- 7 reads
“To start somewhere you don’t have to change your whole world,” says Adam Gardner, guitarist and vocalist in the band Guster, about the efforts to green the planet.
Reverb is a non-profit environmental organization co-founded by Gardner and his wife, Lauren Sullivan. Working along with musical acts like the Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer, Reverb introduces eco-villages to concerts. The eco-village consists of alternative energy technologies, local and national non-profits, enviro-friendly products, voter registration and any other elements that the musicians would like to include.
Reverb’s goal with these eco-villages is to enhance the overall concert experience while educating, invigorating and inspiring fans to promote environmental sustainability.
“We set up an eco-village for fans to see not only how good the product is but to learn from what the example is from doing what is right by the company. Making a decision that is good for the environment. Showing the little things that fans can do is huge,” Gardner says.
The success of Reverb can be seen in its numbers. Fifty-two tours have been greened, 977 total events have been worked on and there has been a reduction of 41,988 tons of carbon dioxide.
Campus Consciousness Tour
Reverb is currently working with one of the hotter bands out there, O.A.R., on a tour deemed the Campus Consciousness Tour. O.A.R.’s carbon-neutral concerts are expected to offset venue carbon emissions with renewable energy through NativeEnergy.
“[The Campus Consciousness Tour] brings a lot of the same components but brings it to campuses. We are entering a community that is already in place,” Gardner says. “We are there all day with town hall forums with the students to discuss campus and global issues.”
Other features on the tour will be biodiesel-powered tour busses and trucks, O.A.R.’s Green Dream waste reduction and recycling program, biodegradable and compostable catering products, eco-friendly merchandise, reusable water bottles for band and crew and non-Toxic eco friendly cleaners used on tour busses.
Fans can join interactive town hall forums where there will be an open discussion with members of O.A.R. to talk about campus sustainability and environmental issues around the world. By participating in the forums, fans will be eligible to win prizes, including watching an O.A.R. concert from the stage. Also, Reverb is arranging opportunities for fans to experience a tour bus.
Reverb’s Outreach
Gardner brought his message to Congress to discuss some of Reverbs’ experiences and to speak on the realities of the challenges facing the environment.
“My big message to Congress was that not all bio-fuels are equal. Don’t reject across the board. Help the green industry and inspire and create,” Gardner says.
Also, Gardner is speaking at the Weather Channel’s Forecast Earth Summit, which is bringing environmental experts and 20 high school students together in Washington, D.C., from December 5 through 7 to share ideas and thoughts on major environmental issues.
Gardner is excited for another opportunity to speak about Reverb at the Forecast Earth Summit because the summit reaches high school students who are not only music fans, but environmentally conscious individuals.
To learn more about Reverb and the tours that are being “greened,” check out their website, ReverbRock. Especially, check out tours featuring the Counting Crows, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Shawn Rice is a contributing writer for GREENandSAVE.com . To measure your carbon footprint and see great ways to reduce your impact on the environment, see the Carbon Counter.
