5 questions for Guster's Adam Gardner

John Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News

Published June 16, 2007 at midnight

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Adam Gardner's night job is singing and playing guitar in Guster, the entertaining Massachusetts-born pop-roots band. During the day, Gardner devotes time to Reverb, an organization he and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, launched. Recently, while on tour in Europe, Gardner e-mailed answers to questions from Rocky writer John Lehndorff.

Rocky: In an ideal world, how would rock concerts be handled so they had zero carbon impact?

Gardner: Short of fans watching "virtual concerts" on their computers, an absolute zero impact is next to impossible. However, much can be done. Fossil fuels burned from band/ fan travel and the electricity used at concert venues are the big-ticket items. Ideally, fans carpool or take buses. They can also neutralize their carbon emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits. Money collected goes to build renewable energy sources.

Rocky: Was there a seminal moment that sparked your commitment to the greening of rock?

Gardner: My wife has been an environmentalist for as long as I've been in rock 'n' roll - over 15 years. In 2004, she and I melded our two worlds and formed Reverb as part of the ARIA Foundation started in 1998 by Bonnie Raitt's manager, Kathy Kane. Reverb helps bands go green and conducts outreach at the shows. We've greened over 25 major tours including Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Fray.

Rocky: What are the most effective things musicians can do to offset their impact on the environment?

Gardner: The two biggies: using biodiesel and neutralizing carbon emissions from power used at shows. Other ways range from using rechargeable batteries on stage to using nontoxic cleaners in the bus, to biodegradable utensils to eco-friendly merchandise to low-flush toilets to . . . well, you get the idea.

Rocky: Has the Gore movie made it easier for you to interest musicians in the cause?

Gardner: An Inconvenient Truth drastically changed the conversation. The conversation went from "Does global warming exist?" to "What can I do to stop global warming?"

Rocky: How have you gotten the message through to audiences? Isn't there a fine line between informing and preaching?

Gardner: Reverb and Guster have two big philosophical commandments: 1. Thou shalt not preach! 2. Thou shalt not be a buzzkill! It's all about enhancing the concert experience, not doomsday rhetoric.

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