[These Days] For the Environment, It's Okay Not to Earn 600 Billion Won!

Chris Martin passionately performing at Coldplay's sunset concert in Amman, Jordan. Some Amman residents who knew about the venue and attended are truly fortunate.
[Photo by YouTube screenshot]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Can we give up profits to reduce greenhouse gases in our daily lives? If we act according to a fixed schedule without considering the environment, wouldn’t we be more likely to resist and reject giving up the profits that naturally come in for the sake of the environment?

However, there is a rock band that gave up a world tour concert and about 600 billion won in revenue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The British rock band 'Coldplay' is the one.

Coldplay, formed by Chris Martin, Jon Buckland, Will Champion, and Guy Berryman, is a British rock band that has been enjoying its heyday for over 20 years since its debut in 2000. Their representative songs include 'Viva La Vida,' 'Paradise,' 'Fix You,' 'Clocks,' and 'Everglow.' In April 2017, their concert in Korea captivated domestic fans with an emotionally stirring performance.

This rock band, known for great singing and stage manners, suddenly became a hot topic at the end of last year. In November last year, when they released their new album 'Everyday Life,' they made a bombshell announcement that they would hold only two concerts.

Coldplay’s leader Chris Martin said in an interview with the BBC in the UK a day before the new album release, "Performances lasting several months have a bad impact on the environment. We decided to hold only two concerts for the new album release," adding, "We will take one to two years to come up with sustainable touring methods."

Usually, bands with global fame plan a world tour when releasing a new album to promote it. In Coldplay’s case, during the release of their previous album 'A Head Full of Dreams,' they performed 112 shows in eight cities worldwide and reportedly earned $523 million (about 607.3 billion won) in concert revenue.

In summary, Coldplay decided not to hold about 100 large-scale concerts that would produce massive greenhouse gases and waste, thus negatively impacting the environment, and in doing so, they also gave up an expected minimum revenue of about 607.2 billion won.

Sunset performance of 'Coldplay' held in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Although the audience was small and there were no lights, making it seem dark, the atmosphere on site was said to be more passionate than any other stage.
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

According to the BBC, large-scale concerts generate a large amount of greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming, with music concerts alone producing 4 million tons of greenhouse gases annually in the UK.

In Coldplay’s case, their previous world tour involved 109 staff members, 32 trucks, and 9 drivers covering five continents, performing 112 times in front of a total of 5.4 million spectators. The amount of greenhouse gases and waste generated must have been enormous. Coldplay was one of the main culprits of environmental pollution.

During concert preparation and execution, the use of aircraft by the performing group and the movement of fans cause tremendous pollution. Additionally, merchandise sold during tours increases environmental costs, a lot of electricity is used for lighting, and transporting equipment for stage setups increases traffic burdens.

In 2009, the four-member Irish rock band 'U2' was criticized for installing a massive structure called 'Claw' during their concert in Pasadena, California. The enormous stage setup involved 120 trucks, and environmental groups claimed that the carbon emissions from this concert were equivalent to a round trip to Mars.

Since then, the concert atmosphere in the music industry has changed. Mainly British-based rock bands have started leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. For example, U2 switched to recycled guitar strings and replaced batteries in various devices used during concerts with hydrogen fuel cells.

The five-member English rock band 'Radiohead' replaced lighting with LED bulbs that use less power than conventional lights. The four-member English rock band 'The 1975' stopped producing merchandise and donated one pound per concert ticket to 'One Tree Planted,' an NGO working on global reforestation.

How did Coldplay’s concerts change? By giving up the world tour, the two concerts held on November 22 last year in Amman, the capital of Jordan, to promote the new album left a deep impression on fans.

A scene from the music video of the song "Daddy" included in Coldplay's new album "Everyday Life." [Photo by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWhiCkEY-Yk screen capture]

The two concerts were held just before sunrise and at sunset. Although it was dark just before sunrise, they started the performance without using any lighting. The scene of playing new songs against the backdrop of the sunrise was live-streamed on YouTube. They did not gather an audience and refrained as much as possible from actions that could generate greenhouse gases.

More rock bands are joining Coldplay’s efforts. The British trip-hop band 'Massive Attack' has even participated in research to reduce greenhouse gases. Massive Attack collaborated with researchers at the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester to analyze carbon emission data based on tour and recording schedules, planning future concert schedules based on the collected data.

Massive Attack and the Tyndall Centre plan to focus on analyzing data related to band travel, production, audience transportation, and venues, where most carbon dioxide emissions occur. Their research aims to provide information and guidance to the entire music industry to reduce negative environmental impacts amid the serious climate change situation.

Massive Attack’s vocalist Robert Del Naja said in an interview with The Guardian, "It is unacceptable to continue business as usual in this emergency (climate change) situation," adding, "Like other industries, we must also strive to adapt to these changes."

Shouldn’t the domestic concert environment follow this trend? Reducing greenhouse gases is not only about cutting emissions from factories and cars. Simply refraining from littering at concert venues can reduce greenhouse gases. Don’t you have enough knowledge to find ways to reduce greenhouse gases in your daily life?