Changing Our Tune: Music as a Unifying Force Against the Climate Crisis
In place of a caffeine jolt, “Summertime” by The Sundays begins the morning, playing in the background as opened blinds release the sun to wrap itself around the corners of my bedroom. The pulsing downbeat of Lorde’s “400 Lux” rattles loose change in the pocket of the car door as I back out of the driveway, the lyrics “I love these roads where the houses don’t change/Where we can talk like there’s something to say” serving as a fitting soundtrack to my daily commute through familiar suburban streets. Morning dew, light rain, and falling leaves are best accompanied by the comforting notes of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You”, brisk sunrise summer runs demand the upbeat tune of Taylor Swift’s “Paper Rings”, and night drives home from a late practice call for “I Know The End” by Phoebe Bridgers, where the line “Either way, we’re not alone/I’ll find a new place to be from” confronts the looming uncertainty that comes with leaving childhood behind.
Each of these songs, as well as hundreds of others, has developed a personal meaning. Though they are meant to tell their artists’ stories, they have now become weaved into my own narrative, intertwined with experiences, memories, and people. While recognizing myself as a bit of a melophile in my own right, I also know that this sensation is far from unique. Music is an art that moves people. This has led me to wonder: what potential does the music industry hold to encourage climate action?
The answer to his question isn’t exact, as it depends on the efforts of both music artists and fans throughout the next several years. Nonetheless, it’s clear that music holds great promise as a force of unity, and organizations such as REVERB are working to direct this untapped unifying power toward a “climate revolution”. REVERB is a nonprofit that works to integrate sustainability into live music events, as well as to use these events as a forum to encourage social and environmental action. Current sustainability measures include eliminating the usage of single-use plastic bottles in favor of reusable bottles (supplemented by available water refill stations), sourcing food from local vendors, and assembling Action Villages that allow fans to connect with environmental nonprofits that operate at both local and national levels. To spur these interactions, REVERB often organizes giveaways as an incentive for taking action, through which fans have the opportunity to win ticket upgrades, signed merchandise, or other coveted prizes.
Fans visiting the REVERB Action Village at Billie Eilish’s 2022 Happier Than Ever tour. Source: REVERB Impact Report
By partnering with music artists and becoming an integral part of their tours, REVERB is able to extend the breadth of its impact and reach millions of fans each year. Current collaborators include Billie Eilish, Lorde, Jack Johnson, Tame Impala, and The 1975, artists who sought out REVERB’s resources to reduce the ecological and carbon footprints of their 2022 world tours. On Billie Eilish’s recent Happier Than Ever tour, which traversed venues throughout North America, Europe, and Australia, the impact was monumental: 133,500 fan actions supporting environmental causes or nonprofits occurred, $990,000 was raised for environmental justice initiatives, and 117,000 single-use water bottles were eliminated.
Jack Johnson, another one of REVERB’s partners, has had a hands-on role in making his tours more sustainable since the early 2000s, when the calming tunes of his songs “Upside Down” and “Banana Pancakes” first began to be played as the soundtrack for each of my family’s Sunday breakfasts. While acknowledging that concerts and music festivals do inevitably leave a carbon footprint, Johnson works diligently to offset this impact, donating portions of his ticket profits to environmental organizations. In addition to connecting the 350,000+ fans that attended his 2022 Meet the Moonlight tour to his 220+ nonprofit partners, Johnson has also founded the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, which embodies his sustainable ethos by supporting education on environmentalism and the arts.
Jack Johnson’s Benefit Concert raising funds for the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation. Source: Kokua Hawaii Foundation
The most important part of using music to spur activism is ensuring that environmental advocacy continues after live music events. A benefit of REVERB’s approach is that it does more than reinforce the doomsday mentality toward climate change that we have become accustomed to–instead, through Action Villages, fans can familiarize themselves with local grassroots organizations and seek out future volunteer initiatives to participate in. Combatting climate change can’t be done effectively with an all-or-nothing mentality. While it remains essential to hold governments and corporations responsible for their contributions to the current environmental crisis, we can also work to band together and play our part in making a positive impact.
