November 2008 Hall of Fame
Change is a Sound: The Warped Eco Initiative
Being the longest running music festival in the world,Warped Tour aims to set an example to other national tours and venues showcasing how easy it is to integrate sustainable eco-friendly practices on the road and at home. We are working to transform the way the music industry approaches touring.
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Q1: Do you have any ideas on how we can improve our educational campaign? Any ideas which can impact youth quickly and hit close to home?
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12.18.08 | 04:52 PMHi Im victoria,
At my school , myers park high school in charlotte, some clubs sell reusable, nalgene like bottles. They encourage students to use them in place of plastic water bottles. You could sell the bottles at the concerts with something printed on them such as: "warp tour 2009 going green". With their purchase they could have free refills on water or soda?, and a reusable water bottle to take home as a souvenir to continue going green after the show. Good luck on this initiative! ill be at the concert in july
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by alopez12.01.08 | 01:21 AMHi my name is Andrew Lopez I love warped tour I have gone or have been apart of warped tour for the past 5 years. I am a big into the ideas of "going green" and I really love what you have done by shrinking warped footprint. One idea I did have is having recycling post where kids can actually go to recycle their bottles and cans and in return for them recycling the booth will offer them free refills for water bottles. I think this can be used as a great incentive for people to come to the booth where information and education about recycling and other causes can be made aware to them. This is just a idea that might work but if there is anything I can do personally to help with this cause please let me know
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11.30.08 | 09:13 PMI think you should get more big bands supporting this like AVA.
Kids get influenced easily. Maybe throw some ice out onto the crowd during the shows to keep them hydrated instead of them going out to buy water bottles and just throwing them on the floor.
Have a volunteer group to help clean up afterwards I know a lot of people would like to do this. I've volunteered doing things like picking up trash around town, trust me a lot of people are willing to do this.
Maybe try giving away cds. Like say they bring their recycled things in and if they have a certain amount they get a free cd or something. Just a thought.
Idk, but the best way to really make this huge is for big band support.
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11.27.08 | 03:21 PMThe more the artists who are part of the tour promote your idea, the quicker you are going to reach the young people. If you can develop a program that exchanges schwag from the artists for recycling efforts or other actions on the part of the young people, it could be a good incentive to start positive actions that should develop into good habits. One of the best parts of working with young people is the ease and accessibility of word of mouth advertising. Kids are vocal and connected today. Any efforts at improving on your educational campaign should include providing positive experiences that will resonate throughout the youth community.
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11.26.08 | 10:42 PMI would suggest coming up with some sort of way to keep the kids connected to your Initiative after they attend the festival. It is really easy to get kids interested and excited about the work you are doing but you need to have some way to keep the kids thinking about the environment. They need to have constant reinforcement to keep them involved. Have you thought about using myspace or facebook that could be filled with info on your initiative and possibly some PSAs from artist that were on tour. You could also release a compilation CD to raise money for environmental work. These could just be a couple things that you could do to keep awareness up during the months that the tour is not happening.
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by lilyclare71511.25.08 | 06:57 PMI think tht impressing the importance of comunity gradens and localizing foods and products is key to improving our environment and ensuring that we can continue to enjoy things like music fetivals. Maybe you could demonstrate the enormous carbon footprint we're leaving on the earth by outsourcing all of our production. For example you could give examples of simple products that we use/buy everyday like bottled water, a can of soda, or even a grocery store salad and explain how each item involves an imense ammount of production and transportation that uses unthinkable amounts of non-renewable energy sources at every step.
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by lgreene11.25.08 | 12:04 PMIn your touring have you considered doing regionally targeted tours using popular local independent artists. You could also have it where on the day of the concert you have a large number of volunteers help set up the stage and other necessary booths and let them see first hand how your eco-initiatives benefit the environment. This will create awareness on both the eco-friendly tools you are using and an inside track on what the music industry's touring is all about.
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11.23.08 | 06:29 PMIt sounds like you are aiming to educate young people that are fans of the warped tour about being ecologically conscious. Since that is your target market it seems smart to reach out to them where you know a large number of them will be at once:
1. At stops on the warped tour
2. On websites of artists on the warped tour
3. Inside CD's of artists on the warped tour
At venues you could show the youth attending actual examples and demonstrations of things that are more environmentally friendly and ways the can conserve energy at home. These might be things that their parents are already telling them but the message might be given more weight if it comes from bands whom they get their idea of cool and hip from.
