Your lawn will always go brown, so there’s no need to use the scarce, precious resource that is water. (Photo by: Peter Titmuss/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

COMMENT

For the first few years of my life my parents and I lived with my grandparents on a Pretoria property with an expansive, plush lawn next to a (habitually dry) spruit.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are linked to that green lawn in the shade of tall trees. Growing up as a white, middle-class child in the mid-1990s I had the luxury of a lawn without having to think about how it got there or who sustained its colour and composition.

It was not until we moved a few years later that I realised my parents had other plans for our new backyard: a water-conscious “garden” full of heavy souvenirs collected during their travels — rocks in every shape, size, and colour imaginable. Eight-year-old me was thoroughly frustrated with my mother’s odd choice of sharp, inhospitable, or simply, dull décor.

Now, 30 years on, I can see myself making the exact same choice as my mother. Apart from a few houseplants that I’m trying to keep alive, I wouldn’t ever want to burden myself with the anxious drama that crops up with keeping a living lawn.

Keeping lawn

A lawn is something that must be actively made and actively kept, both unfolding processes that require labour. Plenty of it. In South Africa, racial and economic inequality dictates who does this work, and why.

Social relations determine what person of what gender, age, and race, for what reward, wearing what, on which day of the week and with what equipment, is responsible for a snazzy lawn. (Hint: there are no wrong answers. There are reasons for the diverse examples you are thinking of.) Many forms of work — be it a leisurely weekend hobby for one or a strenuous and tough job for another — composes the lawn’s foundation.

And this work poses its fair share of challenges. It is a common (yet ignored or actively protested against) fact that most lawns are not remotely green in winter. The lawn’s seasonal clock is perhaps most prominent in the South African highveld and its dusty, dry, cold winters.

This seasonality, as highlighted in one of the “brownest” landscapes imaginable, pushes the naturalness associated with the lawn to its utmost limits. Moreover, routine care must be taken to water and mow at the correct time to optimise growth stimulation. Keeping a lawn — especially in the middle of a dry winter — can “at best, only ever be a temporary victory”, wrote Jonathan Cane in Civilising Grass: The Art of the Lawn on the South African Highveld. Apart from commitment and labour, keeping the lawn green out of season also requires ample amounts of water.

This is commonly because the most popular grass used for lawn-making in South Africa, kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus), is not indigenous. Kikuyu grass can be traced back to the highland regions of East Africa. About a century ago samples from the vicinity of Lake Naivasha in the East Africa Protectorate were sent to Pretoria and on to London for propagation, according to Cane.

Where does the idea of ideal grass come from

Ideas about what grass should look like and how it must be kept also come from somewhere else: the lawn as natural, beautiful, and tranquil has its roots in British empiricism. Since its early days, the well-kept lawn had the role of instilling feelings of order and civility. This, in classic modernist fashion, could only be achieved if the lawn was posed against something. Nowhere as in “wild Africa” was this easier to establish: the wilderness of the veld and the wild animals roaming in it had to be kept out. How? By the bounded, neatly trimmed lawn that separated the domestic from the wild.

But modernism’s anxious boundaries are malleable: without constant work they shift and decay. The South African highveld foregrounds grass as unruly and disruptive, uprooting the colonial ideal of the landscape as gentle and timeless. Anxiety rises as the demarcated lawn — the boundary between here and there — fails to be natural. Alongside many other facets of life in South Africa, something as seemingly innocent as grass forms part of a violent, discriminatory, exclusionary lineage. Rebelling against confined ideals of the lawn might also provide freedom to interrogate the objectives of societal systems so dependent on borders — patriarchy, capitalism, racism, heteronormativity.

The lawn assumes someone’s responsibility and someone’s ownership. Its grass is needy; it consumes valuable water, valuable time, valuable resources, valuable labour, and valuable knowledge. It demands maintenance through a flurry of cyclical activities such as mowing, weeding, composting, fertilising, and watering. It requires tools and trinkets, from lawnmowers to weed eaters, to compost and sprinkler systems, to fertilisers and chemical pesticides, to storage sheds for tools, to birdbaths, colourful garden gnomes and concrete meerkats (but only if you’re into that sort of thing).

