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Rockin’ in the Green World
The Music Lover’s Guide to Going Green

Rothbury – The Greenest Music Festival of Them All?

Photo via Rothbury

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the greenest music festival of them all? This year I’m placing my bets on Rothbury. Now in its second year, the music festival – which just wrapped up its four-day stint yesterday in Rothbury, Michigan – calls itself a “party with a purpose.”

True to its tagline, Rothbury does all the important green event stuff like reducing waste, recycling, composting, using clean energy, promoting carpooling, and more. But what sets this music festival apart from its peers is the Think Tank, an event within the event that offers concert attendees the opportunity to discuss pressing environmental problems and potential solutions with scientists, scholars, writers, politicians, corporate leaders, activists, and artists. This year’s theme? Joining the new green economy.

It’s not all talk either. In addition to panel discussions, Rothbury features how-to workshops that covers topics like finding a green job, making your home and office energy efficient, growing your own organic food, and becoming an eco-fashionista.

For those of you interested in the  music – and why wouldn’t you be with superstars like the Dead, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson topping the bill- you can view photos and watch videos of the festival’s highlights here.

How To: Break Free from CDs

Photo by sun dazed via Flickr

You’ve taken the first step and found new homes for all your old jewel cases. Now you’re admiring binder after binder of CDs on your bookshelf and scratching your head thinking, “when was the last time I actually played a CD?”

Um, probably a looong time ago. Digital downloads, computers, and iPods have made the CD virtually obsolete. You now realize your CDs are just taking up precious space. But what’s the best way to get rid of them?

CDs are made of petroleum-based plastics, metals, dyes, and lacquers. Not something you really want sitting around in a landfill, or worse yet, burnt to a crisp in an incinerator. Because they’re made of so many different materials, CDs are also hard to recycle.

But all hope is not lost. If you’re thinking about parting ways with some or (gasp!) all of your CDs, follow these simple tips for a smooth, eco-friendly transition into the digital age:

1. Create a digital library. Okay, kids. I am not going to insult your musical intelligence and will assume you’ve heard of a little thing called iTunes. For you nonconformists, there are plenty of music management alternatives out there like Songbird, JetAudio, and Rockbox that will convert your precious Bikini Kill and Dead Kennedys CDs to mp3s without having to sell out to the man. For most of us, though, it’s a simple matter of finishing what we started. So get going!

2. BACK IT UP! Uploading CDs to your computer is time-consuming and not particularly pleasant. Do you want to do it all over again if your computer crashes? Didn’t think so. Do yourself a favor and buy an external drive for about $100 and back up your digital library. Just remember to repeat the back-up process periodically so any new music you amass is accounted for.

3. Make some cash. The greenest thing you can do for the environment and your wallet is to sell your CDs to someone who is still stuck in the ’90s. Sometimes it’s easier to go straight to the middleman and get some cash for your old CDs at your local music store. If you’re too embarrassed to hawk your Backstreet Boys CDs to a real live person, try online resellers like SecondSpin and Half.com.

4. Get crafty or donate. CDs can be the building blocks for iPod docks, solar cookers, and 10 lb dumbells. Try out a few DIY CD projects yourself. Post your leftovers on Freecycle or Craigslist for others to salvage. Heck, if you find a DIY idea you really dig but don’t think you have the skills to pull it off, commission someone else to make it for you.

5. Recycle. As a last resort, ask your city or county solid waste office if there are any recyclers in your area that accept CDs. Don’t forget that Greendisk will also take up to 20 lbs of your old jewel cases, CDs, and other electronic waste for $7 (plus shipping).

The most important part, however, is putting yourself on a CD-free diet from this point forward. It’s okay to cheat sometimes – for that box set you just gotta have or to support a small indie band. But for the most part, buy digital whenever possible.