Sophia Michaels
The Earth is on everyone’s mind. Movie stars and celebrities of all kinds are championing the environment. They all have different strategies. Some celebs just want to raise awareness. Leonardo DiCaprio is famous for being a voice for mother earth, and all of her creatures. He frequently draws public attention to global warming, or endangered species.
Others stars protest, or donate large sums of money to environmental causes. DiCaprio has also made headlines on that front. He has donated millions to the environment, and even has his own foundation.
Now, Chris Martin and his band Coldplay are doing their part for the environment. The stand they’re taking may disappoint fans.
Don’t expect a tour anytime soon
Their new album, Everyday Life, is out now. Martin is planning a tour for it, but the kind of tour he wants is going to take a long time to plan. He wants his new tour to be as sustainable as possible. That means no disposable plastic, and as little fossil fuel use as possible. “Our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it be largely solar powered.”
A tour like Martin is imagining has never been done before. That means it will take a long time to plan. Martin expects the planning to take years.
“We’re taking time, over the next year or two, to work out how can not only our tour be sustainable, but how can it be actively beneficial? How can we harness the resources that our tour creates and make it have a positive impact?”
Coldplay wants to set an example
One of the reasons this tour is so hard to plan is because it’s such a new idea. Martin feels like it’s his responsibility to do a sustainable tour, even though it’s not easy. He’s also giving up revenue while he and his band make these plans.
Bands like Coldplay make a lot of money on tours, which makes what Coldplay is doing even more meaningful. They’re putting the environment first, even though it will disappoint fans, take a lot of extra work, and could lose them money.
Still, Martin thinks we shouldn’t be too hard on other bands who are going on non-sustainable tours. He hopes what he’s doing will change their behavior, though. “I think it’s a question of just accepting that you have to do your best not to be too overzealous in criticizing others because everyone will catch up if you prove that it’s easy to do it the right way.”
They’re having trouble with flying
Planes use a lot of fuel, and as a result, emit a lot of pollutants into the environment. That means figuring out how to move a band, their equipment, and the people who work with them from one city or country to another is difficult if you’re trying to do it sustainably. Martin says figuring out how to fly minimally and travel sustainably is one of the biggest barriers to his sustainable tour.
Martin isn’t the only environmental activist who is having trouble figuring out how to travel sustainably. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are known for their support of environmental causes, yet faced harsh criticism earlier this year when they flew on a private jet loaned to them by Sir Elton John.
The couple defended their actions by citing security concerns on commercial airlines. While it’s true that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have cause for concern when it comes to flying commercial, fans still felt that their wasteful flight was out of line. Hopefully, Martin will find some sustainable alternatives to private flights that can work for everyone.
Written by: CheatSheet
