Introduction

When music bands tour, it comes at a cost to the environment. Huge amounts of carbon are generated when the musicians and fans travel the world to attend a gig. But now some bands are trying to develop a?blueprint for performers and artists who want to continue what they do but reduce their environmental impact. In 6 Minute English we discuss some of the ideas and teach some useful related vocabulary.

This week's question

One British band recently announced they would stop going on tour until they were 100% carbon neutral, but which band? Was it:

a) The 1975

b) The Rolling Stones, or

c) Coldplay

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript?

Neil

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Rob

And I’m Rob.

Neil

I’ve been reading about ways to protect the environment, Rob, and I’ve decided to eat less meat. And maybe drive my car less too.

Rob

Good for you, Neil! And flying less can also help reduce air pollution.

Neil

Right. Flying and driving less are two good ways to combat climate change because they reduce your?carbon footprint?– that’s the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities.

Rob

The idea of reducing carbon emissions is catching on in the music industry too. Bands and artists who go on tour around the world generate large carbon footprints.

Neil

So recently some music groups like Massive Attack and Green Day started thinking about ways to reduce the impact their tours are having on the environment.

Rob

Ha! Green Day – what a good name for a band trying to be environmentally friendly!

Neil

Today we’ll be finding out about bands and musicians who want to continue going on tour but do it in ways which reduce their environmental impact. And of course we’ll be learning some related vocabulary on the way.

Rob

So, it seems like the days of rock and roll stars flying around the world in private jets may soon be a thing of the past.

Neil

Indeed, Rob, and that brings me neatly to my quiz question. One British band recently announced they would stop going on tour until they were 100% carbon neutral, but which band? Was it:

a)????The 1975

b)????The Rolling Stones, or

c)?????Coldplay

Rob

Well, Coldplay had a hit with their song The Scientist, and we are talking about carbon dioxide and the climate, so I’ll?say c) Coldplay.

Neil

Good thinking, Rob! We’ll find out the answer later. But first let’s hear from another artist concerned about her carbon impact. Fay Milton is the drummer of the band Savages and co-founder of the climate pressure group Music Declares Emergency. She spoke to BBC Radio 4’s programme You & Yours:

Fay Milton

This year I have actually?turned down?a tour. My income comes from touring so it has put me in a bit of a?precarious situation?but I actually feel quite good about it – it feels like?the right thing to do?in this moment.

Neil

Even though Fay earns a living as a drummer by going on tour, she has started to?turn?them?down?– meaning to reject or refuse the offer of touring.

Rob

Losing the income she usually gets from touring puts Fay in?a precarious situation?– a situation where things could become difficult, in this case financially difficult, because she isn’t making money from playing the drums.

Neil

But she still wants to?do the right thing?– in other words, do what is most fair, ethical and just. For Fay, fighting climate change is even more important than doing what she loves – going on tour with the band.

Rob

Well, good for her! I’m not sure if I’d be so committed as Fay. But if bands stopped touring altogether, fans wouldn’t get to see?gigs?– or live concerts and hear the music?they?love.

Neil

Well, that’s an interesting point because it might be possible for bands to carry on touring and also reduce their environmental impact at the same time. Bristol band, Massive Attack, want to do exactly that. Their singer Robert Del Naja explains:

Robert Del Naja

We’re working with an electric bus company. We’re going to look at all the energy being renewable and obviously the power we can create will go back to?the grid, so we’re hoping we can actually create legacy green infrastructure which can then power future gigs. We plan to travel to Europe solely by train, with the band, the crewand all the gear.

Rob

Swapping tour planes for trains and encouraging fans to travel to gigs by bus are two good ways to reduce the total carbon footprint of the concert.

Neil

And by using renewable energy, the gig can create power. This can then be put back into the national grid, called?the grid?for short – the network supplying electrical power across a country.

Rob

Well, Massive Attack are certainly ticking all the green boxes, Neil, but who else is doing a good job? Remember your quiz question earlier?

Neil

Ah, yes. I asked which band has decided to stop touring until their tours were carbon neutral and you said?

Rob

I said c) Coldplay.

Neil

And you were right! Are you a Coldplay fan, Rob? Just remember to leave your car at home the next time you go to their gig!

Rob

Right! Today, we’ve been looking at some of the ways music bands and artists are trying to fight climate change. They want to reduce their?carbon footprint?– the amount of carbon they release into the air.

Neil

Some musicians are starting to?turn down?– or refuse, long world tour dates because flying from country to country playing?gigs?– or live musical concerts, generates so much carbon dioxide.

Rob

Bands like Savages, Green Day and Massive Attack are trying to?do the right thing?-?taking the most fair and ethical course of action, even though for some artists, the income lost from not touring puts them in a?precarious?– or difficult situation.

Neil

But when they get it right, bands can be carbon neutral or even generate power which can be put back into the national grid?– the network supplying electrical power across a country.

Rob

All of which means we can ‘keep on rocking’ into the next century without increasing carbon emissions and adding to climate change.

Neil

So, Rob, you could say you were ‘born to run’… on renewable energy!

