As we continue the slow trend to becoming a more environmentally-conscious society, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to dive deeper and look closer into the aspects of daily life we take for granted and see as unchanging. The footprints of the nearly eight billion on Earth have negatively impacted virtually every economic industry we have, and music is no exception. Just as a recent example, orders of tapes and cassettes were put on hold last month due to a worldwide shortage of ferric oxide (a key ingredient in magnetic tape). This ever-increasing demand and subsequent stress on natural resources should have us all focusing on minimizing our waste and overall impact in the Anthropocene.
It is true that increasing demand for physical releases (tapes, vinyl, CDs, etc.) will lead to increased strain on the natural environment, but there are a lot of simple ways to reduce the impact of your music taste. For example, a recent study found that as much as 50% of the total carbon footprint of your generic vinyl comes from the transportation of the record itself, from manufacturer to retailer to consumer to home. In the same vein, the drive for recording artists from their homes to the studio can surprisingly add up (yet another reason to love bedroom producers!).
With the combined natural resource consumption and carbon output from transportation, it’s logical to think to look towards the growing digitization of music consumption. While a very serious debate can be had about the pros and cons of digital streaming services, one clear positive is the dramatic reduction in environmental costs associated with manufacturing and transportation.
However, in a new and revolutionary study by University of Oslo professor Kyle Devine, it is shown that carbon emissions directly associated with music consumption have never been higher. In his just-recently published book Decomposed, Devine shows, among other astonishing facts, that the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from streaming music has more than doubled since the early 2000s, with upwards of 350 million kilograms worth of GHGs (and this figure doesn’t even include basic aspects of the streaming process like charging your phone!)
However, like most environmental issues, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are plenty of new and amazing innovations coming from major corporations that are saving green and protecting Earth’s green. In light of these surprising (and frankly scary) numbers, major streaming services such as Apple and Spotify have increased accountability and pledged to reduce the overall electricity usage of their server systems. Venues too, both big and small, have taken up the mantle of minimizing waste through various sustainability initiatives. Many large, outside venues now offer where available a nearly waste-free experience, with all food and beverage served in compostable and recyclable material.
In addition to the growing amount of environmentally-inspired music meant to bring awareness to climate issues, many bands have joined the battle by pledging to offset their carbon emissions associated with touring through various sustainability projects. Animal Collective just announced that the emissions of their recent tour were to be offset in cooperation with an organization promoting the growth of sea grass in critical marine areas to defend against the impacts of climate change. And last year, Pearl Jam announced a similar carbon offset pledge for their world tour.
As consumers, we are in a position to vote with our dollars. By showing support to certain companies, clubs, venues, record stores, and even bands that are doing things the right way environmentally (or involving any important social issue), we send signals that really do ripple through the industry and can spur significant changes for the better.
We don’t have the power to fix a complex and multi-faceted issue like Global Climate Change immediately, but we can all do something to help the cause. So do the research to learn the environmental impacts of your daily music consumption decisions and ways to minimize them. And, most importantly, don’t lose hope.