Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Pearl Jam plants trees to offset emissions

Pearl Jam's band members are working to be better men.

The rock group is partnering with Cascade Land Conservancy -- which works to preserve forests, parks and other natural areas -- to plant approximately 33 acres of native trees and plants around the Puget Sound. It's all in an effort to offset carbon emissions from the band's 2009 world tour. The group generated an estimated 5,474 metric tons of carbon during that 32-date run of concerts.

Pearl Jam is donating $210,000 to fund the plantings, which are expected mitigate more than 7,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The greenhouse gas contributes to climate change. To see where the trees will be planted, click here.

The band, which will perform in Boston in May, also plans to offset whatever emissions its current tour generates.

"We are constantly moving, using carbon-dependent forms of transportation and a great deal of energy," said Stone Gossard, Pearl Jam's guitarist and founder. "Since 2003, we have elected to mitigate our carbon output by tracking andcalculating our emissions and contributing money to projects that strategically work to improve the environment. We view this as a cost of doing business."

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe/Boston.com Greenblog by Erin Ailworth