Oh, and a constant flow of water, did I mention that? It is not uncommon for the discourse on grass in South Africa to push the urgent concern of water availability to the periphery and foreground routines and tips (such as mowing and, obviously, pressing questions like how to choose the best lawn mower).

Not talking about water means it’s not a problem, right? Wrong. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but water is essential to the keeping of a lawn. Ironically, South African residents are no strangers to water crises. Several cities and towns have faced, are facing or are going to face a Day Zero water shortage. Yet, South Africa’s per capita water consumption is substantially higher than the global average of 173 litres per person daily; here it is 234 litres of water per person daily. And this is assuming that this usage is equally spread out among the country’s citizens. Okay, swirling back to the lawn.

What do we gain when we’ve achieved something so close to impossible as keeping a lawn green in the middle of a drought? Frankly, a whole lot of anxious uneasiness. Despite our best efforts, the lawn is a messy oscillation between green and brown depending on the calendar date, a space that can both stagnate and grow, soothe and scratch. Lawns in South Africa — as in other dry parts around the world — were never meant to be. Regardless of everything, the lawn will always fail (sorry to break it to you). I’m saying this so that I may spare you the anxiety associated with the keeping of a lawn. Trust me, you’ll see that your water bill — and the planet for that matter — agrees with me.

PS: Give interdisciplinary art historian Cane’s a read. You’ll never look at grass in the same way again.

As Canadians face increasingly intense and frequent heat waves, health, education and legal experts are sounding the alarm on a growing crisis: extreme heat in schools and child care settings due to the escalating effects of climate change.

Amid Government of Canada warnings of near record heat ahead in 2025, the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) say Canada’s schools and child care facilities are ill-prepared and children are paying the price.

Released in parallel by CPCHE and CELA are detailed analyses and a call for immediate, coordinated efforts to safeguard children’s health, well-being, and learning in schools and child care settings across the country.

CPCHE’s summary of evidence and Collective Call for Action, signed by CPCHE and 40 partners and collaborators, including CELA, is complemented by twin CELA reports elaborating on the need for climate-resilient infrastructure.

“Experts nationwide representing a wide range of disciplines call on all levels of government to respond with urgency,” says CPCHE Executive Director Erica Phipps. “The climate crisis is already reshaping childhood in Canada. Whether children are learning in settings that nurture or harm them depends on decisions made today.”

“This isn’t just about comfort. It’s about protecting the health, safety, and future of every child in Canada.”

Children are especially at risk

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) predicts heat in 2025 will approach 2024 levels, the hottest on record. While models suggest 2025 may be slightly cooler than last year, it is virtually certain (>99% chance) to be hotter than every previous year.

The physical risks of extreme heat include heat stroke, exhaustion, rashes, and other related illnesses that can strike quickly.

CPCHE’s nationwide Call for Action says children are particularly vulnerable to these serious health hazards because:

A child’s body produces more heat during activity and has a lower capacity to cool down through sweating than an adult’s

They dehydrate faster than adults, and

Young children may struggle to communicate feelings of overheating, placing great responsibility on caregivers and educators.

Children with disabilities or chronic health issues such as asthma, heart conditions, kidney problems, and mental or physical disabilities are especially susceptible. Research shows that even temperatures not deemed “extreme” can drive up emergency room visits for kids.

Meanwhile, the impacts go beyond physical. Hot classrooms can impair attention, memory, and emotional regulation, making it harder for students to learn. Studies link elevated temperatures to irritability, poor sleep, absenteeism, and reduced academic performance.

One U.S. study estimated that, without air conditioning, a 1°F (0.5°C) increase in temperature over a school year led to a 1% decline in learning. Another estimated a 4.5% reduction in student performance on a high school exam taken on a 32.2°C day relative to a 21.1°C day.

