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Greening
Jam Cruise
Not only
was the Jam Cruise 5 experience over the top, soul satisfying
and musically amazing, but also a truly conscious party
on the high seas! Jam
Cruise and Rock
the Earth once again made great efforts to
reduce the environmental impact of the cruise.
Recycling
in partnership with Clean Vibes
Thanks to the grassroots efforts of eight Clean Vibes volunteers,
nearly 11 tons of glass, plastic and metal waste were
diverted from being deposited in a local, mixed-waste landfill!
Tree
Planting
 Once
again Jam Cruise and Rock the Earth partnered with Trees
for the Future to plant trees in the region
to which we traveled. Tree planting is an excellent way to
remove CO2 from the global atmosphere. For every $10 donated
by passengers, 100 trees will be planted in Dominican Republic
and Haiti! Our goal was to raise $7100, which would allow
us to plant 71,000 trees - the necessary number of trees to
offset Jam Cruise 5's CO2 emissions in approximately 18 months
time, and year-round thereafter. Because of the generous donations
from Jam Cruise passengers and Cloud 9 Productions, we
will be able to plant over 78,510 trees, making JamCruise
5 Carbon Neutral!
For
those passengers who didn't get the opportunity while on the
cruise to make a donation toward tree planting, it's not too
late! With your help we can achieve our goal of offsetting
all the CO2 emissions from Jam Cruise 5 AND from passenger
travel to/from Fort Lauderdale. Please send your checks ($10
for 100 trees; $20 for 200 trees) made out to Trees for
the Future to: Rock the Earth, 1536 Wynkoop St.,
Suite B200, Denver, CO 80202.
Artist
Involvement in Greening
Social Change Through Music - Photo: Matt Hogan |
For the second
year in a row, RtE Executive Director Marc Ross moderated
a Social Change through Music panel discussion that featured
several of Jam Cruise's most socially conscious artists. With
beer generously donated by Colorado's New Belgium and
O'Dell Brewing Companies and Georgia's Terrapin Brewing
Company, 100 lucky attendees were able to taste great microbrews
and wines while listening to artists talk about how social and
environmental issues impact their work as artists (and vice
versa). This year's participants included Zach Gill (ALO,
Jack Johnson), Martin Fierro (Zero), Tim Carbone
(Railroad Earth), Aaron Redner (Hot Buttered Rum), Matt
McDonald (Perpetual Groove) and Guayaki Yerba Mate's
Michael Newton.
In addition,
60 lucky Jam Cruisers took advantage of a special Greening
Snorkeling Excursion in Grand Turk. In between visits to two
separate reef systems and viewing dozens of tropical fish,
coral and other reef-life, participants (including artists
Jeff Austin (Yonder Mountain String Band), Tim Carbone
and Carey Harmon (Railroad Earth), and (Hot
Buttered Rum)) took advantage of the opportunity to listen
to Dr. Fernando Perez of the Turks and Caicos Department of
Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR). Dr. Perez talked
about the importance of the reef system and what the DECR
was doing to re-grow reefs using rebar and electrical current,
creating a healthier and more sustainable reef system.
Biodiesel
R & D
We were very fortunate to have John Long of Blue
Sun Biodiesel onboard with us on
Jam Cruise 5. Together we are working on research and development
for a future biodiesel-powered Jam Cruise. John provided two
biodiesel tutorials for our passengers, and he met with the
cruise ship's chief engineer to obtain the technical information,
which will allow us to move forward with our goal of using
biodiesel on Jam Cruise.
Thank you to our green sponsors for their generosity:
Dr.
Bronner's & Sun Dog's Magic, Guayaki,
LARABAR,
Living
Tree Paper Company, Merry
Hempsters, Mia
Rose Air Therapy, Musicians
Friend, Peace
Cereal, Solio,
Tom's
of Maine, Trojan
Post-Cruise
Auction - go
here
In an effort to continue to offset costs associated with Rock
the Earth's Greening Jam Cruise Program as well as support
Rock the Earth's year-long activities to Defend the Planet
One Beat at a Time, a special, signed artists' proof
Greening Jam Cruise poster, created by renowned concert
poster artist Michael Everett, is up
for charity auction.
On behalf
of the entire Rock the Earth organization, we would like to
thank Jam Cruise, Cloud 9, the Greening Team, Clean Vibes,
all of the Greening Sponsors, as well as all of you who contributed
to our efforts to offset and reduce the environmental impact
from Jam Cruise!
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Planet
Defender Awards Return
Rock the
Earth is thrilled to announce a call for nominations for our
second annual Planet Defender Awards. Last year, Rock
the Earth members and friends sent in hundreds of nominations.
Our Volunteer Staff settled on three
winners - musician Jack Johnson, Salt
Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, and Healing Harvest
Forest Foundation's Jason Rutledge. [Read
the article.]
 On
Earth Day - April 22, 2007 - we plan to recognize three
more individuals or groups who are working to protect some
of our nation's most precious natural areas. As with last
year, each winner will receive our gratitude along with a
one-of-a-kind award created by artist Scott Wolfson of the
Crefeld School-- Crefeld is a progressive, alternative learning
community in Philadelphia.
 To
find our 2007 nominees, we once again need your help! Rock
the Earth will be accepting nominations from its friends and
members between now and March 2nd. Help us identify those
people who have advanced the cause of environmental protection.
Nominees should demonstrate a strong commitment to defending
the planet within the realm in which they work. Take a look
at our categories listed below, and send us nominations from
the music world, your local community, or prominent leaders
who have made a broad impact in environmental protection.
