Touring bands and climate change - 6 Minute English

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning

English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Rob.

Rob, I’ve been reading about ways to protect

the environment and I’ve decided to

eat less meat. And maybe drive my car

less too.

Good for you, Neil! And flying less can also

help reduce air pollution.

Right. Flying and driving less are two good

ways to combat climate change because they

reduce your carbon footprint – that’s

the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2

released into the atmosphere as a result

of your everyday activities.

The idea of reducing carbon emissions is catching

on in the music industry too. Bands and artists

who go on tour around the world generate large

carbon footprints.

So recently some music groups like Massive

Attack and Green Day started thinking about

ways to reduce the impact their tours are

having on the environment.

Ha! Green Day – what a good name for a band

trying to be environmentally friendly!

Today we’ll be finding out about bands and

musicians who want to continue going on tour

but do it in ways which reduce their

environmental impact. And of course we’ll

be learning some related vocabulary on the way.

So, it seems like the days of rock and roll

stars flying around the world in private jets

may soon be a thing of the past.

Indeed, Rob, and that brings me neatly to

my quiz question. One British band recently

announced they would stop going on tour until

they were 100% carbon neutral, but which band?

Was it: a) The 1975, b) The Rolling Stones,

or c) Coldplay

Well, Coldplay had a hit with their song

The Scientist, and we are talking about carbon

dioxide and the climate, so I’ll say c)

Coldplay.

Good thinking, Rob! We’ll find out the answer

later. But first let’s hear from another

artist concerned about her carbon impact.

Fay Milton is the drummer of the band Savages

and co-founder of the climate pressure group

Music Declares Emergency. She spoke to BBC

Radio 4’s programme You & Yours:

This year I have actually turned down a tour.

My income comes from touring so it has put

me in a bit of a precarious situation but

I actually feel quite good about it – it

feels like the right thing to do in this moment.

Even though Fay earns a living as a drummer

by going on tour, she has started to turn

them down – meaning to reject or refuse

the offer of touring.

Losing the income she usually gets from touring

puts Fay in a precarious situation – a situation

where things could become difficult, in this

case financially difficult, because she isn’t

making money from playing the drums.

But she still wants to do the right thing

– in other words, do what is most fair,

ethical and just. For Fay, fighting climate

change is even more important than

doing what she loves – going on tour with

the band.

Well, good for her! I’m not sure if I’d

be so committed as Fay. But if bands stopped

touring altogether, fans wouldn’t get to

see gigs – or live concerts and hear the

music they love.

Well, that’s an interesting point because

it might be possible for bands to carry on

touring and also reduce their environmental

impact at the same time. Bristol band, Massive

Attack, want to do exactly that. Their singer

Robert Del Naja explains:

We’re working with an electric bus company.

We’re going to look at all the energy being

renewable and obviously the power we can

create will go back to the grid, so we’re hoping

we can actually create legacy green

infrastructure which can then power

future gigs. We plan to travel to Europe

solely by train, with the band, the crew

and all the gear.

Swapping tour planes for trains and encouraging

fans to travel to gigs by bus are two good

ways to reduce the total carbon footprint

of the concert.

And by using renewable energy, the gig can

create power. This can then be put back into

the national grid, called the grid for short

– the network supplying electrical power

across a country.

Well, Massive Attack are certainly ticking

all the green boxes, Neil, but who else is

doing a good job? Remember your quiz

question earlier?

Ah, yes. I asked which band has decided to

stop touring until their tours were carbon

neutral and you said?

I said c) Coldplay.

And you were right! Are you a Coldplay fan,

Rob? Just remember to leave your car at home

the next time you go to their gigs!

Right! Today, we’ve been looking at some

of the ways music bands and artists are trying

to fight climate change. They want to reduce

their carbon footprint – the amount of carbon

they release into the air.

Some musicians are starting to turn down – or

refuse, long world tour dates because flying

from country to country playing gigs – or

live musical concerts, generates so much

carbon dioxide.

Bands like Savages, Green Day and Massive

Attack are trying to do the right thing - taking

the most fair and ethical course of action,

even though for some artists, the income lost

from not touring puts them in a precarious

– or difficult situation.

But when they get it right, bands can be carbon

neutral or even generate power which can be

put back into the national grid – the network

supplying electrical power across a country.

All of which means we can ‘keep on rocking’

into the next century without increasing carbon

emissions and adding to climate change.

So, Rob, you could say you were ‘born to

run’… on renewable energy!

Ha-ha! Very funny, Neil. That’s all for

today but remember to join us again soon for

more topical discussions and vocabulary from

6 Minute English, here at BBC Learning English.

Thanks for listening and bye!

Bye.