Heat deepens inequities

The CPCHE Collective Call for Action and CELA’s research underscore a troubling reality: extreme heat amplifies social inequities.

“Children in under-resourced and under-served communities often live in areas with less green space, denser housing, and limited access to cooling at home or school,” says CELA Counsel Jacqueline Wilson. “Many attend schools without air conditioning or outdoor shade — conditions that turn already hot days into dangerous ones. Indigenous children, in particular, face additional layers of vulnerability due to systemic underfunding of infrastructure on First Nations lands, including education and child care facilities.”

Without targeted investment, Canada risks leaving thousands of children in dangerously overheated classrooms and child care facilities, where the stakes are not just academic, but a matter of health, safety, and justice.

Overheated classrooms and playgrounds: A national problem

Communities all across Canada are seeing an increase in the number of extreme heat events. The number of days above 30°C is expected to double or triple in some parts of Canada by 2050 due to climate change.

CPCHE underlines that Canada’s educational infrastructure is lagging behind the changing climate, noting media reports that few schools in Quebec and Nova Scotia have air-conditioned classrooms. Similar reports suggest that less than a third of schools in Toronto have central air; in Winnipeg, dozens of facilities operate without any cooling systems at all.

Indoor temperatures during heat events can soar well beyond the recommended maximum for residential settings — of 26°C — an upper limit based on adult tolerances, not children’s. Overheated classrooms may discourage school attendance, disrupting education and deny refuge to students whose homes also lack air conditioning.

Pavement and other artificial surfaces can trap heat in playgrounds and outdoor learning spaces, pushing surface temperatures to dangerous levels. In an Arizona study, school playgrounds were the hottest spots measured. Shade is too often a luxury — more available in affluent schools than in lower-income areas. The increasing use of artificial turf is eclipsing the heat resilience offered by grass and vegetation, while posing additional health risks associated with toxic chemicals and microplastics.

The CELA reports stress that the crisis is especially acute in First Nations communities, where chronic underfunding has left housing, child care centres, and schools ill-equipped to withstand extreme weather. Indigenous children face disproportionate exposure to poor air quality, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat, raising serious environmental justice concerns.

Blueprint for safer, cooler learning environments

CPCHE, CELA and partners lay out a detailed action plan to adapt Canada’s schools and child care settings to extreme heat. Central to the plan is adopting a maximum indoor temperature standard of 26°C. This threshold, they argue, must be supported with real investment—especially in under-resourced communities.

Key recommendations include:

Mechanical cooling systems: Schools and child care centres must install or upgrade HVAC systems and ensure that indoor spaces can maintain a maximum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, prioritizing low-energy and zero-carbon technologies like heat pumps.

Building retrofits: Investments should go beyond cooling. Retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency—through improved insulation, cool roofing, and energy efficient ventilation—will also help reduce emissions and energy costs.

Passive and behavioural measures: From window shading to turning off heat-generating electronics, simple strategies can help manage indoor temperatures. But schools and child care programs need guidance, training, and resources to implement them effectively.

Greener outdoor spaces: More trees, natural ground cover, and shade structures are essential. CPCHE also recommends restricting dark pavement and banning the use of artificial turf due to its heat-trapping and environmental and health risks.

Data collection and monitoring: Better data on indoor temperatures and impacts of heat on student health is needed to inform heat mitigation strategies. Temperature monitoring should be standard, and heat response plans must be in place and clearly communicated.

The CELA reports underline a finding by Statistics Canada that much of the country’s educational infrastructure is over 15 years old, with many facilities nearing the end of their usable lifespan. In Toronto, for example, the average public school is over 60 years old, and fewer than one-third have central air conditioning.

They also cite the Assembly of First Nations to point out that current federal funding only meets about 23% of the capital needs of Indigenous schools. The result: overcrowded classrooms, outdated facilities, and, in many cases, schools unfit to provide safe and healthy learning environments during extreme heat. At least 202 First Nations schools require expansions, and 56 need complete replacement, a situation that requires the Federal Government’s co-development of strategies with First Nations to promote climate resiliency, including extreme heat, in First Nations schools and child care facilities.

