Summer rock tours travel with an environmental message

It's summer tour season. Are you planning to go see anyone play? The Daily Green has a rundown of musicians who go the extra mile to reduce their carbon footprints as they travel and perform.

Among the superstars is Radiohead. Their opening act says, "At the outset we were all given tour water flasks. Plastic anything is like contraband. Every bus and truck runs on bio-fuel. There is no idling, rather some newfangled way to deliver electricity cleanly. They don't do airfreight, either. The list goes on. Everything is supremely managed to reduce the 'footprint.'"

Also on the list is Coldplay, fronted by the always-too-prickly Chris Martin, and the supremely crunchy Jack Johnson, about whom The Daily Green says, "The tireless eco-supporting Hawaiian surfer dude not only has his own eco village at every venue but his concert rider includes fluorescent light bulbs and water efficient showers backstage, separate bins for waste and recycling (with biodegradable bags), an eco-crew to check tire air pressure for attendees, and a requirement that all leftover food be donated to local food banks." Impressive.

You may also want to check out The Dave Matthews Band. Why? "Every time the man tours, he ups the eco-ante. Last year it was biodiesel trucks and buses, carbon offsets for travel, eco-friendly merch, and an Eco-Village for fans. Green tour mavericks Reverb estimate more than 3 million pounds of CO₂ reduced or eliminated. This year, look for carpooling services and an eco-footprint reduction contest for fans."


Don Willmott's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.