From the
list of nominees, Rock the Earth's Volunteer Staff will vote
on the three winners. Please send your nominations to info@rocktheearth.org.
With your nomination, please include your reason for nominating
the individual or group. Rock the Earth will include some
of your comments when we present our awards in each category.
You
may nominate individuals in the following three categories:
*
Artist
- an individual or group
* Grassroots Activist
- a community activist or grassroots organization
* Community Leader -
a leader in government, business or other high-profile position
Rock the
Earth's members are increasingly stepping forward to help
us Defend the Planet One Beat at a Time. Please
nominate someone who inspires you!
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Rockin'
Sale for Members Only!
Rock the
Earth is kicking of the year with great deals for RtE Members!
Purchase our 100% organic cotton/hemp RtE
tote bag, a One
Love
2-CD set, or JamCam
Chronicles DVD from Smilefest 2004 for only
$18! To take advantage of this special offer, email us at
info@rocktheearth.org
by February 15, 2007.
Time is
running out to take advantage of great Rock the Earth gift
packages and our last few limited edition, signed
and numbered three poster sets by artists Jeff
Wood, Gary Houston & Emek! Order yours
by February 15, 2007 before they're gone!
If
you are not yet a Member of Rock the Earth, please consider
joining our growing movement of environmentally passionate
music fans.
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In
the Key of Green: Stop the Draft!
 The
snow has stopped in Denver, home of Rock the Earth, but sub-zero
temperatures have us feeling the cold chill of drafts through
old, under-insulated homes. Renewable energy is a hot topic
these days, and for good reason, but we can save so much more
by simply taking a few easy steps to make our homes more energy
efficient.
The
Home Energy Saver website gives great recommendations
for saving energy in your home, with helpful tips searchable
by zip code. Users can estimate how much energy and money
can be saved, and how emissions can be reduced, by implementing
energy-efficiency improvements. Give it a shot, and show your
local utility that consumers are serious about saving energy.
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Help
us Rock the Earth and take a chance at great prizes!
 As
Rock the Earth begins another year of environmental advocacy,
we are interested in what you think about our organization
and the projects we are working on. The OMNI Institute, a
research firm in Denver, is helping us to collect information
about our members and other constituents. If you have not
already done so, please
complete this brief survey by January 25, 2007,
and be entered to win $100 cash and other great prizes!.
The information you provide is completely confidential and
your feedback will help guide our work in 2007.
Please
use the following link to access the survey: http://omnisurvey.omni.org/ssc/rte/rocktheearth.htm
Thank
you for helping us to improve our work to protect and defend
America's natural resources!
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Calling
All Businesses - Help us Rock Earth Day!
RtE is
seeking businesses to collaborate with on the 37th anniversary
of Earth Day - when events and celebrations take place throughout
the week of April 14-22nd. By participating in a coordinated
campaign, our impact can be more significant. Please consider
donating a portion of your business' sales throughout the
week to Rock the Earth, or pick a specific day, to let your
customers know you are committed to doing your part in helping
create a sustainable environment. In addition to the cash
donations, there are other ways that you can be a part of
this effort-- please call our office at 303-454-3304 or write
to Gail at gailp@rocktheearth.org
for more information. As always, RtE will be a good steward
of your contributions, and by working together we can all
be part of the solution.
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Tania
Elizabeth (The Duhks) Rocks the Earth: Interview
 Tania
Elizabeth is the fiddler and vocalist in The
Duhks. The Duhks, a band of five skilled, high-energy,
tattooed twenty-somethings from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has been
riveting audiences and winning staunch fans across North America
and around the world with just that kind of music. Since the
release of their self-titled, Bela Fleck-produced album in
2005, as well as the consequent re-release of their Canadian
debut album Your Daughters and Your Sons, they've won
admirers as diverse as David Crosby, Dolly Parton and Doc
Watson. This is not surprising, given their Duhks-alone blend
of soul, gospel, North American folk, Brazilian samba, zydeco,
old-time country string band and Irish dance music. The attack
they bring to these interwoven acoustic styles might as well
be called sheer rock and roll. Their unique sound has also
earned them a Juno Award, two Folk Alliance awards, and an
Americana Music Association nomination for Best Emerging Artists.
Recently,
The Duhks were nominated for their first Grammy award in the
"Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal"
category for their song, "Heaven's My Home"!! Also
nominated in this category are The Dixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts,
Little Big Town, and The Wreckers. Best of luck to Tania and
the rest of the Duhks at the Grammies!
What
environmental issue(s) do you consider to be the most critical
at this time?
That is
a difficult question because everything is connected. Global
warming is getting a lot more press lately, but it is a symptom,
and not a root cause of our problems.
Two examples
of issues I think are critical are the protection of water,
and responsible forest management. From the world's deep-ocean
ecosystems on the high seas to the
ecosystems of bays, rivers and lakes, the protection of water
is one of the most critical issues at this time. Responsible
forest management is also something that we humans need to
start practicing everywhere - conscious forestry based on
ecological
sustainability that conserves the ecosystems that we are taking
trees from, including [management of] streams and rivers.
What
has inspired you to combine environmental activism with your
music?
My desire
to see my grandchildren live full, healthy, happy lives. The
reasons I am here are to make music, to help people to be
happy and to make positive change in their lives.
Where
is your favorite place in nature to go to find solace or inspiration?
I love
Vancouver Island. As soon as I arrive, I feel at home. I hope
I am able to spend more time there in the near future. There
are a lot of great hiking trails that I would like to hike
this year.
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Rockin the Earth on Jam Cruise: Photo
RtE
Staffer Pari Beigi, Board Member Lori Gray,
and President Marc Ross on Jam Cruise 5.
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