Comments

“The harmful physiological effects of indoor overheating have been well researched. Emerging evidence is reinforcing the message that prolonged exposure to indoor temperatures greater than 26°C should be avoided to protect people susceptible to heat. Children, the elderly, and individuals with chronic health conditions are particularly vulnerable.”

Dr. Glen Kenny, Director, Human and Environmental Physiology Unit, University of Ottawa

“Parents and families across Canada are sounding the alarm about the effects of the climate crisis on their children, including the rising incidence of extreme heat. We enthusiastically endorse this collective Call for Action because it sets forth a holistic and equity-focused strategy for action—one that puts children first. That means involving communities in planning, and prioritizing those disproportionately impacted by extreme heat not only in their schools and child care settings, but also in their homes and neighbourhoods. Our collective vision is for solutions that don’t just cool educational settings, but build greener, more resilient environments for all.”

Anne Keary, For Our Kids

“Climate change, including escalating extreme heat events, poses real threats to children’s physical and mental health. With a mandate for cross-sectoral collaboration to reduce exposure to health hazards and improve health equity, local public health agencies are well-positioned to work with school boards, child care providers and other community partners to ensure educational settings are equipped with heat-health protective infrastructure to reduce climate risks for children in the face of a rapidly warming planet.”

Helen Doyle, Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) member, and Chair, Environmental Health Workgroup, Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA)

“The benefits of outdoor play and learning for children’s social, emotional and cognitive development are undisputed. Simply put, children thrive when they have ample time outdoors. Without proactive measures now to create heat-resilient outdoor play and learning settings, climate change will take an even greater toll on our children and their futures. This collective Call for Action outlines the path forward to climate-resilient learning environments for all children, both indoors and out.”

Louise de Lannoy, Executive Director, Outdoor Play Canada

* * * * *

Signatories to the Call to Action are organizations devoted to public health, environmental protection, climate action, legal aid, social justice, education, early learning and child care, occupational health and safety, and parent advocacy:

Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)* Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)* Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment (CANE)* Canadian Child Care Federation (CCCF)* Center for Environmental Health Equity (CEHE)* Environmental Health Clinic at Women’s College Hospital* Little Things Matter** Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA)* Pollution Probe* Prenatal Environmental Health Education (PEHE) Collaboration** Andrew Fleck Children’s Services Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador (AECENL) Association of Early Childhood Educators of Nova Scotia (AECENS) BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) Canadian Health Association for Sustainability and Equity (CHASE) Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors – Ontario Branch (CIPHI-O) Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Toronto (CCL-T) Clean Air Partnership Climate Action for Lifelong Learners (CALL) Climate Emergency Unit Climate Legacy EcoSchools Efficiency Canada Environmental Defence Environmental Education Ontario First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society For Our Kids Green Communities Canada Health Providers Against Poverty (HPAP) Just Futures Kingston Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN) New Brunswick Lung Outdoor Play Canada Prevent Cancer Now Seniors for Climate Action Now! Take Me Outside The CHANGE Research Lab The Climate Reality Project Canada Windfall Ecology Centre

* * * * *

Available for comment:

Erica Phipps, MPH, PhD, Executive Director, CPCHE

Jacqueline Wilson, Legal Counsel, CELA

Helen Doyle, B.Sc., CPHI(C) – Ontario Public Health Association/Canadian Public Health Association

Glen P. Kenny; PhD (Med), FCAHS, FACSM, Director, Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, University of Ottawa; Lead investigator, Operation Heat Shield Canada

A new Imperial analysis has found that biogas and biomethane, while more climate friendly, leak up to twice as much methane as previously thought.

Although biogas and biomethane remain climate-friendlier than non-renewable alternatives, the researchers call for better monitoring and fixing of leaks to ensure biogas and biomethane continue to live up to their green credentials.

