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The AntsMarching.org Clean Air Challenge

Planes, buses, cars - even electric guitars - all contribute to global warming!

It's no secret that concerts contribute to global warming - and we, the fans, are the major source of concert-related carbon pollution! Most of the CO2 pollution resulting from a show - more than 90% - comes from fan travel to/from a venue.

Hey, we don't like it either, but that's the way it is.

If your car gets 20 mpg, you're adding about 1 pound of CO2 pollution per mile. Fifty miles each way for a show adds 100 pounds. Not much, right. But multiply that figure times 20,000 attendees, and you see the problem -
1,000 tons of CO2 pollution!
You know that DMB is already doing their part, taking care of all CO₂ generated at the venue and all CO₂ resulting from moving people and equipment from show to show – trucks, buses, aircraft, taxis, limos – everything! They're helping to build a new wind farm on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe reservation that will fight global warming by displacing energy that otherwise has to come from a fossil fuel source. More wind energy means less fossil fuel generated energy.

AntsMarching.org got together with our friends at NativeEnergy, (the same company DMB works with) to create this great program that enables AntsMarching.org members to compensate for their CO₂ emissions resulting from travel to/from DMB shows. By taking action to make up for your CO₂ emissions, you'll end up having the same effect on global warming as if you powered your trip to see DMB with wind energy!

We call it the AntsMarching.org Clean Air Challenge

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Simply click this link and input your DMB travel-related info into the calculator – miles driven, mpg of your vehicle, air miles, etc.
   
   
2. It will generate a number – your “carbon footprint”
   
   
3. For only $12 per ton you can neutralize the impact of your CO₂ footprint from travel with 100% Native American wind energy, just as DMB has done

Follow DMB's lead and calculate your CO₂ footprint then offset it by helping “plant” a new wind turbine. Its clean, renewable energy will reduce the use of fossil fuels to create electricity, reducing global warming pollution for you and everyone.

As you already know we have teamed up with NativeEnergy to do this (also who The Dave Matthews Band has teamed up with). Use the calculator link above to offset the impact of your DMB travel with NativeEnergy's certified carbon dioxide offsets from clean Native American wind turbines.

All offsets will actually be playing a role in helping a brand new renewable energy project get built, rather than simply subsidizing existing projects. We will keep track of everyone that has donated and how much was offset. Who knows, if fans offset enough CO2 we may be able to claim an entire wind turbine! Everyone that offsets their travel will feature the AntsMarching.org Clean Air Challenge under their username and avatar on the message board.

We've seen music fight against war and against discrimination.
We've seen it free people and feed the hungry.
Now it's time for music fans to help us face the threat that trumps all others – worldwide environmental, social and economic upheaval from global warming

We all recognize the power DMB has
to draw people to enjoy incredible music.

We’re banding together to make a difference,
to take responsibility for our actions,
and to be part of the solution
rather than part of the problem.

We need you to join us and participate
in shaping the future – one show at a time!

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For more info on all this stuff, click on the U.S. Dept. of Energy's site here.

Here's how it works:

Burning Fossil Fuels Causes Global Warming. Burning fossil fuels to power vehicles produces CO₂ and other greenhouse gases.

Building New Wind Farms Helps Fight Global Warming. When wind farms generate their clean electricity, the grid operators have to turn down other generators to compensate, because there can’t be too much electricity flowing onto the grid at any time. By making these polluting power plants run less often, wind farms reduce the amount of CO₂ and other pollution emitted into our atmosphere.

Many Wind Farms Need Extra Financial Support. Wind farms have become much more competitive with polluting power plants. But today, the clean electricity generated by many wind farms still costs more than dirty electricity. Before building new wind farms, developers must find a way to cover their extra costs.

This is the Rosebud Sioux Tribe turbine that DMB helped to get built with their purchase of Green Tags.

You Can Provide Financial Support for New Wind Farms. To cover their extra costs, some wind farms sell Renewable Energy Credits, also called "Green Tags" – a widely traded commodity that consists of the rights to the CO₂ and other emissions reductions associated with green electricity. The electric industry developed Green Tags so that people who can’t buy green electricity can achieve the same environmental benefits – by buying Green Tags to offset the pollution from their consumption of dirty electricity or their use of fossil fuels. Environmentally, buying electricity and Green Tags is the same as buying green electricity. For more info: www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/buyelectricity/green_certificates.html

AntsMarching.org Clean Air Challenge will Help Build New Wind Farms. Most sellers of Green Tags sell them from existing generators. Our friends at NativeEnergy took a new approach, using Green Tags to help build new wind farms. Clean Air Challenge participants buy – in advance – all the Green Tags to be generated by the wind farms over their expected operating life of 25 years. This provides critically important up-front financial support and so helps get these wind farms up and running. You’ll be helping to build the first Native American-owned and operated wind farm in the country. Environmentally speaking, that's a lot better than buying green electricity or Green Tags from wind farms that were built some time ago. Folks who really want to make a difference help build new wind farms!