Popular Music and the EnvironmentJohn Williamson, 22nd March 2010

Lecture Outline

Environmental Issues

Environmental issues in the music industries

Possible Solutions: Organisations or Individual actions?

The Problems With the Solutions

Conclusions

Environmental Issues

Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) report scientific evidence of climate change with human activities “very likely the major cause of global warming”

Action to deal with this evident from 1992 UN Conference in Rio, finally formalised by the Kyoto Protocol – agreed 1997, in force 2005.

Kyoto based on the reduction of emissions of 4 greenhouse gases by 5.2% from 1990 level by 2012

Environmental Issues Although 187 countries signed up to Kyoto, not

all of them have ratified / legislated to deal with the targets.

In the U.K., Climate Change Act (2008) sought reduction of emissions of 60% from 1990 level by 2050, and 34% by 2020.

Mayor of London set target of 60% reduction by 2025; Scotland 42% reduction by 2020.

Problems of implementation – international differences, enforceability.

Environmental Issues in the music industries

• Awareness of a number of environmentally unfriendly aspects of musical activity, particularly:• Production and distribution of vinyl and compact

discs• Travel to and from live music events by

audiences• Use of energy by venues• Problems surrounding festivals / large scale

events• Travel and freight of equipment by touring artists

Environmental Issues in the music industries -scale

• The first major U.K. study of the environmental impact of the music industries – “First Step” conducted for Julie’s Bicycle by Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford (2007)

• Headline figures:• Total emissions per annum: 540 000 tonnes CO2e

• Recorded Music – each CD from recording to retail uses 1kg CO2e – approx 138 000 tonnes CO2e (26%)

• Audience Travel: 231 000 tonnes CO2e (43%)

• Music Venues: 125 000 tonnes CO2e (23%)

Environmental Issues in the music industries -scale

Environmental Issues in the music industries -scale

• Report admits it is only a first attempt to gather data and does not include ‘activities linked to the music industry’ – e.g. manufacture of instruments, playing devices, etc.

• Emissions of the UK music industries approximately equivalent to town of 54 000 inhabitants or annual emissions of 180 000 cars

• 75% of emissions from live sector, remainder from recording – current trends in music industries could be bad for environment.