Many companies pay big money to get endorsements from celebrities that their target market will pay more attention to, you could just include it as part of the warped tour to be supportive and active for the warped eco initiative.
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by lolchoff11.22.08 | 10:25 AMAll food concessions should use REAL PLATES and cups, not disposables. The Winnipeg Folk Festival in Winnipeg Canada has done this for years.
Here's how it works: You buy your food and pay a $2 deposit for the plate. When you return the plate you get your $2 back. All beverages are served in reusable 12 oz plastic festival cups. (People collect them.) To buy a beverage, you must first spend something like $5-7 for the cup. But you can reuse it throughout the 4 days of the festival, and bring it back the following year.
That's my idea. Thanks!
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by snowrider247
11.19.08 | 03:18 PMdo you plan on getting Vans themselves involved.
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by bikemech311.18.08 | 12:37 PMGet the band s more involved. Dont limit yourself to just the smaller bands on the tour. You could get the Bands to record PSAs as Guerilla mentioned, but also see if the would come and maybe speak to a group of kids about taking care of the environment. you could have seminars that would feature the members of certain bands. Kids at that age are very impressionable and I believe that hearing the importance of being environmentally conscious from some of their "heroes" would have a very lasting impact. I also believe that you could continue this through youtube videos and other web outlets.
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by guerrillaRed11.14.08 | 10:15 PMGet some of the smaller acts that have been on warped tour to record homemade video PSA's.
Get the machine going, attack each group BAND BY BAND. Have them simply post it on their myspace, youtubes, etc. Get the social networks buzzing with the message.
Add that in with the message that other have been adding here (buying habits, visual waste, etc).
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by vegandave11.13.08 | 07:48 PMExpand beyong just global warming and recycling. Include buying habits as a major part of the education. Promote veganism more, educate about buying recycled, not buying rainforest woods, buying re-used or hemp clothing, that kind of thing.
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11.12.08 | 02:42 PMMy advise be for you to have a pupular major act put on a "educational music fest" in every major area in the country (L.A, Austin, Chicago, St.Louis,New York,Miami,Memphis,Atlanta,Seattle, Philedelphia,Phoenix,Denver,and Pittsburg) Use a major act to headline(u2,Counting Crowes,Angels and Airwaves,etc) with a few more popular bands(Third Eye Blind,Beck,Death Cab For Cutie, etc) that have a point of view. Make it more than just a movement but a Celebration about the future.(Have meet and greets, games, competitions, local artists, food and drink, speeches, and have it be constant with a never ending like feelikng) Have a donation fund started. Create a wild music commercial. Do something tottaly unexpected.Have Give Aways. Most importaantly, choose wise artists for the music eduction fest. Thats what I believe would work.
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by greenlawn8611.10.08 | 11:41 AMCanoefeet has an interesting idea. Perhaps if people could see how disgusting their waste really is, they would be more likely to act appropriately. Many times we are simply unaware of the magnitude of our waste. I think that finding either a way to visually display this is a great idea, whether it is created throughout the day or it is a traveling display.
You should consider getting an act to be the tour's endorser of your project. A high profile lead singer for a favorite band has incredible influence over the crowd, especially among a young and impressionable crowd such as the Warped Tour. I would network and find some allies already participating in the tour. Overall, I think this is a great idea and that you should do some research on others doing some of the same things.
http://www.takepart.com/
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11.10.08 | 12:25 AMPerhaps you could visually demonstrate food waste by strategically placing clear plastic garbage bins in places. People sometimes need a strong visual argument to get the point across.
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by ken201211.04.08 | 09:28 AMI would like to see a stronger message of service to the local community taught to the Warp Tour volunteers. It is a nice day to go out and volunteer at the show but other than a great memory the volunteers don't take much out into their communities. The Tour could add a service to the community component to the orientation and maybe a follow up at the end of the day tear down and debrief. Some service ideas could be local groups to volunteer with, national organizations that could help locally and education on the small things we can do every day to make changes in our communities or lower the impact our daily living makes. The cost would be in the time to develop a teaching strategy that works and is flexible enough to reach most volunteers. Resources could be on line to keep paper waste down. I am sure that it has already been developed by someone and could be refined to fit the Warp Tour model. The cost would just be in time and research. The benefit could be that the Warp Tour would make lasting changes in the people it touches and the communities it visits.
