The Culture Vulture: U2 Stamps Godzilla’s Carbon Footprint on Michigan

by Chris Savage

This past Sunday I got an unexpected call with an offer to purchase tickets to the East Lansing stop of U2’s 360° tour later that evening. The show was a rescheduling of the original tour which had been postponed because Bono had to undergo back surgery. Original ticket holders had actually bought their tickets two years ago and, on Sunday night, their long wait came to an end.

As you would expect, the show at Spartan Stadium was astonishing. Walking up to the stadium, you could actually see the top of their stage setup towering over the seats. Once inside, their stage, which has become to be known as “The Claw,” was a sight to behold.

“The Claw” and its huge 360° video screen

Immense in scope, it featured an outside track for The Edge and Bono to run around on. It had a 360° video screen so that even those of us in the upper tiers could see the action on stage clearly. Bono has said that they wanted a stage so gigantic that it dwarfed the stadium, making it seem more intimate. While I’m not sure I would describe sitting in the upper tier of Spartan Stadium as being “intimate,” it was quite impressive.

Throughout the concert, I couldn’t help but feel like the entire thing was actually a bit overblown. They played nearly all their biggest hits, and the videography was superb. But the stage show seemed over-powered by the insanely large stage itself. U2 is not a flamboyant band and they didn’t fill the space, visually-speaking.

As we were leaving, I noticed a huge section of the parking lots surrounding the stadium filled with almost new semi-trucks. “That’s odd,” I thought. “Is Michigan State University making a little extra money leasing space to a semi-truck maker? Are these new GM trucks, waiting to be sold?” As it turns out they were not. What I was seeing was the fleet of nearly 50 semi-trucks needed to haul around The Claw and all of the other parts of the stage.

Part of U2’s fleet of nearly 50 trucks used to transport “The Claw”

I was actually taken aback. U2 has always represented the cutting edge of social awareness. On issues from human rights to environmental justice, Bono, in particular, can be counted on to support and promote progressive causes. During the concert we saw several short videos promoting a variety of these causes, in fact. Yet, here in the parking lot just outside the venue, was a fleet of trucks like none I’ve ever seen.

The next day I did some research and found out some things that shocked me.

First, there are at least 47 semi-trucks that move their equipment and The Claw. There are another 12 buses to transport the 100+ stage crew. And, there isn’t just one Claw. There are actually THREE! It takes nine days to set up the stage and then tear it back down again, all for a two-and-half hour show. While one show is going on, the other two stages are in the process of being set up or torn down in other cities.

I did more research. One expert on carbon usage calculated that the amount of carbon emissions from U2’s tour was the equivalent of sending the band to Mars and back.

The numbers are staggering: Three 90-foot-tall custom-built stages containing a 54-ton cylindrical video screen and 500 personnel are being hauled around the country by a fleet of 189 trucks and buses. In addition, the band is expected to pile up 70,000 miles jetting around the world by the time the two-year tour concludes in 2010…

Carbonfootprint.com, a company which assesses environmental damage, estimates the tour will pile up 65,000 tons in carbon emissions.

“Just looking at the 44 concerts this year, the band will create enough carbon to fly all 90,000 people attending one of their Wembley concerts to Dublin. To offset this year’s carbon emissions, U2 would need to plant 20,118 trees.”

I was floored. Apparently, so was David Byrne:

Those stadium shows may possibly be the most extravagant and expensive (production-wise) ever: $40 million to build the stage and, having done the math, we estimate 200 semi trucks crisscrossing Europe for the duration. It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all.

When you’re pushing David Byrne’s buttons, maybe it’s time to rethink, guys.

I figured that U2 must be doing something to offset this humongous carbon footprint. Turns out, I was right.

Earlier this year, U2 and Live Nation hired the greening company MusicMatters and EFFECT Partners to accompany the tour and work on cutting emissions and other damaging side effects of staging big rock concerts. Already, says MusicMatters CEO Michael Martin, the tour has cut the number of vehicles by 10 percent. Other changes include having tour staff use canteens rather than disposable water bottles. Venues such as Soldier Field are being encouraged to use everything from environmentally friendly soap and toilet paper to offering discount parking for hybrid vehicles.

Wait. What? They are offsetting 65,000 TONS of carbon generation by using canteens and evironmentally-friendly soap? Actually, no. Turns out, the band hasn’t yet decided how it’s going to offset the carbon emissions.

At the end of the tour, Martin and his team will offer a handful of proposals to the band and tour promoter about how they can offset the environmental damage. “There are myriad options at myriad price points, from 8 dollars a ton to 25 dollars a ton, in projects they can fund around the world to offset the carbon footprint,” Martin says. “Proceeds from the tour will be used to pay for these projects, which shows commendable responsibility on their part.”

Martin says he expects the specific projects to be made public by the end of the year.

I’m going to ask a question we should all be asking U2: If you are as environmentally-conscious as you would have a us believe, why wouldn’t you show that to us? Why create a stage show so massive it takes 150 semis, nearly 40 tour buses and upwards of 500 people to execute? You could go onstage with Bono singing through a cheerleader’s megaphone, The Edge on a rubber-band & cigarbox guitar, Adam Clayton on a washtub bass and Larry Mullen, Jr. playing bongos and the crowd would eat it up. Instead, you created a stage so gigantic that you hardly utilized the whole thing and ended up being swallowed in its immensity. In the meantime, you’ve generated for yourselves the carbon footprint of Godzilla.

I have always admired U2 for their social consciousness and for helping to teach the citizens of the world to be better people. Sunday’s concert was amazing, both visually and for the music, no question about it. But, after seeing this concert, I’m seeing the band in a new light. If you’re going to put yourself out there as defenders of social and environmental justice, you have to walk the talk if you want to have credibility. With their 360° tour, U2 is very wide of the mark.