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.

Julie’s Bicycle is a UK-based not-for-profit company helping the music industry cut its greenhouse gas emissions and create a low carbon creative future. Their site offers many green resources and they have documented research on music industry issues ranging from CD Packaging to Audience Travel Emissions.

Their 50+ page Green Music Guide (PDF) published March 2009 is available directly from the Julie’s Bicycle site.  Audience travel at 45% and venues at 24% make up the top two in the list of the London music industry’s green house gas emissions followed by compact discs at 15%.  The guide goes beyond simply listing topics that we all share concerns about and includes case studies on actual events, festivals, venues and bands.

The team over at Rock the Earth recently contacted the Green Music Alliance and we like what they are all about.  Head on over to their site to join them and find out more.  Check out their projects page to learn about the major issues they target.

Rock the Earth works closely with the music industry and its fans, many of whom are concerned with the fate of our public lands, air and water. We act as advocates to ensure the existence of a sustainable and healthy environment for all.

[Read more →]

ASCAP hosted the first “Thinking Green In The Music Business” meeting at their New York City offices. The goal of this seminar was to share ideas on how the music business could move toward greater eco-friendliness in both everyday practices as well as long term planning.

The meeting was sponsored by Shore Fire, ASCAP and The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM).

The guest speaker was Stefan Doering of Best Coaches Inc. and BeUnReasonable.com.  Stefan works with Fortune 500 Executives, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs helping them define and achieve their sustainability goals as a master coach and has been featured on the CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg TV, and more. He is also an instructor at Columbia University with CERC, Center for Environmental Research and Conservation; a division of the world renown, Earth Institute, teaching Environmental Intrapreneurism and Environmental Entrepreneurism.

Throughout the seminar we examined some the key dimensions of our music industry and reviewed [Read more →]

The 2008 Live Earth Concert will be hosted in Mumbai, India on December 7, 2008.

“Live Earth’s mission is to cultivate grassroots and worldwide awareness of and solutions for environmental issues that affect us all. Awareness activates change and important issues deserve a global platform,” said Kevin Wall, founder of Live Earth. “That’s why the stage for Live Earth India will host some of the biggest artists from India to the U.S. and beyond, while we bring India to the world. And the world has a lot to learn from traditional Indian culture about sustainability.”

“India will be among the leading powers of the global economy in the coming decades,” said Gore. “As a democracy that is looked up to by many nations, especially for its commitment to inclusive growth for its diverse peoples, India has a major role to play in leadership by example for the climate crisis and sustainable development. Kevin and I are honored to bring Live Earth to India.”

Keeping in line with their green message the event will follow the “Green Policy” established in the original Live Earth event:

The Live Earth production team will implement the Live Earth Green Event Guidelines developed for the first Live Earth Concerts for a Climate in Crisis which took place on 07.07.07. The Guidelines address the major areas of impact of live events, including recycling, food and beverages, packaging, transportation, energy, water usage, and the event site itself. From power generation at the concert to garbage generated by concert goers, Live Earth will seek to design out waste and continue to be the model for future live entertainment, while bringing new sustainable event production techniques to India.

Learn more on the Live Earth Site.

Music Matters is a small, Minneapolis-based, marketing firm aiming to help musicians do good to reduce the negative environmental impact of music industry operations by working with artists, tours, venues and festivals.

So what is “doing good” according to Music Matters…

• Waste less – Be more energy efficient and reduce, reuse or recycle waste.
• Cool down – Reduce CO2 emissions and offset what can’t be reduced.
• Choose wisely – Select eco-friendly goods and services (cost-effectively through our vendor partners).
• Spread the word – Communicate actions to fans, clients, and the media – and inspire their action.

… we at the Green Music Alliance agree with their philosophies and actions… and so do Rolling Stone, Billboard and The New York Times in their write-ups about this good-doing startup.

Touring and Festivals remain one of the most important “green challenges” in the music industry.   Many reputable bands and festivals have made progress over the years in solving the problems related to these large events from recycling to energy consumption to fan transportation.   The Bumbershoot Festival strives to be green along many dimensions and provides resourcs to help others “Green Your Festival.”

From their “green page” on their site:

For nearly four decades Bumbershoot has strived to be a socially responsible and environmentally friendly Festival. As a uniquely urban event nestled in the Pacific Northwest, one of the nation’s greenest locales, Bumbershoot maintains a reputation as a trendsetter within the festival industry.

Visit these links on the Bumbershoot site to get more ideas on Greening Your Festival…

Back in November of 2006 Green Day and the National Resource Defense Counsel (NRDC) announced a major campaign, Move America Beyond Oil, to mobilize and empower music fans to demand clean, renewable energy solutions that break our dangerous dependence on oil.

The official Green Day + NRDC site shows fans how to take action. Check out the You Tube video below to hear from the band about being part of the solution:

On August 18, 2008 Green Day announced a photo contest on their MySpace page asking fans to take photos of themselves taking action.  From the page…

We want to create a new photo album, and we want your help.  Send us a photo of yourself taking action to help the environment… a photo of you taking public transportation, checking the air pressure in your tires, picking up trash some idiot left on the beach… be creative.  Show us how YOU protect the environment.

The prizes:
A promo photograph signed by Green Day and an Adeline pack (This goes to our favorite photo!)

Another You Tube Video from Green Day…

Visit the Green Day + NRDC MySpace page or the official Green Day + NRDC Site or the NRDC official site for more.