 businesses and musicians who giveback one percent of their sales toward their choice of over 1800 environmental charities, services programs.  1% for the Planet exists to build and support an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.  The YouTube video below shows Jack’s continued support for 1% For The Planet.