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by pandora44210.29.08 | 12:32 AMYour on the right track with the blog. Having a strong communication vehicle in which people can come into and chat and comment about what you are doing can give a more accurate view as to what direction your organization needs to take.
To build the educational element of your campaign I would say make your website as easy to read and navigate as possible. This would also mean including your brand mantra or central ideal on the main page.
Testimonials videos, community announcements, charity drives, Q& A events Video sites like youtube could also be a good way to build and organization and generation a good amount of buzz. Creating support pages on myspace and face book are another option.
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by daisy_daze10.26.08 | 09:13 PMVisual representations tend to work sometimes, that and things that hit them right where it hurts. Wallets can be a sore spot for some people. Showing alternatives is one way, such as with certain sustainable aspects. Take driving for example, showing the economic value of carpooling and portraying it as fun and cheaper is better than as "more sustainable."
The same thing with things that cause waste. Some people don't realize that batteries release toxins because they just don't know where to recycle them. Water bottles seem more convenient, but they can be a major drain on the wallet, especially with vending machine prices on the rise. After a month, a nice reusable bottle already starts saving you money, such as with examples for what that money could buy (such as on month #2, it would pay for their ticket to Warped Tour.)
The hard part is that some people just don't care.
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What advice do you have to help me grow my idea?
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12.01.08 | 04:05 AMEvery warped tour i have been too i have been disgusted at the prices of things, its sick that kids pass out from heat exhaustion in the middle of sets. thank go i am a paramedic and i saved some kid in maryland. ThE WATER SHOULD BE FREE. come on guys this is a punk rock show, dont you guys make enough on the tickets. give us a **** break. water should be free. Even "BOTTLED WATER". the howard county fire department kept things going at the main stage, but they had to send 4 kids to the hospital. next to make this eco friendly thing work is put places to eat where food is bought. when you buy a dog for 8 bucks then walk around, the desire to track down a trash can is declined a bit. get rid of these **** truth trailers. there so biased and ****. ill smoke a pack of cigarettes in front of that mother ****. Lets get back to the roots. dont get me wrong i love those hard core bands. underoath, chariot, but the warped tour wont be the warped tour unitl the vandals, nofx, casualties and tiger army are back. stop being such a **** sell out and get back to where we were 5 years a…morego. **** MONEY, lets rock and have fun. You guys make me sick for real. **** YOU!!!!
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by gracegopow11.22.08 | 12:27 PMTalk to people about it, and get bands to support it. I got this from Angels and Airwaves's myspace.
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by skyflowers11.14.08 | 04:55 PMto the last poster this IS for the vans warped tour >.>
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by pandora44210.29.08 | 12:39 AMAlso, I hate to be a bearer of bad news but I'm pretty sure Van's already has a music Tour called the Warped Tour. So you could just call it the warped eco tour. This might paint little bit different of a picture.
At any rate, I think another important point to mention is the bands you are trying to get on the tour. HAving good groups that not only connect with the audience but also get what your organization's message is about is also key.
Another thought I had was as you plan and orchestrate these events make sure to have plenty of radio presence. This never hurts.
Also have you given any thought to having a information booth at a larger music festival like bonnaro or Lallapalooza? Just a thought. Hope this helps.
http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/rockers-going-eco-friendly-with-their-concert-tours/
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by buscan1
10.27.08 | 06:53 PMWe all need to be more eco aware/friendly than ever. We have waited way too long to start doing something about the earth's pollution problems. We have watched and observed the problem, but done nothing. It is time that we actually start doing something about it, and it is going to have to start with the youth, so that when their generation grows up, they will have at least scratched at the surface of our mess.
Having a tour that really emphasizes our earth's environmental state and successfully encourages concertgoers to take part in doing their part is a really great idea. I strongly believe that if we aren't careful and start building and implement a successful and practical national recycling system, we won't be that far off from the state the earth was portrayed in the movie Wallie.
I think that setting an example at these festivals and concerts by utilizing low power concerts like what Radiohead did on their most recent tour, as well as using biodegradable plastics and paper at these concerts for things like posters, cups and so on.
This…more will really get people to think about the environment as well as have a great appreciation for what the tour was trying to accomplish. I know that when I went to the radiohead show, I really appreciated that they were trying to conserve energy any way they could by using LEDs to light up their entire stage because they don't use as much energy, as well as being mindful of their modes of transportation to use the least amount of polluting fuel as possible.
If other tours could implement these sort of energy saving concerts, they would make such a difference!
