Have U2 created a monster with massive carbon footprint of 360 tour?
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
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U2 and Bono’s long-held commitment to “save the planet” has come into question after it emerged they have a carbon footprint big enough to fly the band to Mars and back.
The Irish rockers campaign to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa and Bono called on the world’s population to take better care of the earth.
Speaking in Tokyo last year he said: “My prayer is that we become better in looking after our planet.”
However, according to an environmentalists’ website, the band’s 100-date 18-month world tour will see the multi-millionaires clock up an incredible 70,000 air miles in their fuel-guzzling private jet.
The £90m U2360 tour also features three 390-tonne stages criss-crossing the globe, along with 200 crew and backstage staff.
The opening night in Barcelona’s Nou Camp last week featured the space station-style stage and satellite link-up with the International Space Station.
Perhaps appropriately, the tour’s carbon footprint can also be measured in space terms, with their colossal emissions of up to 65,000 tonnes of CO2 enough to fly Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr from earth to the planet Mars — and back.
The figure was calculated by experts from carbonfootprint.com, a company which specialises in assessing environmental damage.
U2’s CO2 emissions are the equivalent of the waste created by 6,500 average British or Irish people in an entire year, or equal to leaving a standard 100 watt lightbulb on for 159,000 years.
The band’s vast emissions are dozens of times bigger than Madonna’s carbon footprint on her 2006 world tour, despite her extravagant demands and 250 staff. She produced 1,635 tonnes in air transport.
U2’s PR agency RMP did not return a request asking if the band were buying carbon offsets to contribute towards the damage of their enormous emissions.
Carbonfootprint.com’s environment consultant Helen Roberts said: “The carbon footprint generated by U2’s 44 concerts this year is equal to carbon created by the four band members travelling the 34.125 million miles from Earth to Mars in a passenger plane.
“You also have to add the carbon emissions from the same number of concerts again next year.
“Just looking at the 44 concerts this year, the band will create enough carbon to fly all 90,000 people attending one of their Wembley concerts to Dublin. To offset this year’s carbon emissions, U2 would need to plant 20,118 trees.”
Pollution experts said U2’s 44 concerts in Europe and North America this year will produce 20,117.50 tonnes of CO2 emissions, unless the band unexpectedly decide to ship to equipment to the US, in which case the footprint would be 5091.41 tonnes.
Bono and his bandmates will generate 64.42 tonnes of CO2 by flying 22,037 miles to this year’s gigs in their private jet, currently stationed at Nice airport, near their Cote d’Azur holiday villas in the south of France.
Most of the carbon footprint comes from transporting the three 390-tonne stages, using 3,286.60 tonnes of CO2, with another 916.07 tonnes for extra equipment. Next year they are expected to play 20 concerts in North America in June and July and 20 dates in Europe in August and September.
13 comments:
U2 and Bono’s long-held commitment to “save the planet”Save it from what overblown and overweight rockstars? He has also put Herr Pope right as well not to mention mebers of governments around the world what with Saint Bob( give us yer fookin money)Geldof and Gordon (smug cunt) Sumner the world is in safe hands. The brickmakers of India and the people who make a living on garbage heaps in the Philipines can't wait till U2 get to their country so they can spend 6 months wages on a ticket knowing its in a good cause.
I think you mean Mr Sting, don't you, the sex god? Let's show the man some respect. The cunt.
You can't quantify the emissions so easily. I mean, think of the load every time he opens his mouth. That could be a scale in itself; world output is probably measured in a few picoBonos.
I still think he should be killed.
The language in general usage on this site has really become quite appalling, particularly that used by some of the obviously more uncouth commenteers - I shall mention no names - you know who you are.
All you big, rough boys should bear in mind that there are those hereabouts of a more sensitive, shy and delicate disposition whose purpose in attending upon this site is to avail themselves of the moral and spiritual uplift provided by dear Mr Ishmael’s discourse on matters artistic and intellectual.
Who could possibly forget his inspiring lecture on the finer points of Victorian flower pots, or his selfless scientific examination into the tensile strength and frictional coefficient offered by Izal toilet paper, if you will pardon the expression.
Let us, I beseech you, try and make ourselves worthy of these accomplishments, let us raise the tone exhibited by our comments, and let there be no more of the atrocious fucking language.
Yes, it is a pity you cannot have a style filter, or at least a mechanism for forcing posters to read "Ornament and Crime" before putting fingers to keys.
Jardinieres.
Jardinieres.
"a more sensitive, shy and delicate disposition"
Try telling poor Henry that.
It was not my intention, Mr Dyer's Garden, to suggest that anybody should be prevented from commenting here, or that there should be any intellectual or stylistic barrier to what they say. On the contrary, I’m quite certain that under Mr Ishmael’s rules all are most welcome and that freedom of speech is absolute. Perhaps your comment, with its sub-text that ornamentation is a sign of intellectual weakness, was aimed solely at me, it’s a little difficult, from your own usual snide and sarcastic style, to tell.
It does not surprise me at all that you should be an adherent of the likes of Herr Loos, whose work was founded, it seems to me, in an innate belief in his own cultural and intellectual superiority. This would appear, at least from the comments you make on this blog, to be an attitude you share.
I had thought that it was a fine day, and the garden was looking quite splendid in the sunshine, but now, having read you, I see in reality it’s pissing down. Thank you very much.
A serious question - do you ever smile?
Why lash out so, darling Daisy. If there is no truth in what I say or it does not apply to you then there is no need for you to worry, is there? Irony is as alien to me as it is rare in the postings of our host. That rain is merely sunshine condensed, and the clouds blue skies resting in the shade.
But your gentle swipe demonstrates an interesting technique. Where others sometimes drop ammunition in battle, you load a gun, point it at your head, and guide your opponent's hand to the trigger. How can a man not concede at that?
I worked for him once. 1983.
I should have killed him then. If I get the chance again, I will
Won't hold it against you. This time.
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