We want to encourage the continued use of biogas and biomethane as a renewable resource by taking the necessary actions to tackle methane emissions. Dr Semra Bakkaloglu Sustainable Gas Institute & Department of Chemical Engineering

Biomethane and biogas are produced from the breakdown of organic matter including food, animal waste, energy crops, grass, or sewage sludge, making them renewable alternatives to natural gas, coal and oil.

However, researchers at Imperial College London have identified potential pitfalls in energy supply chains for these climate-friendlier gases, concluding that more efforts should be made to reduce methane leakage.

Methane traps around 27 times the amount of heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and is responsible for at least a quarter of global warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s AR6 report.

The new Imperial study, published in One Earth journal, found that supply chains for biomethane and biogas release up to twice as much methane as the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s previous highest estimation.

The IEA’s study however only looked at incomplete combustion of biomass, accounting for inefficiencies in the process only, and not leaks in the supply chain. In the new study, the figure for supply chain emissions is similar in magnitude to the inefficiency estimate, suggesting the overall methane emissions from the industry could be up to twice as high.

The new study also reveals that 62 per cent of the leaks were concentrated in a small number of facilities and pieces of equipment within the chain, which they call ‘super-emitters’, though methane was found to be released at every stage.

The researchers say urgent attention is needed to fix the methane leaks, and knowing precisely where the majority of them are happening will help production plants to do so.

Lead author of the study Dr Semra Bakkaloglu, of Imperial’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Sustainable Gas Institute, said: “Biomethane and biogas are great candidates for renewable and clean energy sources, but they can also emit methane. For them to really help mitigate the warming effects of energy use, we must act urgently to reduce their emissions.

“We want to encourage the continued use of biogas and biomethane as a renewable resource by taking the necessary actions to tackle methane emissions.”

The researchers note that compared to the oil and gas industry, the biomethane industry suffers from poorly designed and managed production facilities as well as a lack of investment for modernisation, operation, and monitoring. Because oil and natural gas supply chains have been primarily operated by large companies with huge resources for decades, they have been able to invest more in leak detection and repair.

What is biomethane and biogas?

In response to the climate crisis, many countries are replacing heavily carbon-emitting sources of energy, like natural gas, coal and oil, with biomethane and biogas.

Although they are made from a mixture of CO 2 and methane, biomethane and biogas release less of both gases, making them greener energy alternatives.

However, these replacement fuels still release methane along their supply chains, such as at processing facilities and from long pipelines. This new analysis gives us a more thorough understanding of where, when, and how much methane is released from biomethane and biogas supply.

Graphical abstract depicting methane leaks along the supply chain (Bakkaloglu et al.)

Analysing emissions

The researchers analysed 51 previously published studies on mobile methane measurements and site data taken from emission sources along the biomethane and biogas supply chain. They analysed the data and calculated the total methane emissions using a statistical model called Monte Carlo. This allowed them to consider all measurements of total supply chain emissions at each stage of the chain, which they then compared with the off-site emissions reported from whole-site measurements in previously published studies.

We need better regulations, continuous emission measurements, and close collaboration with biogas plant operators in order to address methane emissions and meet Paris Agreement targets. Dr Semra Bakkaloglu Sustainable Gas Institute & Department of Chemical Engineering

They found that the supply chains release up to 343 g of CO 2 -equivalent methane per megajoule higher heating value, which may account for 18.5 megatonnes of methane per year. IEA estimates had reported emissions as just 9.1 megatonnes in 2021.

While overall methane emissions from biogas and biomethane are lower than those from oil and natural gas, the amount of methane released from their supply chains relative to total gas production is much higher than for oil and gas.

The data is reported in ‘CO 2 equivalents’ – a unit of measurement used to compare emissions across the oil and natural gas supply chain without interfering with downstream operations. This unit also allows us to compare the global-warming potential of various greenhouse gas emissions from different studies.

