Radiohead on how music is killing the planet
By Rob Maguire, January 3, 2008 Comments (10)
The highlight of this month's Wired is a conversation between David Byrne and Radiohead's Thom Yorke on "The Real Value of Music". As expected, they discuss In Rainbows, the album that achieved music industry infamy through its web only, pay-what-you-want release. (The downloads are over, however, as the recording was released on CD earlier this month.)
What I find most striking about this interview is not the tired discussion about why music labels are evil. (Although there is no doubt in my mind that they are). At one point the discussion turns to the environmental impact of touring, with Yorke musing on how this might be minimized or avoided altogether:
"At the moment we make money principally from touring. Which is hard for me to reconcile because I don't like all the energy consumption, the travel. It's an ecological disaster, traveling and touring... We did one of those carbon footprint things recently where they assessed the last period of touring we did and tried to work out where the biggest problems were. And it was obviously everybody traveling to the shows...
"Especially in the US. Everybody drives. So how the hell are we going to address that? The idea is that we play in municipal places with some transport system alternative to cars. And minimizing flying equipment, shipping everything. We can't be shipped though."
I don't know Thom, how the hell are you going to address that?
Yorke is the only big name rock star I know of who recognizes the inherently unsustainable nature of touring, and the questions he raises pose a serious challenge to both his band and the music industry as a whole. Is it possible to have a low-impact tour? What about a zero-impact tour? Seriously now, must music kill the planet?
Here are a few ideas Radiohead could implement if they are serious about reducing their ecological footprint:
- Offer discounted ticket prices for fans who travel to the show using sustainable transportation
- Manufacture CDs using 100% recycled materials
- Encourage the sale of used albums
- Use low-power LED lighting systems
These are just a start, and I'm sure you can do much better than me. What do you think touring acts can do to minimize their impact on the environment?
Also of interest:
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(Photo: James Day)
In Germany public transportation is often free for you if you got a ticket for a show. That would be another idea.
Diesel vans/trucks/busses can be converted into biodiesel, or even biogreasal which runs almost exclusively on used veggie oil. It still creates emissions, but it's using otherwise wasted fuel, and doesn't require all the fucked up shit inherent in the petroleum industry. Plus, in warm places you can score it for free from restaurants.
Alternately, you can tour by train. Ship gear as you need to, and even if you're a fancy pants famous type, you can just rent a whole train car and play rock star there. Again, not a perfect answer, there is still conspicuous consumption, but it is significantly better than flying/driving all over.
I never thought of touring being such a huge disaster like that...
I suppose they could make a deal with whatever public transit exists in the city, that a bunch of busses go through the main parts of the city to pick up the concert-goers, and anyone with a ticket gets in free.
If organized properly, you could probably get about 75% of the people there with no need to use cars.
Have significantly smaller shows with less equipment in smaller towns. Have people walk to the shows.
This is one way they are exploring solutions maybe:
Radiohead - Scotch Mist
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ukythkK4EPQ
A film with Radiohead in it made for New Year's Eve, 2007. Features every song on their new album IN RAINBOWS
"What do you think touring acts can do to minimize their impact on the environment?"
Answer: Reduce emissions by shutting their f*ing communist mouths.
pearl jam has since 2003 made efforts to effectively reduce carbon emissions from touring. perhaps they aren't much, but pj is another huge band attempting to reconcile with the hugeness of touring.
http://pearljam.com/activism/carbon.php
How the hell is anyone going to appreciate Radiohead if they encourage them to buy used and scratched up CDs?
By using their music to spread the word about our environment they will do more good than bad. They do not have to worry about their touring if it can help mother earth.
They do the same in Australia. It also encourages people to not drink & drive. It's fabulous.
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