What do U2, Radiohead, Kaiser Chiefs, Coldplay, Green Day, The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5 and Amy Winehouse have in common? Here’s a clue: it isn’t rock n’ roll music. These artists are all environmentalists. Although environmentalism has occasionally become an area of interest for musicians since the 1960s, environmentally conscious musicians and music fans are now present more than ever. Aware of worldwide environmental issues, these artists all support the Artists Project Earth (APE). Through music and the arts, APE aims to achieve permanent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, raise awareness of climate change and provide funds for natural disaster relief.

APE’s first musical project dates back to November 2006. The album Rhythms del Mundo Cuba was packaged in cardboard rather than plastic to reduce the environmental impact. Hawaiian musician Jack Johnson, also featured on the album, said at the time: “Short term upside – less jackets in the winter. Long term downside – a potentially uninhabitable environment due to our lack of awareness. Every choice that we make as consumers sends a message. Click here to read more

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They’ve got a couple Grammies under their belt and more than their fair share of radio play, but one of the things we find coolest about the band Maroon 5 is that they were going green before it the “in” thing to do, thanks in part to their very eco-aware keyboardist, Jesse Carmichael. Carmichael has been making sure that all Maroon 5’s travel is offset–an important act with their heavy touring schedule–but recognizes that offsets are not the perfect solution and, ideally, they would be able to avoid airplane travel altogether

The band recently attended Al Gore’s Green Inaugural Ball as part of their continuing green endeavors and spoke about some of the steps they’re taking to make their rock star lifestyles more environmentally-friendly. Carmichael has decided to take his efforts to the next level by overhauling his house for healthy planet functioning, with solar panels being installed, new water systems and a greenhouse for growing his own food. Guitarist James Valentine is starting smaller and going for the little green changes that can have a big effect; he’s unplugging appliances to stop vampire power (the power drained when an appliance is turned off but not unplugged) and, whenever possible, wearing a sweater this winter in place of turning up the thermostat. He says he learned the tips from his father, whose money-saving ideas happen to be earth-saving ideas, too. Valentine foresees the current economic crisis in the U.S. having a similar result, with more people trying to save energy because of the financial savings.

Part of what we really dig about Maroon 5 and their “go green” message is that they want people to know that a more sustainable lifestyle doesn’t have to be a constantly-sacrificing downgrade from their current lifestyles. They’re big believers that you can continue enjoying the things you love but in eco-friendly ways–which is exactly what we at Greenzer believe. Click here to read more

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