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Guest essay by Eric Worrall
They would also like an effort to “nurture local artists”, to reduce the influence of foreign artists, so fans are less tempted to fly overseas to see live concerts.
‘Time to shake things up’: music industry confronts climate crisis as gigs resume
Huge concerts and nonstop touring mean the music business is in dire need of reform. Performers have begun to lead – but can their industry reshape itself as the world reopens?
Adam Corner
Tue 27 Apr 2021 23.00 AEST…
But a series of announcements last week, coordinated by the Music Declares Emergency collective, have challenged the idea that the industry is not taking the climate emergency seriously. After a uniquely difficult year for those in live music, perhaps this is an inflection point: can the recovery from Covid-19 be green?
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One new idea – also announced this week, and affiliated with Brian Eno – is Earth Percent, which is aiming to raise $100m (£72m) by 2030 from the industry itself to transition towards sustainability. The proposal is for artists, companies and individuals to commit a small percentage of their revenue to Earth Percent, which will redistribute the money to organisations working on the climate emergency, including those focused on the music industry, such as A Greener Festival, Music Declares Emergency and Julie’s Bicycle.
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Last Night a DJ Took a Flight, a recent report on the dance music industry, argued that tours could be routed more efficiently, local scenes and artists could be better nurtured to reduce the pull of foreign superstars, and exclusivity clauses (where artists can’t play more than one show locally) could be challenged.
Relentless touring – driven by low income from streams and physical format sales – is precarious and environmentally unsustainable, so music is taking seriously the idea of green jobs and a “just transition” (a term coined by the global trade union movement to prioritise workers’ rights and reduce inequalities). In 2020, more than 800 artists and creative professionals endorsed a letter to Oliver Dowden calling for a “just and green” cultural recovery from Covid-19, including the demand that all government funding for the arts is aligned with national climate targets.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/27/music-industry-confronts-climate-crisis-gigs-resume
Of course, even the measures demanded by artists don’t go far enough. So long as artists are producing new music, there is a risk fans will be tempted to add to their carbon footprints by travelling to see them perform.
So what we really need is for the government to fund self identified artists to sit on their butts and not produce anything, thus completely eliminating the potential excess carbon footprint their product might otherwise create.
The cost of this government funding could be partly offset by punitive taxes on high income artists who defy industry association climate edicts by continuing to produce and perform.
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Bono, the great climate hypocrite, still does world tours. He’s not worried about his “carbon” footprint (Which would be huge, if it mattered).
“So what we really need is for the “taxpayer” to fund self identified artists to sit on their butts and not produce anything,”. There, fixed it for you free of charge, although I really, truly, “feel”, I need a decent whack of that “taxpayer” funding paid into my numbered Swiss bank account!!!!
If there’s a “climate emergency™” then just stop immediately.
Emergencies require immediate action now, not in 10 years time.
…and while you’re at it, no more festivals, I’ve seen those diesel generators you hippy planet killing b@stards!
We’ve gone far deeper down the rabbit hole in the last year than I ever thought possible.
In the UK they’re now seriously discussing taking away your right to own pets. In a tv breakfast show a guest was explaining that a “new study” showed that a dog has the carbon footprint of 2 SUV’s and a house. Interestingly, so on board were the producers that they had prepared an animation to go along with it – a cartoon of a dog was shown alongside 2 belching vehicles and a house just so you get the impact.
In a sane world, such a person would be challenged as a dangerous fanatic, but instead it was presented as all very reasonable and sensible, and definitely something the government should be considering.
So the musicians at the top, earning $$$$$$$$$$$ with nice cars and mansions want more.
My heart bleeds for them
The proposal is for artists, companies and individuals to commit a small percentage of their revenue to Earth Percent,
Well if you have ever actually been out and supported your local underground band scene you would know that a ‘small percentage’ of their gig profits is going to be two mouthfuls of beer.
By the time they factor in replacement strings and sticks and the cost of parking the van for the night VERY few bands make any profit for the average gig.
Beyond selfish and stupid.
Will they stop using extravagant light shows and just play?
Will they only be able to use acoustic instruments with no PA?
What do they mean by local? The Hamsters were probably the hardest working band in the world. They were one of the premier blues-rock attractions, having performed 4,500 concerts in 24 years in just about every town in the UK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hamsters
Is that not local enough?
Most people can’t afford to fly off to a gig in another country. Most bands usually come to them – as part of the…. tour. .
If they don’t want to tour then just don’t tour, won’t cost tax payers a penny for these morons to simply sit at home and take out mom’s garbage once a week.
The bottom line is that the whole concept of the “carbon footprint” is anti-human and anti-life. All human activity results in “carbon emissions”, and thus is subject to the evil eye of the carbon police. It thus opens up a world full of virtue signalling, green washing, and hypocrisy. It also opens up a myriad of money-making opportunities for climate scamsters. It’s enough to make one sick. The Music Industry, and indeed the Art and Entertainment Industry in general have happily climbed aboard the “Climate” train, but it is a two-edged sword. They will rue the day.
“carbon offsets” are the modern day indulgences.
Yes! And Bill Maher supports them 100%. Defend him some more.
I’m right with you in condemning Maher for supporting carbon offsets. What I’m not with you on is lying about his stance on free-speech and cancel culture.
I’m not defending him, I’m taking *you* to task for *LYING*. It’s not about Maher, It never was, it’s all about your lying. Lying does our side no good, indeed it only hurts the credibility of everyone who shares your political viewpoint as our opponents can point to your bad faith lies and say “see they’re all a bunch of liars”. So your lies do more harm than good. Shame on you, because lying about that scumbag Maher makes you just as big of a scumbag as he is, and worse it risks the rest of us being tarred with the same brush by association if we leave your lies go unchallenged.
And really, when you have such an easy target, like Maher, lying about him is totally counter productive. Attack him for what he’s actually done (such as support carbon offsets) not for what you’ve make up about him, because he’s done plenty of scumbag things without having to invent any more. And, indeed, when you invent more, you take the focus off of Maher and what he’s done and put it on the fact that you are lying which lets Maher escape the spotlight as it shifts off him & his deeds and on to you and your bad behavior instead.
I feel sorry for Bono’s hat. No longer will it get its own first class seat.
If they want to save the planet then they should not use anything electrical or made of anything not natural. Learning to hold there breath for longer so they expire less CO2 would also be helpful. The alternative is to do what all hard rockers do with bad lifestyle choices and the end takes care of itself.
18th century instruments.
No lights, no amplification, no public address system, only candlelight.
Just like it used to be – for the elites only.
Tax participants $1,000 each to go to a music concert…we’ll separate the real fans from the ones just going to have fun! (Also, the rich from the middle class)
How about they look for a real job if they can’t make it. Maybe mommy has a room for them