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By Michael Shilling
Special to MSN Music
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Until recently, environmental awareness and rock 'n' roll were not exactly
synonymous: More often, a concert venue postshow resembled a landfill, the
ground ripped up and littered with bottles, take-out containers and other
nonbiodegradable leisure time detritus. However, with a new generation of
environmentally aware event promoters and consumers, things have started to
change.
This summer, at the Rothbury Festival, located in the northern Michigan town
of the same name, green values are the organizing principle, demonstrating
through education and action how we can minimize, and even help erase, our human
footprint within the framework of large social gatherings.
Although the Rothbury Festival represents a new standard in bringing
environmental responsibility to large-scale events, it's just one example of how
musicians and concert promoters are applying green thinking to live music.
Taking place from July 3 to 6, Rothbury seeks to immerse concertgoers within
a community of individuals who care as much about sustainability as they do
about music. Held on the Double JJ Ranch, with its plethora of camping sites and
swimming holes, the festival has six stages, with artists including theDave
Matthews Band, Thievery Corporation and Snoop Dogg.
In addition, the festival will include Think Tank, a program with a goal of
providing a concertgoers with a fuller understanding of green-related issues.
The Think Tank presents events throughout each day, including keynote symposia,
question-and-answer sessions, film screenings and panel discussions, all
moderated by authorities in the field of energy independence. It's a
groundbreaking way to merge the pleasures of a music festival with rising civic
concerns about climate change. Rothbury attendees can also make a difference by
buying a Green Ticket, in which $3 is added to the ticket price to offset the
carbon expended on their journey to the show.
Practicing what it preaches, the Rothbury organization has put this same
commitment to sustainability into the way it powers the festival's performances
and infrastructure. Carbon-offsetting the electricity used onstage is just the
start; the Rothbury offices are 100 percent green and stresses the use of
compostable materials and working with festival vendors to ensure a cohesive
approach to waste. The Rothbury Green Team, a group of trained volunteers, will
be a ubiquitous presence at the Double JJ Ranch on hand to answer questions
about all things green and tell fans where to find the nearest trash bin. The
festival also hosts the Energy Fair, a hands-on experience that will teach
visitors the ins and outs of conservation and sustainability, and an eco-art
fair, with projects created solely from recovered materials.
Progressive as the Rothbury organizers are, they are far from the only people
in the music business who are incorporating sustainability into their practices. (Story Continues On Next Page...) |
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