How green was Live Earth?

Perhaps you were one of the 10 million people who watched online or maybe you were at Wembley Stadium bouncing to Madonna’s late night set. Wherever you happened to be on the Earth last night it’s likely you felt a strange vibration as the seven-continent concert series Live Earth made its way around the globe.

In the pre-event buzz, critics of the concert’s organizers Al Gore and Kevin Wall pointed to the intrinsic energy intensive nature of such a massive concert event. Electricity for sound and lighting. Materials for stage and set. Fuel for transport of over 100 artists, speakers and millions of concert goers. The energy tally and strain on resources would be enormous.

So how green was it? There was a diligent green policy in place forged by a partnership with sustainability experts like Brand Neutral’s John Picard, a former member of President Clinton’s “Greening of the White House” study team.

Another noteworthy consultant was the US Green Building Council, the organization that developed and oversees the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program for sustainable building practices. Live Earth turned to the USGBC Green Event Guidelines:

With support from the U.S. Green Building Council, creators of the LEED Green Building Rating System, Live Earth will implement new Green Event Guidelines. All Live Earth venues will be designed and constructed by a team of sustainability engineers who will address the environmental and energy management challenges of each concert site, as well as the operations of sponsors, partners and other Live Earth affiliates. Each venue will not only be designed to maintain a minimum environmental impact, but will showcase the latest state-of-the-art energy efficiency, on-site power generation, and sustainable facilities management practices.

In an effort to take the edge of the concert’s potentially massive energy consumption, electricity came from solar, wind and biodiesel where possible. Other green strategies included using recycled materials and LED lights. And, in keeping with the mega-concert’s theme, there were a whole lot of green suggestions, like carpooling and carbon offsets, for participating businesses and concert-goers. Just like the concert itself, the efforts to minimize its impact were large scale.

The question remains was it a success? Did it “trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis“? As I watched eco-living tips stream across the screens of the stages in London, Rio and Hamburg I did think about how much energy was being used to make it all possible. That, I think, is a direct result of the concert’s intent – although not lacking in irony.

Just like buildings, the greenest concert is none at all. But then where would we all live and what would Madonna’s sultry dance troupe do for work? I’m curious, what’s your take on the Live Earth Concerts for a Climate in Crisis? Were you there, did you watch or perform? Have you answered the SOS call?