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Follow on Google News | Dave Matthews Band and Fans Reduce Over 3,300,000 Pounds of CO2 During Tour; Bar Set Higher for '08Band teams with non-profit group Reverb to minimize environmental impact and activate concertgoers on 2008 Summer Tour.
By: Reverb “We had two main goals with the greening of this tour,” says DMB bassist Stefan Lessard. “Shrink our environmental footprint as much as possible, and bring a message to our fans that we all can do something good for the environment and have fun doing it.” Reverb staff touring with the band implemented all greening efforts backstage while also coordinating a fan outreach Eco-Village at each show. “Everyone from the band, crew and management was great to work with,” says Reverb On-Site Coordinator Josh Glasheen. “They truly embraced the greening elements and made it a success.” Environmental efforts included: • Using B20 Biodiesel (20% Biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel) in all tour busses and trucks. Biodiesel is a domestically produced vegetable-based alternative to petroleum diesel that emits over 75% less CO2 and reduces dependency on foreign oil. • Neutralizing CO2 emissions from venue energy use, hotels, flights, touring vehicles, and fan travel. The tour's "carbon footprint" was calculated by Reverb and then neutralized through NativeEnergy by supporting the construction of new renewable energy projects such as wind farms that reduce energy demands from carbon-emitting power sources such as coal-fired power plants. • Reducing and recycling plastic, aluminum, paper and cardboard waste backstage. • Sustainable supplies and goods such as biodegradable and reusable catering products and local and organic food. • Eco-friendly organic cotton and bamboo merchandise for fans. • Inviting scores of local and national environmental groups to be a part of the Eco-Village to educate and engage fans. Reverb calculates a total of over 3,300,000 pounds of CO2 reduced or eliminated on tour through the use of Biodiesel and carbon offsets alone. This is equivalent to removing over 190 homes from the power grid for a year, or not burning 171,000 gallons of gasoline. Over one third of this carbon reduction is a direct result of fan participation in the Reverb Fan Carbon Offset Program, where concertgoers neutralized the CO2 from over 1,200,000 miles of driving to and from shows. “The response from DMB fans was fantastic—the highest participation rate we’ve seen on a tour of this size,” says Reverb Co-founder and Director Lauren Sullivan. “Now that we know just how environmentally committed the fans are, we’re really looking forward to setting the bar even higher for 2008.” That challenge was readily accepted by Dave Matthews Band, who recently announced that they will be collaborating with Reverb again on their upcoming 2008 Summer Tour. Future greening plans include an online carpooling service to get DMB fans to and from concerts, as well as an eco-footprint reduction contest enabling fans to easily track and minimize their own environmental impact. The 2008 Tour will build from the foundation and momentum of last year’s Reverb Greening Initiatives, which included a partnership with Stonyfield Farm and Climate Counts, a new non-profit group dedicated to help people “vote with their dollars” by supporting companies leading the way in addressing climate change. The Climate Counts Company Scorecard educates people on how to make climate-conscious purchasing and investment decisions and encourages many of the world’s foremost companies to take the issue of climate change to the next level. Stonyfield Farm, the world’s leading organic yogurt manufacturer, sponsored the Eco-Village and is a large supporter of Climate Counts. Stonyfield Farm considers the organization a natural extension of the company's long-held belief that climate change is an issue that concerns us all and demands our urgent action. About Reverb Deeply rooted within the music and environmental communities, Reverb educates and engages musicians and their fans to promote environmental sustainability. Since 2004, Reverb has worked to reduce the environmental impact of over 650 concert events, eliminating over 26,000 TONS of CO2, fueling touring vehicles with over 250,000 gallons of Biodiesel, and educating over 4.4 million fans. Reverb, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was founded by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband Guster guitar/vocalist Adam Gardner. Born from the success of Bonnie Raitt’s Green Highway, Reverb works with and was mentored by the ARIA Foundation founded in 1998 by Raitt’s manager Kathy Kane. “This tour was particularly meaningful for me,” says Gardner. “Guster and DMB have known each other for years—it was a privilege and pleasure to work with them. This was a family affair.” For more information: http://www.ReverbRock.org http://www.dmband.com http://www.climatecounts.org http://www.NativeEnergy.com Contact: Elliott May | Reverb 207 221 6553 elliott@reverbrock.org www.reverbrock.org Website: www.reverbrock.org End
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