going green

There is more to downloads than convenience and availability. Storing and handling digital formats as opposed to vinyl records and cd's helps to reduce the impact of music consumption on the environment. No hard copies mean less use of (limited) natural recources for vinyl and cd fabrication. And since there is no physical product to ship from pressing plant to distribution centre to retail outlet to consumer home, downloads help to reduce CO2 exhaust gasses from roadmiles.

By Alfred Bos

Deejaying is a dirty business, for dj’s burn up a lot of airmiles – and a gallon or two of fossil fuel-based kerosine – to fulfill their gigging schedule. Their ‘carbon footprint’ is massive. Last year Berlin based Minus label, run by Richie Hawtin, instigated a program to counter the polluting and wasteful dj lifestyle. Minus pays off the CO2 exhaust gasses produced by its travelling dj’s and Berlin based Atmosfair company invests Minus’ ‘green fee’ in environmental projects. In its press release, Minus stresses the environmental benefits of downloading. “Listen differently, download digitally”, Hawtin states. As early as 2001, when US artists Moby, Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne and Tom Petty (and others) teamed up with the Save Our Environment Coalition, musicians have rallied behind the green banner. Jean Michel Jarre did a 2002 concert in Denmark, powered by wind energy. The same year, Rolling Stones played a free concert to help US organisation National Resources Defense Council in raising awareness for environmental issues. Champion of the green music brigrade is Jack Johnson, who is topping Billboard’s 2008 list of Green 10 artists. The Hawaii-born former surfer and Live Earth veteran has constructed a ‘green recording studio’ at his Los Angeles headquarters; the studio is insulated with used denim and powered in part by solar panels located on the roof. When touring, Johnson applies a ‘envirorider’, requiring venues to reduce waste and recycle, and he trucks on biodiesel. Country star Willie Nelson is selling BioWillie biofuel to truckers at a fast growing number of truck stops in South and South-West US states. UK singer-songwriter KT Turnstall’s most recent album, Drastic Fantastic, is packaged in a recyled, chlorinefree casing – at her instigation; she also tours carbon-neutral. Obviously, downloading and playing digital files on battery-run mp3 players is not a catch-all panacea, since batteries are notoriously hard to recycle. But it certainly helps. Remember New Order, before they produced the all time best selling vinyl 12 inch Blue Monday, they recorded a ditty titled Everything’s Gone Green. Or to paraphrase the Stones: ‘When blue turns to green’.