As you all know, EarthEcho has been working with the VANS Warped Tour for the past couple of years to improve visibility of the Warped Eco Initiatives and their efforts. The Warped Eco Initiatives runs the recycling program on tour, initiated reusable/compostable dishware at the catering tent, measured the amount of biodiesel being used by various buses on tour, incorporated a solar lounge for fans to cool off under and they reach out to the fans and bands to get involved in earth friendly practices while they are out at the tour. Music tours usually leave a giant trail of trash behind them, but the VANS Warped Tour has made a concerted effort to minimize their footprint.

When you talk about the Warped Eco Initiatives, you have to talk about Erin Gorski. Erin has been managing the Warped Eco Initiative for the past few years. She has been dumpster diving, organizing volunteers and pushing venues to recycle all on her own. She wakes up at 7AM to set up and she breaks down her tent at 7PM. There is nothing Erin won’t do to improve our planet and she is out at the VANS Warped Tour with a strong message.

This summer EarthEcho sent out someone to help Erin communicate the objectives of the Warped Eco Initiatives to the bands and fans and to discuss how these eco friendly practices of the Tour can be utilized at home. So who was EarthEcho’s earth friendly rockstar? Tara Redavid. Tara takes saving the planet very seriously. This dedicated vegan loves to talk about the millions of ways we can take simple actions to save the planet and believe me, Tara is all about ACTION. Erin and Tara are always searching for new ways to engage people to take eco friendly action, which is why I write to you today.

Erin and Tara have entered a contest at ideablob to raise money for the Warped Eco Initiative, so that it can expand its efforts out on Tour. Below is all the information you need to vote for their project.

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The Warped Eco Initiative has made it to the FINALS for a $10,000 grant from Ideablob and we need your help to make sure we win!

Here’s how to help us out:

1. Go to the “Warped Eco Initiative: Change is a Sound” Ideablob page(http://ideablob.com/ideas/3622-Change-is-a-Sound-The-Warped-)
2. Click the “Vote!” icon on the right hand side of the page
3. If you do not have an Ideablob account, you need to register but it only takes a few worthwhile moments!
4. Activate your account via an email sent to your registered email account
5. Return back to the “Warped Eco Initiative: Change is a Sound” Ideablob page(http://ideablob.com/ideas/3622-Change-is-a-Sound-The-Warped-)
6. CLICK VOTE!!

If you have more than one email address, you can vote from each of them!

The Warped Eco Initiative began in 2005 and has grown to include a volunteer driven recycling program, solar powered stage, solar canopies, biodiesel fueling, compostable/reusable dishware in catering, eco-driven contests, a partnership with Earth Echo International, band volunteer participation program, and more!

—-Stats for 2008—–

Biodiesel-
Bio-diesel Fuel was used in all production buses and trucks.
-103,290 B20 gallons pumped on site
-Straight Diesel usage reduced by 21,858 gallons (20%)
-Used in 18 Trucks, 18 Buses, 3 Generators, 2 Mules
-CO2 emissions reduced by 333,028 lbs.

Recycling-
– 40,000 lbs of recyclables collected
– Recyclables account for a CO2 reduction of 400,000 lbs
– All Tour ad posters were printed on 100% recycled paper
– Tour books for production and bands were printed on 30% recycled paper
– Over 1,200 batteries were saved from potentially causing groundwater contamination and leaking heavy metals
– Hundreds of cell phones were collected for “Cell Phones for Soldiers”

Warped Tour Volunteer Clean-Up Day in Monterey-
– On August 12th, The VWT Eco Initiative brought 150+ bands, sponsors and crew members to work with Earth Echo International and the NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in an effort to impact the local environment positively
– Groups worked to cleanup beach trails, post anti littering signage, reintroduce native plant life in wetland areas by planting over 300 indigenous trees and clear seaweed from harbor and beach areas.

Solar Power-
This summer, the Tour continued to expand on it’s solar initiatives by building a solar stage for the Kevin Says Stage as well as utilizing solar panels (canopies) to power the entire Non- Profit Area
— Solar Stage used an estimated 662kWh of solar produced power.
-Solar Canopies had a production capacity of more than 200KW.
- These also hosted many smaller scale, solar powered performances from bands like The Academy Is, Tat, Panima,Between the Trees, and The Color Fred.
— The solar use / production equaled the averaged per household electricity usage in 2001 of 888kWh / month.
- Between the two, add in an estimated savings of an additional 380 gallons of diesel, resulting in a CO2 emission reduction of 8,360lbs.

That is 408,360 pounds of ACTUAL carbon reduction…not carbon credits or offsets but CO2 you have helped divert from the atmosphere by recycling with us and supporting the solar stages this summer.

In conclusion: Bio-diesel+ Solar Power+ Recycling=742,218 lbs =total carbon emissions saved by the Warped Eco Initiative this summer.

The future is bright for us and we need your help getting there! Please take a few seconds out of your day to vote for the Warped Eco Initiative on Ideablob!

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”

With election day tomorrow comes a lot of responsibility for the new president and the citizens of the United States. There will be many issues that need to be addressed immediately and we don’t want environment to be swept under the rug. Our oceans are bearing the burden of our lifestyles and we must do something to ensure they are taken better care of, that our government is actively pursuing measures to protect and restore these valuable ecosystems. Below is an article about The Ocean Foundation’s blueprint to protect our coasts and oceans.

Coalition of 48 leading conservation organizations calls on the next administration to protect U.S. coasts and oceans

Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club among groups urging for strong coast and ocean protection during the next U.S. presidential administration

(October 22, 2008 - Washington, D.C.) Our coasts and oceans face a multitude of threats. Human activities have harmed the health of species and habitats in every corner of the vast ocean, from Arctic fisheries to tropical reef systems, from kelp forests to tidal estuaries. From climate change to pollution, to overfishing and habitat destruction, the threats also imperil the health of coastal communities and tens of thousands of jobs in fishing, recreation, and tourism that depend on healthy, functioning coastal and ocean systems.

In response to this dire need and recognizing the link between a healthy environment and a healthy economy, a broad coalition of conservation and research organizations has asked each presidential candidate to prioritize strong, effective coast and ocean conservation measures during the next presidential term.

Forty-eight organizations from 15 states and territories across the U.S joined in sending ‘A Blueprint for Coastal and Ocean Policy for the New Administration’ to each presidential campaign, urging decisive action on behalf of our oceans. The coalition includes organizations such as Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, Sierra Club, Reef Check Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, NAUI and PADI Worldwide, Marine Conservation Biology Institute, Save the Manatee Club, and EarthEcho International.

“The ocean touches everyone and everything. It is essential to life and human survival,” said Mark J. Spalding, President of The Ocean Foundation, which provided the original draft and organized the coalition. “The next Administration has a fantastic opportunity to start a new wave for coastal and ocean protection, a new wave that we will support.”

A Blueprint for Coast and Ocean Policy asks for action on the following ten marine conservation issues: (1) reducing coastal and ocean pollution; (2) clean and healthy coasts and beaches; (4) improving the health of our nation’s fisheries; (4) protecting coral reef ecosystems; (5) protection of other important marine species; (6) marine ecosystem restoration; (7) addressing the links between oceans and climate change; (8) resolving conflicts between healthy oceans and energy production; (9) underwater noise pollution; and (10) ocean governance.

Supplemental information:

Link to The Ocean Foundation web page: www.oceanfdn.org

To download a copy of Blueprint, visit: http://www.oceanfdn.org/index.php?tg=articles&topics=32