The researchers identified the reasons behind the leakiness of supply chains as intermittent emissions patterns, which make them harder to track; insufficient usage of process equipment; and inadequate operations and maintenance strategies. Since super-emitters are unlikely to remain constant over time, the researchers say that continual monitoring is required to detect intermittent emission patterns or unpredictable leaks from supply chains.

Dr Bakkaloglu said: “To prevent biogas methane emissions negating the overall benefits of biogas use, urgent attention is needed including continuous monitoring of biogas supply chains. We believe that with the proper detection, measurement, and repair techniques, all emissions can be avoided. We need better regulations, continuous emission measurements, and close collaboration with biogas plant operators in order to address methane emissions and meet Paris Agreement targets.”

Addressing the fundamental design issues and investment problems within the biofuel and methane industry would be a good starting point for stopping these leaks and preventing more from arising. Dr Jasmin Cooper Sustainable Gas Institute & Department of Chemical Engineering

“Given the growth in biomethane due to national decarbonisation strategies, urgent efforts are needed for the biomethane supply chain to address not only methane emissions but also the sustainability of biomethane.”

Co-author Dr Jasmin Cooper, also of the Sustainable Gas Institute and Department of Chemical Engineering, said: “Addressing the fundamental design issues and investment problems within the biofuel and methane industry would be a good starting point for stopping these leaks and preventing more from arising.”

The researchers are now focusing on the super-emitters within supply chains to better understand how to reduce them using the best available technologies.

This study was funded by Imperial’s Sustainable Gas Institute.

“Methane emissions along biomethane and biogas supply chains are underestimated” by Semra Bakkaloglu, Jasmin Cooper, and Adam Hawkes, published 17 June 2022 in One Earth.

See the press release of this article

Savages drummer and Music Declares Emergency co-founder Fay Milton has spoken out about the need for the industry as a whole to change its habits to help beat Climate Change.

At this year’s Mercury Prize ceremony, Foals held up a banner that read: “No music on a dead planet.” The same banner was seen at the Global Climate Strike event in London the following day. The tagline belongs to the organisation Music Declares Emergency, who describe themselves as “a group of artists, music industry professionals and organisations that stand together to declare a climate and ecological emergency and call for an immediate governmental response to protect all life on Earth.”

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Since it was launched in July, over 200 bands and musicians have now signed up to Music Declares Emergency’s pledge to revitalise how the music industry tackles climate disaster, from The 1975 and Radiohead, to Robyn, The xx, Massive Attack and more.

Among the core members of the organisation is Fay Milton, drummer of post-punks Savages. Amidst the ongoing Extinction Rebellion protest, she helped sort pop-up gigs from the likes of Disclosure, Johnny Flynn, Declan McKenna, Pumarosa and more in Trafalgar Square, as well as raising awareness for the music industry’s need to become a greener place (she’ll appear at the BBC Music Introducing LIVE event in London this month alongside Glastonbury Festival’s Emily Eavis and more).

We spoke to Fay about the origins of Music Declares Emergency, what music fans can do on a personal level to become greener consumers, and why a government response on the climate crisis is essential.

How did Music Declares Emergency come to be?

“In April, there was a big Extinction Rebellion protest in London, and a lot of us who started Music Declares Emergency have been part of that. There seemed to be a lack of musicians and the music industry getting involved in the climate movement, and it felt like the movement would really benefit from that. At the first Rebellion, we had Massive Attack and Beth Orton play, and it brought a great energy to everything. It felt like there should be more of that.

How has this impacted on the music community in particular?

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“It also became really apparent that for a lot of musicians and music industry professionals that people were feeling this kind of guilt around flying a lot for their jobs, and that venues use a lot of plastic. People who wanted to get involved felt like they couldn’t because they’d be hypocritical.”

“Music needs to get real, to be honest, and connect with reality a little bit more

“I was playing drums for Let’s Eat Grandma at the time, and we were at Coachella. California’s been in a drought for so many years, and yet they’re keeping this green grass going in the desert, which doesn’t make any sense. The whole thing just felt really absurd, and made me realise that what was happening in London was really fucking cool, and forward-thinking. It felt like music needs to get real, to be honest, and connect with reality a little bit more.”

