Rock stars and other celebrities increasingly
are embracing the climate change cause. Several organizations
are working to turn this trend into real changes within the music
and entertainment industry.
By Andrew Gertge, GLOBE-Net
GLOBE-Net (December 04,
2009) - Some of the hottest bands will rock crowds in
Copenhagen, 7-14 December-right alongside the international climate
negotiations taking place there. The Backstreet Boys, Moby and the
Editors will be performing "climate gigs" while many other bands
will take the "Hopenhagen" stage at City Hall Square.
As more and more performers sing the climate
change tune, though, concerned groups and individuals are looking
outside the limelight to tackle the environmental footprint of the
entertainment industry.
Getting Green
'Cred'
Nothing short of a green wave has swept over the
entertainment industry in recent years. Some credit Al Gore's
2006 Academy Award-Winning documentary on climate change, An Inconvenient Truth,
for igniting widespread support of the cause among celebrities of
all types in the entertainment industry.
The film earned Gore the "Action Hero of the
Summer" label that year.
George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio have
supported environmental causes right along with veteran actor
environmentalists like Robert Redford. The likes of Hannah
Montana, Jason Mraz and Korn have joined voices with longtime
eco-conscious recording artists like Bonnie Raitt and Willie
Nelson.
To be sure, the green sweep of
celebrities has changed the face of the environmental
movement. There was a time when mentioning the environment
was seen as marginal, eccentric or, perhaps militant.
Now, endorsing solutions to environmental problems seems to be at
the height of all that is hip, fun, sexy, and
chic.
Isn't It Ironic?
The personal efforts of celebrities of all
genres, as admirable as they are, do not mask the realities of an
entertainment industry with a large environmental footprint.
Take recording artist, Alanis Morissette for
example. She has more green cred than most. She's a
vegan, wildlife conservationist and girlfriend to an environmental
lawyer. Her tour buses run on biodiesel. She donates
unused catering to local shelters. Her crew uses rechargeable
batteries.
Yet, in the context of a modern rock tour, the
effort to recharge batteries seems small alongside the heaps of
concessions waste, the massive amounts of energy used for concert
lighting, sound, and air conditioning…and the associated greenhouse
emissions released.
Morissette's tour buses may run on biodiesel, but
the planes that propel her and her crew around the globe do
not. The thousands of cars bringing her fans to each of her
concerts do not, either.
Greening Beyond the
Glitterati
Some groups are now working to move beyond these
personal commitments made by celebrities to make the entire
entertainment industry more sustainable.
The focus: not the environmental content being
promoted, but the production process being used.
"Environment Content is when the
message, script and theme of the story carries environmental
importance," says Laruen Selman of Reel Green Media, an
environmental consulting agency for entertainment
productions. "Think of this like the environmental
documentaries, network television how-to shows and "green"
programming."
"Environmental Production,"
Selman explains, "Is focused on what does it take to make the
content-the energy used, the water consumed, the miles traveled and
the overall footprint of a movie, play, commercial or television
show."
The L.A.-based Environmental Media Association (EMA) has
advanced environmental awareness in the film industry for two
decades. Self-described as the "pioneer in linking the power
of celebrity to environmental awareness," the EMA mobilizes green
action throughout the entertainment industry.
The EMA seeks to shrink to the industry's
environmental impact by honoring with its EMA Green Seal Awards
productions and corporate entertainment offices that go green
"offstage" and "behind the scenes". It also helps film festivals
from Sundance to Cannes to reduce their environmental impact.
The most innovative green solutions used by actors, musicians and
musical tours receive the EMA
Awards.
In the music industry, few groups have been as
integrally involved as Reverb. Founded in 2004, they've been directly
involved in reducing the impact of 81 touring groups and reached
over 10 million fans. Reverb advises some of the hottest acts out
on the road on areas like:
-
waste reduction
-
transportation
-
catering
-
lodging
-
merchandising
-
energy use.
"Some artists also choose to do an eco fund,"
says Reverb founder Lauren Sullivan. "Where they add from 25
cents to a dollar to each of their tickets. They take that money
and put it toward the greening program in order to purchase
offsets, biodiesel, bio-compostable products and cover having
somebody from our organization out on the road with them to execute
these programs." Check out this recent Interview with Reverb
Founder, Lauren Sullivan
A more innovative element of the Reverb approach
is its Eco-Village. Set up at each concert venue, the
Eco-Village features booths staffed by local environmental
non-profits. The aim: to engage concert-goers with local and
global environmental concerns.
"Everyone trying to
do what we can. As long as we're each trying to move along on the
continuum toward sustainability in our own lives, that will have
the greatest impact," reminds Sullivan.
The
One and Only…You!
Groups like Reverb continue to stress the
importance of the individual in the sustainability
movement.
"Forget celebrity," chimed in actress Halle Barry
at an environmental event in Malibu, California last year.
"I'm here as a person of this community today who cares about the
environment. Everybody needs to come out and have a
voice."
For sure, many voices will be heard in Copenhagen
next week. Tackling its own challenges, the music and
entertainment industries continue to add green tones to those
voices.