The Ragbirds is an eco-friendly band that takes the environment into consideration through their production and tours. Photo provided by Randall Moore, Ragbirds Tour Manager.

By Amanda Norris, CG Lifestyles & People

Music may be good for the soul, but it’s not usually considered good for the earth. The music industry is seen as apathetic towards the environment at best and, at worst, actively destructive towards it.

Touring bands rack up carbon emissions with every gig. Outdoor festivals – a staple of the industry – wreck ecological havoc upon the festival grounds, not to mention the waste generated by festival and concert attendees – plastic water bottles and beer cans are just a few examples.

Luckily, bands like the Ragbirds are seeking to change this dynamic.

The Ragbirds play about 200 shows in 40 different states each year. While on tour, they conduct sustainability workshops at festivals. They travel not just to spread their music, but also their environmental agenda.

However, the Ragbirds’ involvement in the music industry soon caused a moral dilemma. By their own estimates, these tours rack up between 50,000 and 80,000 miles each year. This high mileage was taking its toll both on the environment and the band’s conscience until 2008, when they decided to make a drastic change.

In October 2008, the Ragbirds parted ways with their aging, polluting gas van and opted for a Ford E-350 diesel van instead. Later, the band had Full Circle Fuels of Oberlin, Ohio convert the van to run on vegetable oil waste.

The decision to convert to vegetable oil waste was economically terrifying for the Ragbirds as an independent band but, as percussionist Randall Moore explained, it was something that they felt they had to do.

“It was sort of a catch-22,” Moore said. “We were driving around talking about being sustainable, but we weren’t really walking the walk.”

Converting their van is not the only step this band has taken in favor of sustainability.

All of the Ragbirds’ CDs are produced with recycled plastic, and the liner notes are all printed with vegetable-based ink on recycled paper. The plastic packaging for their latest release is made from recycled plastic water bottles – buying one saves eight small plastic water bottles from the landfill.

These production changes have meant obvious changes in planning and budgeting for proceeding record releases. But in terms of touring and living sustainably, Moore says that it is the little things that count.

“We request that there be no bottled water in our dressing rooms. We use our own stainless-steel bottles,” Moore explained. “That’s a little thing – but it’s a big thing.”

While on tour, the Ragbirds pack as much of their own food as they can. According to Moore, they try to avoid fast food and factory farming as much as possible, opting instead to shop locally and visit co-ops while on the road.

Whether they are posting eco-friendly links to their website or conducting sustainability workshops at music festivals, the Ragbirds are trying to do their part for the environment.

When asked about the role of musicians regarding environmental issues, Moore said, “It’s important for everyone but for musicians especially, because you have a public platform to speak from and influence. We aren’t trying to be preachy, we’re just trying to get the word out.”

For more information on alternative fuel systems like the one the Ragbirds use, visit http://www.fullcirclefuels.com/ and http://www.goldenfuelsystems.com/