Idea Description
Implemented in 2005, the Warped Eco Initiative aims to reduce Warped Tour's carbon footprint by way of a solar powered stage, volunteer driven recycling program, biodiesel fueling of 40 vehicles, waste reduction program, tour volunteer days and educational contests for bands.
We utilize volunteers, education, media, band interaction, and experiences to empower people to take the Warped Eco idea home with them and, in turn, restore and protect their communities and the Earth.
The Warped Eco Initiative reduced 742,218 lbs of carbon emissions in 2008!!!
Warped Eco
VWT
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
"We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap." -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
The direct impact of this money would allow us to explore eco-issues on everything from water use and alternative fuels to simplified living and re-using. 10-24,000 young people a day in 46 cities around the United States will be reached during the months of July and August 2009.
With the money we will directly impact youth. We will improve the on-site solar powered multi-media learning environment to make the experience more engaging and dynamic. It will further allow us to engage fans by way of their favorite bands and and in turn be a model for social change
You like it. You’re confused by it. You want to know more. Ask questions and post comments here.
Post a commenthow do i vote??
where the f*** is VOTE BUTTON?!?!? im logined in and i dont see vote anywhere:O
great idea.. i'm member of a brazilian punk rock band and we all voted for it cause it's really great to know that everyone in the world care so much about eco preserve, and mixing it with attitude music is the best way to prove it.. - Caio, São Paulo, Brasil
awesome initiative! you've got our support! -brian & therefore i am
I voted cause Erin's the ****!!! oh, and i like helping the environment
What a powerful tag-team for change! Thank you for combining music with environmental awareness! Two of my favorite things :D I think you will do great things with the money; I really hope you get it!
people that want to make a difference is exactly what the world needs. :)
I don't know if overthemooOn knows anything about the volunteers for eco initiative, but I've done it the past few years, and they don't HIRE the people that help, that's why it's called VOLUNTEER. The money they do spend goes to solar panels for stages, the warped tent is also solar, etc... Sure the volunteers get into the venue for free, but that's the only thing they pay for.
great idea and good luck. I have been volunterring for several years and the venue I always go to never has recycling options available. So everything Erin and Tara do and all the energy they put into this project is well recgonized and a great service to the enviroment. You girls deserve this and the best of luck! -Willie
I loved warped tour! <3
Quick question: How exactly will this initiative use the 10,000 to help teach other concert tours to run more environmentally-friendly tours? it seems as though you're "promising" to spread the knowledge (making the idea legitimate)... but you're actually only using the money to hire volunteers for this one tour? not quite the gift that keeps on giving...
I voted. I love Warped. I went in 2008 and it was amazing. All the bands there were just outstanding. It is a great way to share music(:
i voted. i love warped. i love what they do not only with music but with the environment and humanity.
Awesome Idea! Go Dan! Whoo!
I just wanted to let you know that your first link (under description) is broken and coming up with an error message. :) I voted for you because I know how big your tour is and how much of an impact you could have on helping to save our environment if you made it green. GOOD LUCK! If you have a moment, please check out my idea next and vote to support my project as well: THANKS! http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/3407-KIBA-KIBA-BOOKS-Illustrated-b
go erin! i hope you win, you have my vote!
Volunteered this year and it was an amazing experience. I think what makes this such a great idea is the fact that it gets people involved at a young age and teaches everyone that doing something good doesn't have to be a sacrifice. Being an Eco Warrior was fun and sustainable, thanks Erin and Tara! Victor
great idea! you should win! For anyone who doesn't know... in Fifth grade Tara got her school district to switch from using styrofoam trays in the lunch rooms and to implement a recycling program... that was back in '91.. this girls ahead of her time! =)
I have volunteered for this two times (both this past summer). It is such a great cause, and without Erin & Tara running this program, and the people who volunteer at each show, the venue would be a mess. The two venues I volunteered at didn't even have recycling bins available as an option. So many people were so grateful for the work that was done, both bands/WT crew, and WT goers. Even the bands participate, by recycling on the buses, and using reusable water bottles when possible.
this is better than the 'i want to open a bar blah blah blah' ****.
amazing idea. i as well voted!
hello Erin & Tara ! I like your positivism, I'm trying to make my part with your recycling advices, and with the expectation of saving the earth and ourselves from the eco-destruction.. :D take care. -Marla, Tijuana, Mexico ;)
I voted! Great idea! ^_^