June 14, 2007

By By Wes Orshoski, N.Y.

With Live Earth looming and Al Gore's grim "An Inconvenient Truth" still on the brain, the concept of carbon neutrality has seemingly emerged as the music industry's next big thing.

Carbon neutral simply means that greenhouse gas emissions are offset by purchasing green energy credits or paying for the planting of new trees. To be sure, the industry has an eye-popping amount of carbon to offset, be it from the manufacturing of product or the energy it takes to stage massive worldwide tours.

Of late, more and more artists have committed to carbon neutrality, including Pearl Jam, the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt and Dave Matthews Band. Others are putting their foot down when it comes to driving in non-eco-friendly cars; KT Tunstall threatened to not show up for promotional appearances if sport utility vehicles kept coming to pick her up, according to Capitol Music Group COO Jeff Kempler.

Click here for analysis of the industry's carbon emissions, ways to offset waste, reduction strategies and more.

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