Radiohead and Philosophy - Brandon W. Forbes [51]
Other ecological costs came from shipping and trucking equipment via air and truck freight. Air freight from the UK to the US accounted for twenty tons of CO2 to the east coast and twenty-six tons of CO2 to the west coast. The trucks carrying equipment accounted for sixty-two tons CO2 (2006) and seventy-three tons of CO2 (2003). And then there’s beer. Estimated at approximately two bottles per fan, this accounted for fifty tons, while the bottles and plastic glasses accounted for another sixteen (for the theater tour) and about 160 (for the amphitheater tour). Food was estimated at 215 tons of CO2 impact. The total combined impact from both tours was approximately 11,368 tons of CO2 with an ecological footprint of 4,557 global hectares.
Fitter Happier Emitting Carbon Dioxide in Moderation
Faced with loads of information and public interest demanding some sort of reform, Yorke and the band had some thinking to do. In a recent interview with David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) in Wired magazine, Yorke pointed to the ecological contradiction they were dealing with:
YORKE: . . . at the moment we make money principally from touring. Which is hard for me to reconcile because I don’t like all the energy consumption, the travel. It’s an ecological disaster, traveling, touring.
BYRNE: Well, there are the biodiesel buses and all that.
YORKE: Yeah, it depends where you get your biodiesel from. There are ways to minimize it. We did one of those carbon footprint things recently where they assessed the last period of touring we did and tried to work out where the biggest problems were. And it was obviously everybody traveling to the shows.
BYRNE: Oh, you mean the audience?
YORKE: Yeah. Especially in the US. Everybody drives. So how the hell are we going to address that? The idea is that we play in municipal places with some transport system alternative to cars. And we minimize flying equipment, shipping everything. We can’t be shipped though. (Wired, 2007).
This was no greenwash.36 Yorke and Co. sincerely sought ways to reconcile their environmental and musical goals and values, to tour in ways that would leave the smallest possible carbon footprint.
The first thing the band needed to address was fan travel. The Best Foot Forward report identified it as the single biggest contributor to the band’s carbon footprint. The first major decision was to select venues in major cities that offered the greatest access to public transportation. In December of 2007, the band hired an eco-coordinator who crafted a hit list of practical requirements for venue selection:
1. Give car poolers preferential parking and make sure fans know about it.
2. Use low-energy light bulbs in all areas.
3. Purchase green power or power from renewable sources from electricity provider.
4. Use reusable cups rather than disposable ones.
5. Use recycled paper for all office stationary, tickets, posters, flyers and napkins.
6. Use compostable recycled paper crockery and wooden cutlery (not plastic).
7. Install recycling points for all cans and bottles.
Car pooling and composting showed the most immediate promise, with an average of twelve percent reduction on the total number of cars used, and an average of one thousand spots taken each night in the car pooling lot. Compostable food waste from the venue backstage kitchens has been collected and used by venue grounds keepers and local gardening clubs.
It’s difficult to control the audience, to force them to bike, walk or take public transport, as Yorke told David Byrne. But that does not reduce the importance factors that remain within the band’s control. They have stopped air freight, opting instead for sea shipping, which produces a much smaller carbon