SXSWORLD

Companies and Musicians Tackle the Challenge of Touring Green By Peter Lewis a Cadillac and barreled across the country to play shows. As the music industry continues to evolve, so do the efforts to achieve greater environ- mental harmony. The question, then, becomes how does one tour "green" when touring itself is inherently anti- thetical to sustainability. Always up for a challenge, Sharky Laguana, a SXSW 2010 Panelist and conscientious entrepreneur (and former member of the band Creeper Lagoon), created Bandago several years ago. His vision was to not only supply touring musicians with ample comfort and security, but to also lessen the environmental impact of the tour itself. To maintain carbon neutrality, M uch has changed since the days when musicians hopped into the back of Ryan Mintz. "The biggest challenges are cost and availability of options." In addition to his music, Mintz has also started The Green Musician, in part to help fellow musicians over- come these challenges. Offering consultations, workshops and a forth- coming web application, The Green Musician seeks to alter the landscape of touring. Economic practicality seems to be Bandago operates a carbon credit system using the proceeds from its van rentals, but Laguana also exhorts musicians to change the way they travel. The biggest way for musicians to lessen environmental impact, he asserts, is simply to drive more slowly. Both aspirational and pragmatic, not only does he argue for the financial benefits of driving slower (less gas, vehicle wear and tear, etc.), but he understands that the task is not the sole responsibility of the musi- cians. "Obviously this is mission impossible if the band's tour itinerary leaves only seven hours to drive 500 miles, so there is a shared responsi- bility here, and the entire music industry (musicians, managers, labels, booking agents, venues, etc.) need to work together to make [it] feasible in the first place." There is ample support for Laguana's idea. For example, Ben Challis, Sharky Laguana of Bandago U.K. music industry attorney and founder of A Greener Festival, also strives to enact positive environmental change within the music industry. As creators with inordinate amounts of cachet, Challis main- tains that musicians can affect environmental change not only through their creative platform, but also in the way they choose to tour. While Challis is quick to detail how difficult the task can be "in a car-centric society," he quickly follows with an assertion reflecting the positive changes that can be made: "Modern technology has reduced the need for a massive trucking operation, and a touring artist can sub- stantially reduce their carbon footprint by forward planning." This sentiment is echoed by musician and former SXSW panelist, 76 SXSW ORLD / F EBRUAR Y 2010 improve the world around them. Unfortunately, these sentiments are not always enough. Therefore, the call for environmental responsibility on tour continues to revolve around monetary pragmatism as much as it does around an altruistic sense of responsibility. Conscious deci- sions to make positive changes in the industry have to be made by both touring musicians and those with whom they work. And though there are inherent difficulties in touring green, it is an achievable goal. Mintz, for one, sees plenty of exciting possibilities in his role as a 800 pounds of CO2. In a perfect world, everyone would fall in line to do their part to the dangling carrot for touring musi- cians. Citing small steps musicians can take, like biking to nearby gigs or utilizing public transit or bus lines, Mintz asserts that these actions can chip away at a tour's carbon footprint while also saving money. This environmentally-friendly, money-saving ethos is echoed by Laguana. Though he admits that it is tough for bands to hear, he details how the act of sensible driving can save touring bands valuable money and reduce their carbon output: "Simply slowing down and driving sensibly (i.e. not aggressively with a lot of speeding up and braking) can increase your fuel efficiency by 30% or more." Citing statistics from an average national tour, Laguana relates that this sort of behavior not only saves a touring band hundreds of dol- lars, but saves the planet from over musician: "We're in the spotlight. We reach a wide array of people. That gives musicians a great leg-up on greening not only themselves, but greening the fans. There are a lot more of them than there are of us, so the effects can ripple out into the world, and our earth-loving solutions can reach even more people." n Sharky Laguana will appear on the "Green Touring: Stupid, Dumb, or Best Idea Ever?" panel along with Erin Potts and Ben Sollee on Wednesday, March 17.

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