What are your thoughts on the current environmental movement?
MARK: I think it’s great there finally is movement. When Neal and I first started putting events together, we were building carbon neutrality into everything. That was in 2001, before words like “carbon neutrality” were even in anyone’s head. So to see that green is part of the mainstream and to see some real change, it’s incredible.
NEAL: It’s very exciting to see the momentum created around it, but I think it’s a little bit frightening as well, like when I get calls from ad agencies in New York that are pretty ignorant to the entire market – it’s something they’re trying to sell as opposed to something they really believe. The worst thing that could happen is that it blows up into a fad and then goes out of style before change is actually made. We need to evolve from this place of education to a place of designing and manufacturing change. Right now you almost need a filter for what is “green.”
One of your selling points is that you offer 100% pollution-free concerts. How do you make that happen?
NEAL: Our stages are designed to run the entire concert on solar. You have solar energy collected from solar panels which are then stored in batteries. In the event we’ve got wind or weather issues, we’ve got enough power to do a show for 9 hours. So we have a base of solar power which we’ve accented with wind power and also algae sequestration technology, where we use algae to clean emissions from biodiesel engines [which we use to generate some additional power, if necessary].
Do you think it’s possible to power everything on solar?
NEAL: It’s not that we use a certain kind of energy, but that we design for efficiency. Our first sound system was completely custom built. Every component we chose for efficiency. At the same time, you’re not giving up any level of quality. That’s where it really begins: making solar possible by designing for efficiency. That’s where the world needs to go before you answer that question. The second step is educating people and getting them beyond awareness of the environmental impact of energy and its cost. Sometimes I think the only reason anyone turns off their lights is because it costs them money at the end of the month.
|
Whether we like it or not, though, money does make the world go ‘round. As entrepreneurs in this field, what’s your take on the influence of alternative energy and green economics on our current economy?
NEAL: What is the difference between green economics and economics? There is no difference. There are new green businesses and investments in green space, but the reality is we have no valuation system for any of our natural resources. It’s like what we’re starting to see now with carbon trading, it’s an attempt to place value on air quality. It’s exciting to see all this totally evolve into a global economy where every country in the world is responsible for the emissions they have, the garbage they put in the earth, and what’s in the water as it flows downstream. It’s not until you start losing all the resources in the world that these things actually become valuable. You take a look at the global system and really redefine what economics is all about. That’s what sustainability is. It’s not just economics, but how we can sustainably live on this planet.
MARK: If you take the example of a festival or event, it seems they quarantine one area to the “green” section, and I think we need to move away from that and to integrate it into every part of the event. That idea applies to businesses in general. I think triple bottom line is a great example of how businesses now can gauge their success, not only on the financial bottom line but also what they’re doing for society or for bettering the environment.
For one final question, what’s your biggest inspiration in life?
MARK: My 2-year-old son, he’s my biggest inspiration. It’s so refreshing to wake up to someone who’s always smiling. Also, Neal and I are in a fortunate place – I get up, I go to work, and I don’t even know if I can call it work. I just love what I’m doing, and hey, it’s something good for the planet. It’s a win-win all the way around.
NEAL: For me, it’s cool to watch our little company grow - we have 15 employees now. It’s also amazing to have something that Mark and I started together and, now, to see how passionate our guys have become about doing what they’re doing. And then there are people who see our work and think it’s really cool. It’s so nice to work on something that people appreciate.
► Sustainable Waves
|