Was there a moment for you in particular when you realised that carrying on your touring lifestyle in the same way wasn’t going to be sustainable?

“It was about five years ago. I read Naomi Kline’s This Changes Everything, and you can’t really go back from reading that. It spells out how serious everything is. I was doing worldwide touring then, and made all sorts of excuses to myself. To an extent, it is a good thing, and it is amazing that we can have art and entertainment happening all over the world, and it brings richness to everyone’s quality of life. It’s very easy to make excuses for one’s own actions and to say it’s OK, but I think it’s also very easy to point the finger and call people hypocrites, and it’s a really easy narrative that only makes sense if you haven’t thought about it very much. If artists weren’t to tour, there might even be a larger environmental impact from their fans [flying] to them.”

What are some of the main problems facing the way that music negatively affects climate change?

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“Anyone who’s been to a festival, which is a lot of people in the UK, or been to a gig that’s not in their local area, everyone’s part of that system. If you’ve gone to see an artist and paid money for that ticket, you’re buying into that system. It’s not one person’s fault – there’s a huge industry around it. If an artist decides that they don’t want to tour anymore, they have their whole management and agents and tonnes of people relying on them for their work and their income, and it affects a lot of people. It’s a systemic thing, and not a case of simply being able to say that no bands should go on tour.”

Have you discussed ways to make your future touring plans greener when/if you tour with Savages again?

“There’s loads of stuff you can do. The most important thing to look at is tour routing. In an ideal world, you could just go to America once on a touring cycle, rather than there and back four or five times across one album. If everything’s planned with the greenest possible routing in mind, then so many flights – and loads of money – can be saved. And loads of boring time spent at airports! There’s also a ‘green rider’ scheme, where an artist can request that a venue doesn’t sell plastic bottles of water at a show, or that the venue or festival uses green energy. If you’re a small band you might not get that straight up, but if you’re a massive band, you might. If enough artists start requesting these things, that’s when the venues will sit up and take notice.”

“To use Greta Thunberg’s analogy, the house is on fire, and there isn’t time for whoever started the fire with their cigarette to quit smoking before saying the house is on fire”

And what can music fans do to be as green as possible?

“First of all, you can take public transport to a gig. I would recommend trying to see music in your local area as much as possible, and try to avoid going overseas for festivals and gigs. We’ve got so much in this country, and it can be a lot more fun. Playing music with your friends is also probably the most sustainable way of enjoying music, and you’ll probably have so much more fun. Even things like streaming takes up energy – everything uses resources. So the number one way for you to have completely regenerative, sustainable music is to play music with your friends and experience it that way. It’s the most fun you can have anyway!”

What do you think the main step needs to be in order for the issues at hand to be tackled as best as they can?

“There’s such a short period of time to make the changes we need to make, and to make people wake up and realise that there isn’t time for everyone to change everything they do. To use Greta Thunberg’s analogy, the house is on fire, and there isn’t time for whoever started the fire with their cigarette to quit smoking before saying the house is on fire – it’s on fire now, and we need to fix this. Let’s change our lifestyles, let’s fly less, let’s use less plastic – but ultimately what’s needed is a governmental response.

“The government declared climate and ecological emergency in April of this year, and what have they done? They’ve done nothing”

“Our government aren’t responding, and that’s a huge thing. The government declared climate and ecological emergency in April of this year, and what have they done? They’ve done nothing. People are getting used to the word ’emergency’, but we shouldn’t – it really, really is an emergency. Every single day that we’re not doing something, it’s putting the world in more danger.”

What are some of your upcoming plans for Music Declares Emergency?

“There are a lot of people talking about doing a big climate-focused gig. Everyone wants to put on a big climate concert – it’s definitely going to happen. There might be a lot of massive climate concerts next year. At the moment, we’ve all been working so hard up to this point. Now is a time to reflect and think about what we’re going to do next.”