Wal-Mart
to Stop Selling Cypress Mulch!
 In
what amounts to a partial victory for Rock the Earth and our
partners at the Gulf Restoration Network, Wal-Mart has
announced that they will no longer be selling cypress mulch
originating from Louisiana. In May, 2007, Rock the Earth
brought to your attention the importance of saying NO to cypress
mulch. Since that time, we have been educating people across
the country about the negative implications associated with
the clear-cutting of cypress forests for cypress garden mulch.
In the process, hundreds of folks stopping by Rock the Earth
booths this summer have signed postcards urging Wal-mart,
Lowe’s and Home Depot chains to stop the practice of
buying cypress much, given the fact that cypress trees have
difficulty regenerating in the constantly flooded coastal
areas of Louisiana.
Continue
reading this article »
For more
info visit Save
Our Cypress Coalition.
»
Back To Top
Our
Fourth Summer-- the Most Diverse Yet
RtE Intern Melissa Plotkin educating at Ozzfest |
This past
week, Rock the Earth concluded its fourth Summer Education
and Outreach Tour with our most diverse lineup of musicians
yet. Over the course of the summer, RtE volunteers and interns
toured with the Warped Tour, Ozzy Osbourne and Ozzfest,
Incubus, the Allman Brothers Band, worked concerts
by the Indigo Girls, String Cheese Incident,
Michael Franti and Spearhead, and were present at seven
festivals, including Summer Camp, Bonnaroo,
High Sierra Music Festival and Gathering of the
Vibes.
Most recently,
Rock the Earth completed our second summer tour with the Dave
Matthews Band! One of the more popular bands
in the history of rock, RtE volunteers engaged sell-out crowds
throughout the Southeast, educating them about important environmental
issues while signing up dozens of new members. The DMB increased
its commitment multi-fold to environmental sustainability
and education. In 2006, Rock the Earth was the ONLY
environmental organization to work the tour. This year, the
DMB engaged our friends at Reverb
to bring entire eco-villages of nonprofits and for-profit
green businesses on the tour as well, creating greater consciousness
and more avenues of activism for DMB fans! Further, Reverb
also has arranged it so that nearly all tour vehicles and
busses are being fueled with cleaner-burning biodiesel. Our
thanks to Dave and Reverb for bringing us along for the ride.
RtE
Intern Marissa Stern and
new RtE Member Bill Ecktor
from Hittin' the Note |
Hundreds
of new members joined Rock the Earth between May and September
and we had a presence at more than 100 concert dates. Meanwhile,
thousands of concerned fans filled out postcards protesting
Wal-Mart’s, Lowe’s and Home Depot’s sale of
cypress mulch, leading to Wal-Mart agreeing to not purchase
mulch from cypress trees in the Gulf Region (see
above). Thanks to everyone who volunteered their
time at Rock the Earth booths and tables around the United
States and especially those who opened their homes to our
touring interns. Special thanks to our touring interns:
Sarah Tell, Stephanie Mansolf, Parry Ernsberger,
Leah Festa, Marissa Stern, Melissa Plotkin
and Michael Kaiz.
For the
latest stories, pictures, and reviews from the road, check
out the Rock the Earth tour journal.
»
Back To Top
Rock
the Earth Continues Battle for Grand Canyon Wilderness
 On
September 4, 2007, legal representatives for a coalition of
groups challenging the Grand Canyon National Park Colorado
River Management Plan filed reply briefs in the U.S. district
court for the District of Arizona. The Plan was challenged
just days after the Plan was finalized in March 2006. The
groups challenging the park's commercialized motorized river
plan include four nonprofit organizations: Rock the Earth,
River Runners for Wilderness, Wilderness Watch, and Living
Rivers. A
copy of the full 59-page brief can be read in its entirety
here.
Legal
representation for Rock the Earth is being provided by Julia
Olson of Wild Earth Advocates and Matthew Bishop of the Western
Environmental Law Center.
Continue
reading this article »
»
Back To Top
Rockin’
the Northwest String Summit with Trees
 One
stop on this summer’s tour was the 6th annual Northwest
String Summit in North Plains, OR. Three beautiful
days of music and camping at the famous Horning’s Hideout
made this stop not only a relaxed and fun-filled weekend for
festival-goers, but also a huge success for Rock the Earth.
 On
Friday, Rock the Earth greeted our friends surrounded by free
trees ready to be taken home, in pots and buckets donated
by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. On
Saturday, kids and parents were led on an interpretive and
interactive nature walk through Horning’s Hideout by
RtE Volunteer Staffer and tree pathologist, Amy Ramsey. The
nature walk included topics concerning native and non-native
vegetation, the importance of riparian habitats, and the pros,
cons, and alternatives to cutting trees for wood products.
On Sunday, two lucky RtE donors won Yonder Mountain String
Band autographed festival posters, and everyone had big smiles
on their faces when fans picked up their trees to take home.
Overall
throughout the weekend, more than a dozen people became Rock
the Earth members, 100 people took home free Douglas-fir
tree seedlings, two people won Yonder Mountain String
Band autographed festival posters, and kids at the festival
got to see a real live snake on the RtE led nature walk. On
top of all of this, TicketsWest donated $.25 of every ticket
sold for the festival to Rock the Earth, raising over $400
additional dollars for RtE! Folks in the Northwest certainly
know how to Rock the Earth!
