U2's current tour causing controversy over environmental impact

U2’s "360 Tour" is the band’s first stadium tour since Vertigo in 2006, and they’ve been rocking to sell out crowds across Europe and America. Cool. Not so cool - the carbon footprint the tour is leaving behind. The boys perform on a 150 foot stage and are projected onto a 360 degree 14,000 square foot screen. Cool. Not so cool - the tons of equipment (the video screen alone weighs 54 tons) and the 500 personnel that have been and are trucking across Europe and America, hauling the equipment from stadium to stadium. It takes 189 trucks and buses to haul the stuff and people, and the band itself is estimated to rack up 70,000 miles jetting from around the world by the time the two-year-long tour concludes. Carbonfootprint.com estimates that the tour will generate a massive 65,000 tons in carbon emissions.

I know, I know, lots of bands put on huge stadium extravaganzas, so why is U2 being singled out? It may have something to do with the fact that the band, especially lead singer Bono, has taken on many humanitarian and political causes and some think the tour smacks of hypocrisy -- the almighty dollar trumping the environment once again.

But, according to guitarist The Edge, the band is not ignoring these concerns. While vague on the details, he told BBC that they’re doing certain things to offset the huge carbon footprint the tour is leaving behind, including having tour promoter Live Nation pay for environmental programs to offset negative effects of the tour.

U2 and Live Nation have also hired MusicMatters, a greening company, to help reduce the negative environmental impact. According to U2’s official website U2.com, “Live Nation, the producers of the U2 360° Tour, have confirmed their commitment to producing the largest concert tour in history in an environmentally responsible manner with a goal of balancing the Tour's direct carbon footprint through a comprehensive reduction and offset strategy.” So what does this mean, exactly? According to The Chicago Tribune, this includes things like having tour staff use reusable water canteens instead of plastic water bottles, discounted parking for hybrid cars and encouraging the venues to use environmentally-friendly toilet paper and soap. Also, since MusicMatters came on board, the tour has cut the number of vehicles by 10 percent.

Is it enough? Are they being unfairly targeted? Leave your comments.

Read the full Chicago Tribune article.