Environmentally Aware

The Music Industry does its Part to Save the Environment

On May 28, musician, song writer and environmentalist Brett Dennen will grace the shores of Lake Ontario as part of his world tour. Dennen is in good company when it comes to musical greenies who have been waxing lyrical about the environment for decades. Now Dennen and many of his contemporaries have been putting their money where their mouth is. With a little help from his friends at Reverb and Klean Kanteen, Dennen is hoping to clean up his act.

Stadium concerts produce thousands of tons of carbon when you calculate the energy used at the gig as well as the transport of concertgoers and musicians. Add to that the waste generated by disposable food and beverage containers and you realize that the carbon footprint of concerts is enormous. Enter stage left: Reverb. Founded in Maine by Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband Adam Gardner from Guster, Reverb encourages musicians to go green or get involved in environmental initiatives. Some of the ways in which they work to reduce the carbon footprint of concert venues is to reduce the use of Styrofoam cups, get the band members to travel on biodiesel, support venues that use renewable energy and promote environmental awareness. Reverb creates eco-villages at concert venues where fans can learn more about environmental issues or get involved in environmental campaigns. Carbon offset programs allow fans to contribute to renewable energy initiatives and offset their own carbon footprint. Online carpooling encourages attendees to share rides. Waste generated by concertgoers is reduced or recycled. Food is organic and is sourced locally.

Many of the smaller concerts, some on former Mennonite settlements, are powering their equipment with solar power, especially portable solar generators which are designed for this purpose. Larger concert locations are also converting to wind and solar to power their events.
For Dennen’s Toronto concert, Reverb will set up an eco-village and supply clean water for free to fans through their Klean Kanteen initiative. The eco-village will take advantage of the undivided attention of thousands of concertgoers to spread the word about local non-profits and environmental campaigns. Fans will be given information and encouraged to join local environmental endeavours and texting campaigns as well as initiatives to offset their own carbon footprint. Other artists availing themselves of the opportunity are Sheryl Crow, Pfish, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and Ships and Dip 4. Local band, the Barenaked Ladies, were one of the first to utilize Reverb’s expertise. They greened their show back in 2004, using biodegradable supplies and running their tour vehicles on biodiesel. They even opened with a greenhouse awareness video. Maroon 5 also has biodiesel transportation and they have teamed up with Vote Solar to promote solar energy.

Reverb relies on donations from environmentally minded musicians and businesses. Their onsite activities and campaigns are run by volunteers. To donate or volunteer, go to http://www.reverb.org/take-action

On a side note: Have you ever wondered “what page of google am i on?”. You’re not alone, thousands of people are typing their name into search engines to see what they might find. Try it, you might be surprised at what will come up.

The Power Of The Sun

Solar energy is good for the environment and your well-being

Much maligned in recent years for causing skin cancer, sunshine is back in fashion. Natural light affords us considerable savings on energy and provides for our general well being. The elevation of mood that occurs when you wake up to a sunny day, or when the sun shines after a rainy day is your body’s way of saying what’s best for you.

A sunrise a day….

Not getting enough sunlight can increase your chances of getting cancer by up to 70%. Insufficient supplies of vitamin D (which is produced when skin is exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun) negatively affects your bone density and immune system. This leads to a plethora of diseases:

• Adrenal malfunctions and autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Colon cancers, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
• An in allergies
• Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Infertility and PMS
• Type one and two diabetes
• Learning and behavioral disorders
• Heart disease and obesity
• Cavities, osteoporosis and psoriasis

It’s natural

Lack of natural light affects your circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are endogenous cycles that all living things follow throughout the course of a day. Natural light is the trigger for various biochemical, physiological and behavioral processes. The presence of natural light directly affects circadian rhythms and therefore general well-being by disrupting sleep patterns. A lack of sleep leads to a decrease in performance and alertness and symptoms resembling jetlag.

Several studies, dating back to the 1940’s espouse the need for natural lighting in the classroom. Most recently, studies by Hathaway (1994), Taylor and Gouisie (1980) and Hawkins and Lilley (1992) showed a significant increase in concentration, an improvement in mental
attitude and vision and an increase in levels of comfort and happiness when students were taught in classes that were naturally lit. Students who work in artificially or poorly lit classrooms suffer increased hyperactivity. Natural light (at least 20% of the wall space should be devoted to windows) fosters increased student achievement. Perhaps the most significant study in this regard is one conducted by the Heschong Mahone group in 1999. The study was conducted in more than 2000 classrooms across three school districts and it showed that students in the best lit classrooms scored 20% higher on math tests and 26% higher on reading tests than students in artificially lit classrooms.

Thermal Dynamic

In addition to the health benefits that natural lighting offers, it can also offer warmth. Utilization of passive solar thermal massing is an increasingly important aspect in Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs). NZEBs produce all the energy they consume through a combination of insulation, passive solar heating and renewable energy technologies. This reduces greenhouse gases and increases the quality of our environment. Although renewable sources of energy (like solar photovoltaic cells) are utilized, thermal masses inside the home and insulation of the walls, doors and windows must improve the energy efficiently of the home by 60 to 75% over standard guidelines in order to be dubbed an NZEB. Thermal masses work by absorbing natural sunlight during the day, storing the heat energy, and radiating it back into the house at night when ambient temperatures are lower. The effectiveness of the mass material depends on what it is made of. Thermal mass elements should be relatively heavy, good at conducting heat and dark or textured. The orientation of the building, to maximize the absorption of light, is critical in the effectiveness of passive solar technology. If the house is correctly oriented and the envelope provides appropriate insulation, thermal massing can reduce heating costs by up to 85%.

Solar power has already proven its effectiveness as a renewable source of energy, but it also contributes significantly to our health, happiness and environmental well-being.