U2 Responds to Their Tour’s “Carbon Footprint” Controversy

| Sourced From Theinsider.com |

MUSIC NEWS- At their recent Wembley Stadium concert in the UK, U2 guitarist, THE EDGE defended the band against the recent complaints and protests over the costs and ecological damage from their massive “360 Tour”. He spoke to BBC 6 Music backstage, and said: “We’re spending the money on our fans, I don’t think there’s a better thing you could spend it on.”

Though the tour is said to be the most ambitious stage set of any band’s world tour, surpassing the scope of even Madonna and The Rolling Stones tours, many, including Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is not impressed. He recently slammed the band on his blog and said the U2 world tour costs were “excessive”, considering the band’s stance on world hunger.

While on his current (and much smaller) tour in Europe, Byrne wrote: “$40 million to build the stage and, having done the math, we estimate 200 semitrucks crisscrossing Europe for the duration. “It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all.”

When he was asked whether U2 were hurt by the criticism they’ve been receiving, The Edge told BBC 6 Music’s Julie Cullen: “I think anybody that’s touring is going to have a carbon footprint. “I think it’s probably unfair to single out rock ‘n’ roll. There’s many other things that are in the same category but as it happens we have a programme to offset whatever carbon footprint we have.”

With that reply, it’s obvious that THE EDGE fails to recognize that their stated positions on world politics and the environment dictates that their actions fall in line with their rhetoric. Additionally, releasing information on the tour’s carbon offset program that he spoke about, is advised..
More at BBC
MUSIC NEWS- At their recent Wembley Stadium concert in the UK, U2 guitarist, THE EDGE defended the band against the recent complaints and protests over the costs and ecological damage from their massive “360 Tour”. He spoke to BBC 6 Music backstage, and said: “We’re spending the money on our fans, I don’t think there’s a better thing you could spend it on.”

Though the tour is said to be the most ambitious stage set of any band’s world tour, surpassing the scope of even Madonna and The Rolling Stones tours, many, including Talking Heads frontman David Byrne is not impressed. He recently slammed the band on his blog and said the U2 world tour costs were “excessive”, considering the band’s stance on world hunger.

While on his current (and much smaller) tour in Europe, Byrne wrote: “$40 million to build the stage and, having done the math, we estimate 200 semitrucks crisscrossing Europe for the duration. “It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all.”

When he was asked whether U2 were hurt by the criticism they’ve been receiving, The Edge told BBC 6 Music’s Julie Cullen: “I think anybody that’s touring is going to have a carbon footprint. “I think it’s probably unfair to single out rock ‘n’ roll. There’s many other things that are in the same category but as it happens we have a programme to offset whatever carbon footprint we have.”

With that reply, it’s obvious that THE EDGE fails to recognize that their stated positions on world politics and the environment dictates that their actions fall in line with their rhetoric. Additionally, releasing information on the tour’s carbon offset program that he spoke about, is advised..

More at BBC
http://www.theinsider.com/action/rd/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8202346.stm

Source: http://www.musicnewsnet.com/

Posted on August 17, 2009 · in UK

Tagged as: Carbon Footprint • carbon offset • U2