»
Back To Top
 Allman
Brothers Poster Auction
In honor
of our second successful summer tour with the Allman Brothers
Band, we have a very special auction item -- a signed Rock
the Earth Summer Tour 2007 print, signed and numbed (14/250)
by poster artist Ryan Kerrigan and signed by all of
the members of the Allman Brothers Band! This rare collectable
is one of only 3 RtE posters signed by the ABB. To
bid on this item, go here!
»
Back To Top
In
the Key of Green: Break the Trash
Habit
 Americans
continue to generate absurd amounts of trash, and recycling
is still limited to select materials and areas of the country.
While we encourage you to be aware of what you buy and the
packages that materials come in, sometimes we have to recycle.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre fans received a huge boost this summer
when the amphitheatre began a new recycling program both inside
and outside the venue. Used bottles and cans are only the
tip of the iceberg, however. Our friends at Co-op America
have come up with an incredibly handy
list of 21 items that most people didn’t
even know they could recycle. What do you do with those annoying
foam packing peanuts? How about your used CDs? Tennis shoes?
Co-op America has the solutions. Visit Co-op
America.
»
Back To Top
Do
You Hear An Echo???
 A
new festival hits the Atlanta area this October and Rock the
Earth is involved. The
Echo Project, a dynamic music festival with
a strong environmental message, will occur at the Bouchaert
Farm on the banks of the Chattahoochie River, Oct. 12-14,
and will feature bands as diverse as The Killers, The
Flaming Lips, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Roots,
Michael Franti & Spearhead and many more. Rock
the Earth will not only be educating and activating the crowd
with our interactive informational booth in the “Eco-System”
nonprofit area, but RtE Executive Director, Marc Ross, will
be leading artists and activists in a series of interviews
and discussions on “Social Change Through Music.”
Join us for three days of entertainment, community building,
and environmental awareness.
»
Back To Top
Attention
RtE Members!
The energy
and passion of Rock the Earth's members are at the heart of
our strength. To those who have come on board over the past
summer--know how much we appreciate your commitment and support!
For those
of you who have been with us for a year or more--You will
probably be getting a phone call over the next several weeks
from one of our volunteers or staff members who will fill
you in on all the ways your help has made a difference. We
hope you'll consider extending
your support into the coming year.
Also:
RtE Members Save $20 on Joshua
Tree Roots Music Festival
Saturday Oct 20th & Sunday Oct 21st 2007
 The
2nd annual Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival is happening October
20 & 21 in the shadows of the infamous National Park.
This rootsicana newgrassy folkadelic experience is for music
loving souls of all ages. Music is continuous, alternating
on two stages in one bowl, creating an intimate festival experience.
Plenty of on site camping. Dance under the stars and howl
at the moon in the magical Mojave! The 2007 Lineup includes
Hot Buttered Rum, The Avett Brothers, Uncle
Earl, Greencards, Dan Bern, South Austin
Jug Band, Jake Shimabukuro, and many others. RtE
Members can purchase 2-day passes for $45 – a savings
of $20! For more information or to purchase tickets at this
Members-Only price, write to info@rocktheearth.org
by Oct. 15!
»
Back To Top
Lara
Pearson Rocks the Earth: Interview
 Lara
Pearson is an avid music fan, outdoor enthusiast, and environmentally
conscious intellectual property attorney. Lara has practiced
IP law exclusively for 8 years and represents a wide range
of clients, while focusing on three primary communities--
the live music community, the LOHAS community, and the Tahoe
regional community. Lara is the founder and president of the
Law Office of Lara Pearson, Ltd., which opened in July, 2002
in order to combine Lara’s passions for live music and
the great outdoors with her passion for practicing intellectual
property law. Lara serves as the Secretary of the Board of
1%
for the Planet, and on the Advisory Board of
Rock the Earth; she also performs pro-bono legal services
for several non-profit clients including 1% FTP, RtE, HeadCount,
Conservation Value and The Tahoe Rim Trail Association. In
addition to practicing IP law and volunteering, Lara enjoys
playing outside, especially hiking, road biking, climbing,
snowboarding, and, of course, seeing live music.
What
environmental issue(s) do you consider to be the most critical
at this time?
Apathy.
Personal and corporate apathy makes all of our problems, especially
those affecting the natural environment, worse. We all have
a responsibility to acknowledge the seriousness of the problems
our natural environment faces and to take action to reduce
or reverse our contribution to those problems. Apathy is the
problem, but education and action are the solution.
What
has inspired you to combine environmental activism with your
music?
Music
and activism being two of my passions, they naturally combined
(along with some of my other passions) to form a focus of
my life. Music has the power to reach so many people and inspire
them to action. It makes sense for enviro groups such as RtE
and 1% for the Planet to work together with musicians, promoters
and venues to make a difference in their conduct and to help
get the message out to the rest of the community, including
the fans.
Where
is your favorite place in nature to go to find solace or inspiration?
Right
here, at home at majestic Lake Tahoe.
»
Back To Top
Rockin'
the Earth with Warren Haynes: Photo
RtE
Volunteer Staffer Sara Pekar and Warren Haynes
at the Allman Brothers Band, Rosemont IL (2007).
»
Back To Top
|