Rob

Ha-ha! Very funny, Neil. That’s all for today but remember to join us again soon for more topical discussions and vocabulary from 6 Minute English, here at BBC Learning English.

Neil

Thanks for listening and bye!

Rob

Bye.

Vocabulary

1.carbon footprint

the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities.

2.turn down

reject or refuse an offer of something

3.a precarious situation

a situation where things could become difficult or dangerous

4.do the right thing

do what is most fair, ethical or just.

5.gig

live concert played by a music band

6.the (national) grid

the network supplying electrical power across a country

雙語版Transcript

Neil

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

大家好，這里是BBC教學英語的六分鐘英語，我是尼爾。

Rob

And I'm Rob.

我是羅伯。

Neil

I’ve been reading about ways to protect the environment, Rob, and I’ve decided to eat less meat. And maybe drive my car less too.

我一直在閱讀保護環(huán)境的方法，因此我決定少吃肉，也許少開車。

Rob

Good for you, Neil! And flying less can also help reduce air pollution.

減少飛行也有助于減少空氣污染。

Neil

Right. Flying and driving less are two good ways to combat climate change because they reduce your carbon footprint – that’s the amount of carbon dioxide or CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities.

少乘飛機和少乘車是應對氣候變化的好辦法---它們可以減少你的碳足跡 carbon footprint–它是你日?；顒铀尫诺酱髿庵械亩趸嫉牧?。

Rob

The idea of reducing carbon emissions?is catching?on in the music industry too. Bands and artists who?go on tour?around the world generate large carbon footprints.

減少碳排放的想法在音樂界也很流行。世界巡演的樂隊和藝術家會產(chǎn)生大量的碳足跡。

Neil

So recently some music groups like Massive Attack and Green Day started thinking about ways to reduce the impact their tours are having on the environment.

最近像Massive Attack和Green Day之類的一些音樂團體開始思考如何減少巡演對環(huán)境的影響。

Rob

Ha! Green Day – what a good name for a band trying to be?environmentally friendly!

哈！Green Day-多合適的名字，對于一個環(huán)境友好型的樂隊來說！

Neil

Today we’ll be finding out about bands and musicians who want to continue going on tour but do it in ways which reduce their environmental impact. And of course we’ll be learning some related vocabulary on the way.

今天我們將找來一些樂隊和音樂家，他們希望繼續(xù)巡回演出，但要以減少環(huán)境影響的方式進行。當然，我們還將在此過程中學習一些相關的詞匯。

Rob

So, it seems like the days of rock and roll stars flying around the world in private jets may soon be a thing of the past.

看來，乘私人飛機滿世界飛的搖滾明星的時代可能很快成為過去。

Neil

Indeed, Rob, and that brings me neatly to my quiz question. One British band recently announced they would stop going on tour until they were 100%?

, but which band? Was it:

a)The 1975

b)The Rolling Stones, or

c) Coldplay

那使我想到了我的測驗問題。一支英國樂隊最近宣布，他們將停止巡回演出，直到100％碳中和為止，但是哪個樂隊呢？是：

a）1975?

b）滾石

c）酷玩

Rob

Well, Coldplay had a hit with their song The Scientist, and we are talking about carbon dioxide and the climate, so I’ll say c) Coldplay.

Coldplay的歌曲《The Scientist》大受歡迎，我們談論的是二氧化碳和氣候，所以我要說c）Coldplay。

Neil

Good thinking, Rob! We’ll find out the answer later. But first let’s hear from another artist concerned about her carbon impact. Fay Milton is the drummer of the band Savages and co-founder of the climate pressure group Music Declares Emergency. She spoke to BBC Radio 4’s programme You & Yours:

我們稍后會找到答案。但是首先讓我們聽聽另一位關注碳影響的藝術家。Fay Milton是Savages樂隊的鼓手，也是氣候壓力組織Music Declares Emergency的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人。她在BBC電臺4的節(jié)目You & Yours中說：

Fay Milton

This year I have actually turned down a tour. My income comes from touring so it has put me in a bit of a precarious situation but I actually feel quite good about it – it feels like the right thing to do in this moment.

今年，我實際上拒絕了巡回演出。我的收入來自巡回演出，這使我處于一種不穩(wěn)定的境地，但實際上，我對此感覺很好–感覺這是正確的選擇。

Neil

Even though Fay?earns a living?as a drummer by going on tour, she has started to turn them down?– meaning to reject or refuse the offer of touring.

雖然Fay靠巡演當鼓手謀生，她已經(jīng)取消了turn them down—拒接巡演的機會。

Rob

Losing the income she usually gets from touring puts Fay in a precarious situation – a situation where things could become difficult, in this case financially difficult, because she isn’t making money from playing the drums.

失去了從巡演獲得的收入，這使Fay處于不穩(wěn)定的precarious境地，在這種情況下事情可能變得艱難，這里指財務困難，因為她沒有從打鼓中賺錢。

Neil

But she still wants to do the right thing – in other words, do what is most fair, ethical and just. For Fay,?fighting climate change?is even more important than doing what she loves – going on tour with the band.

