A Cause For Attention
Some bands pick a platform, some tours take a stand – Here’s music news that doesn’t highlight the messenger, just the message.
This week: Cascade Land Conservancy, environmentalism and Pearl Jam
There are a number of directions that one can pursue when Pearl Jam comes up in conversation. A good handful of them will involve political activism in some form. They’ve battled record labels, Ticketmaster and music videos while speaking for abortion rights, disaster relief and educated voting. Today, they’re one of the few bands that feature an activism page on their website, and their willingness to speak out hasn’t diminished in the least.
In the last few years especially, a focus on environmentalism has surfaced. In recognition of their efforts, the Cascade Land Conservancy named the members of Pearl Jam as the recipients of 2007’s “Conservation Creativity Award.?
A local organization to the members of the band, the Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC) is the largest independent land trust in Washington. Conserving lands in the Pacific Northwest since 1989, the organization has protected over 140,000 acres of forests, farmlands and natural areas in 10 counties throughout the region.
Through partnerships with the city of Seattle and other communities, CLC focuses on the ability to maintain “significant land conservation? while upholding “livable communities and a vibrant economy.?
This focus was newly rooted three years ago when, after dramatic population growth and a changing city scene, CLC helped gather 3,500 elected officials, scientists, business leaders, loggers, farmers, timber companies, students and private citizens in Washington state to discuss their environment. After asking the community's opinion on what the region should look like in 100 years, the response was overwhelmingly in favor of large-scale conservation.
The CLC is well aware of Pearl Jam’s movement towards conservation and renewal. They have been involved in the band’s “carbon portfolio strategy? - the efforts to encourage carbon emission reduction, partially compensating for environmental damage caused by touring.
Pearl Jam has been tracking its carbon emissions from all of the vehicles used on tour, plus the energy used in venues and hotels. In this way, they are able to estimate the band's contribution to global warming. In the search for better ways to expend energy, Pearl Jam is planning on donating $100,000 to nine groups that focus on climate, energy and other environmental causes, one being the CLC.
Their monetary contribution is enormous, but the personal involvement of Pearl Jam members in the conservation of their “urban forests? and the country is perhaps, more inspiring. Guitarist Stone Gossard recently wrote about his hands-on experiences: “The other day, I praised a group of volunteers about their efforts and it was suggested that I might want to help out...So a few Saturdays ago I did, and it was great. The four of us planted a variety of plants and trees all through an area that had been cleared of the [invasive] ivy and blackberries… Anyway it was a fun and very interesting day.?
It’s usually easy as children of the media to divide rock icons from the dog-walking, tree planting types. However, the icons that scorn the divide tend to make things a little bit more interesting - and a lot more real.
Posted by Leen Morrissey on Oct 25, 2007 @ 12:00 am
