A reader posted a comment to the Live Earth Update blog entry, essentially asking if it wasn’t a contradiction to even have an event, which would by its very nature generate lots of trash and generate huge amounts of carbon with all the private jets and flights and equipment transport, etc…
An article from the Associated Press reveals that the person who read that blog entry is far from alone with that concern.
Critics claim that the negative impact of the Live Earth concerts is at odds with that organization’s green goal of raising awareness for climate change.
Even Roger Daltrey, lead singer for rock group the Who, chimed in:
“The last thing the planet needs is a rock concert.”
To maintain its green integrity, Live Earth is implementing “green event guidelines”
According to the AP story, the guidelines are:
- All electricity that powers the shows will be from renewable sources;
- Concessionaires will be encouraged to use suppliers of biodegradable plastics;
- Waste will be minimized through recycling and reuse;
- Venue offices will use as little energy as possible;
- Production lighting will include the use of LED light bulbs;
- Staff and artist air travel will be offset through carbon credits; and
- Ground travel will be by hybrid or high-efficiency vehicles where possible.
Former Veep Al Gore was adamant:
“This is going to be the greenest event of its kind, ever. The carbon offsets and the innovative practices that are being used to make this a green event, I think, will set the standard for years to come.”
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From The Guardian:
"And an estimate calculated for the Guardian suggests that spectators travelling to the London and New Jersey concerts alone will generate approximately 5,600 tonnes of greenhouse gases between them - the equivalent of 7,270 people crossing the Atlantic by plane."
Hopefully this is not "the standard for years to come".