但她仍然想做正確的事情do the right thing -換句話說，做最公平，道德和公正的事情。對于Fay來說，對抗氣候變化比做自己喜歡做的事-與樂隊一起巡回演出-更重要。

Rob

Well, good for her! I’m not sure if I’d be so c as Fay. But if bands stopped touring altogether, fans wouldn’t get to see gigs – or live concerts and hear the music they love.

我不確定我是否會像Fay那樣堅定。但是，如果所有樂隊都停止巡演，那么歌迷就不會去看(演奏)gigs---或現(xiàn)場音樂會，聽他們喜歡的音樂。

Neil

Well, that’s an interesting point because it might be possible for bands to carry on touring and also reduce their environmental impact at the same time. Bristol band, Massive Attack, want to do exactly that. Their singer Robert Del Naja explains:

這很有趣，因為樂隊進行巡回演出的同時減少對環(huán)境的影響，這是有可能的。布里斯托爾樂隊Massive Attack想要做到這一點。他們的歌手Robert Del Naja解釋說：

Robert Del Naja

We’re working with an electric bus company. We’re going to look at all the energy being renewable and obviously the power we can create will go back to the grid, so we’re hoping we can actually create legacy green infrastructure which can then power future gigs. We plan to travel to Europe solely by train, with the band, the crew and all the gear.

我們正在與一家電動巴士公司合作。我們將研究所有可再生能源，我們創(chuàng)造的能源將重新回到電網(wǎng)，所以希望我們可以創(chuàng)建傳統(tǒng)綠色基礎設施為將來的演出供電。我們計劃去歐洲只乘火車，帶樂隊、成員和所有裝備。

Rob

Swapping tour planes for trains and encouraging fans to travel to gigs by bus are two good ways to reduce the total carbon footprint of the concert.

由飛機改乘火車，鼓勵粉絲乘公交車來現(xiàn)場，是減少音樂會總碳足跡的兩種好方法。

Neil

And by using?renewable energy, the gig can create power. This can then be put back into the national grid, called the grid for short – the network supplying electrical power across a country.

通過使用可再生能源，演出可以創(chuàng)造電力。這可以被放回國家電網(wǎng)，簡稱為the grid–為國家提供電力的網(wǎng)絡。

Rob

Well, Massive Attack are certainly?ticking all the green boxes, Neil, but who else is doing a good job? Remember your quiz question earlier?

Massive Attack肯定在勾選所有環(huán)保選項，尼爾，但還有誰做得很好？還記得你的測驗問題嗎？

Neil

Ah, yes. I asked which band has decided to stop touring until their tours were carbon neutral and you said?

是的。我問哪個樂隊決定停止巡回演出，直到他們的巡回演出達到碳中和為止，你說呢？

Rob

I said c) Coldplay.

我說c）酷玩樂隊。

Neil

And you were right! Are you a Coldplay fan, Rob? Just remember to leave your car at home the next time you go to their gig!

你說得對！你是酷玩樂隊的粉絲嗎，羅布？請記住，下次去看他們的演出時，把車留在家中！

Rob

Right! Today, we’ve been looking at some of the ways music bands and artists are trying to fight climate change. They want to reduce their carbon footprint – the amount of carbon they release into the air.

對！今天，我們一直在研究樂隊和藝術家應對氣候變化的一些方式。他們希望減少碳足跡carbon footprint -釋放到空氣中的碳量。

Neil

Some musicians are starting to turn down – or refuse, long world tour dates because flying from country to country playing gigs – or live musical concerts, generates so much carbon dioxide.

有些音樂家也開始turn down 拒絕-長時間世界巡演，因為飛來飛去辦gig -現(xiàn)場音樂會，會產(chǎn)生大量二氧化碳。

Rob

Bands like Savages, Green Day and Massive Attack are trying to do the right thing -?taking the most fair and ethical course of action, even though for some artists, the income lost from not touring puts them in a precarious – or difficult situation.

Savages，Green Day和Massive Attack等樂隊都在嘗試do the right thing -采取最公平和道德的做法，即使對于某些藝術家來說，由于不巡回演出而損失的收入使他們財務不穩(wěn)定precarious—處于困難的境地。

Neil

But when they get it right, bands can be carbon neutral or even generate power which can be put back into the national grid – the network supplying electrical power across a country.

當他們做對了，樂隊可以是碳中性的，甚至可以發(fā)電，然后再輸回國家電網(wǎng)the national grid– 全國范圍內(nèi)的電力供應網(wǎng)絡。

Rob

All of which means we can ‘keep on rocking’ into the next century without increasing carbon emissions and adding to climate change.

所有這一切意味著，我們可以在不增加碳排放量、不加劇氣候變化的情況下“繼續(xù)搖滾”到下一個世紀。

Neil

So, Rob, you could say you were ‘born to run’… on renewable energy!

你可以說你天生就是要運用可再生能源！

Rob

Ha-ha! Very funny, Neil. That’s all for today but remember to join us again soon for more topical discussions and vocabulary from 6 Minute English, here at BBC Learning English.

很好笑，尼爾。這就是今天的全部內(nèi)容，但是請記住要再次加入我們！

Neil

Thanks for listening and bye!

感謝你的收聽，再見！