Green touring is inevitable as more artists become aware of their footprints, but mistakes will always be made, and the simple action of offsetting carbon has damning critiques and failures of its own. The biggest upset in the public eye has been Taylor Swift, not just as a touring musician but as a major celebrity, whose annual carbon emissions are 1,184.8 times more than the average person in 2022.
There are ways to tour (more) sustainably: tackling waste and recycling at major venues, water efficiency, and behavioural changes of the musicians towards food and consumption. However, no matter how much they opt for ‘greener’ companies, touring will be inherently wasteful. The flying that is needed for quick and efficient transportation of gear and people (the mental toll of long and arduous touring is well documented in musicians worldwide) is extremely polluting. The precautions of plastic cups instead of cans and bottles are again necessary for the safety of the artists.
It isn’t wrong to argue that this waste is excusable; how else are we meant to unite music communities worldwide with their favourite artist? Concerts can be a much-needed cathartic release for anyone, whether you are their biggest fan or not. But is it just? Many have argued that environmental justice is impossible without social justice, and elite celebrities jetting around the world doesn’t exactly evoke equality. It is worth exploring the future of touring and the music industry, maybe in a more radical sense of modernity and sustainable development: let’s reject superstars for a bit…
So what? Everyone stops touring, or at least touring overseas? Post-pandemic and in the era of Spotify, that would be another major blow to income. However, the radical proposal of no global touring would come with society-defining upsides. The need for music is apparent, music streaming service subscriptions rose by 51% during the pandemic and can be invaluable to our mental health. Furthermore, so can the creation of community. Gen-Z’s are dubbed the ‘loneliest generation’, but by imagining a world with less globalised music, local music scenes can thrive and build close knit-communities dependent on them. Music could diversify beyond our imagination, with
This scenario depends on changing the practice of touring rather than the approach of greening capitalism and increasing efficiency in technology to maintain our current behaviour. The climate crisis demands herculean efforts in all walks of life, and touring in its current state is not exempt. We can be hopeful that science will save us, but the music of the apocalypse might be some of the best yet.
Image: “Private jet being towed in Oakland” by string_bass_dave is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.