Promotion.  Reviews.  Promotion.  Artist and Record Labels spend much of their time promoting to radio, magazines and blogs.   Many blogs receive piles of plastic CDs packaged in bubble-wrap padded envelopes each week.   In late July, the music blog Idolator decided to figure out how much that pile of CDs and packaging adds up to in terms of CO2.   In their post, “Are Music Writers Slowly Destroying The Planet,” they enlisted the pros over at Reverb to assist in the CO2 calculations and posted the results along with a lengthy chat between Reverb (Green Music Alliance Member) and Idolator about the topic.  The calculations certainly added up:

He calculated the weekly carbon footprint of all the music-biz mail filling my office, and what follows are his estimates as how to how much carbon dioxide (CO2) was released in order for these materials to make it my door:

Paper: 20 lbs (approx.) of CO2
Plastic: 30 lbs (approx.) of CO2
Shipping: 27.7 lbs of CO2

In total, 77.7 lbs of CO2 were released just so I could get my CDs every week. “On an annual basis,” Allenby wrote, “you’re receiving about 4,004 lbs of CO2, or just over two tons. This is equal to about 4,000 miles of driving, or electrifying your home for three months.”

Also, check out the comments on the post….  one of the biggest perceived challenges with digital submissions over CD submissions is getting noticed.   Will reviewers give just as much attention to an emailed link as a shiny CD with beautiful cover art sitting on their desks?

It is great to see a top music blog like Idolator taking a look at this issue.  One thing for certain is that music blogs are already a “greener” alternative to printed magazines…  so that is a start.  And for all the bloggers out there… please at least recycle the jewel cases!  Visit our resources page for recycling options.

Many thanks to Idolator for exposing this green topic.

Related posts:

1. Greener 2008 Summer Sustainable Music Festivals
2. The Music Slut Blog
3. Unlocking Sustainability in the Music Business
4. Reverb
5. Reverb Campus Consciousness Tour Inspires Students