--Fuji Rock Festival Co2 Zero Emission Statement--

This year's FRF is little bit different from previous years. It will become Japan's first completely Carbon-Neutral Event. Every single process of human life produces carbon dioxide (Co2) which causes the green house effect, and everybody now knows that the environment of planet Earth is changing rapidly. If we allow the green house effect to continue, the global temperature will continue to rise. If this happens, sea-surface levels will rise, drought damage will increase and infectious diseases will be able to find new and horrible ways to spread. It is no joke that a dramatic shift in nature is taking place now, just like when dinosaurs became extinct.

You may feel that components of this apocalyptic vision are too complex, or that you don't know what to do. Or you may be feeling that there's no reason to fuss about such things. You might have believed that environmental issues are for big organizations like the government to take care of. Not true. This issue is deeply related to you and everyone else. It is true that politicians from all over the world talk how to measures the green house effects at the international conferences every year. But the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol is getting more and more difficult (thanks to the wonderful team effort of a certain country ﾐ usually written as three letters). Furthermore, the factors and components of such a huge issue can sometimes be too difficult and technical for ordinary people to understand.

The Future Forests project, which FRF supports, has made the action plan simple, easy and understandable for everyone. They have said: "We just need to plant trees."

Future Forest's activity is brief itself. To counteract the negative effects of Co2 (which they call "Carbon-Neutralization"), they plant trees that absorb Co2. The trees then use the Co2 and change it back to oxygen, which we all need. The basic idea of "Carbon-Neutral" was born at Joe Strummer's camp site at the Glastonbury Festival six years ago. In the UK, many artists supported this idea and produced Carbon Neutral CDs. The process is quite easy. They calculate every single amount of Co2 emissions caused by various human activities (such as putting on a music festival or making a CD) and plant enough trees to absorb it. For example, one CD discharges about 2kg of Co2 during the process of its production and distribution, but since trees are planted for this Carbon-Neutral CD, the total emission of Co2 becomes zero. What is more, it only costs 1P (about 2YEN) for each CD. Both artists and record companies share the expense half and half.

With the support of the artists like Pet Shop Boys and Pink Floyd, 7 million CDs are produced in Carbon-Neutral style last year, and over 50 millions CDs will be carbon-neutral this year. The activity is not limited to CDs. For instance, at the Brit Awards (the Grammy's of the UK), they have even calculated the Co2 emission volume of TV viewer and made it the world's first Carbon-Neutral Event. And this year, the Fuji Rock Festival will become Japan's first Carbon-Neutral Event.

What we would like to stress here is the fact that Future Forest is not a charity organization. This is business. The trees they plant are looked after for a minimum of 99 years. Trees are taken cared for by indigenous people and the trees give back to them in the forms of fruits and oils. The benefit becomes the source of the next tree to plant. This is a completely new Eco-Business System.

We regret to say that as of yet, nobody can stop war, terrorism and the deterioration of plant environment caused by the greenhouse effect. But we can create new steps to make the world better. FRF will calculate all the Co2 emission volume: including your transportation to FRF, power and fuel consumption, the stages, shops, restaurants, stage creation, and every single activities. We will then donate enough of the proceeds to plant the trees adequate to make FRF carbon-neutral.

It is fabulous to know that FRF trees - your trees ﾐ will be all over the world. Let's take advantage of this opportunity to think about the environmental issue. You might have already realized that as far as reversing the greenhouse effect, Carbon-Neutral is just keeping the status quo, and is not the answer for the environmental issue. But this small step towards the future is necessary, and it is also very important for Fuji Rockers. First of all, you can feel that you're doing something good for your environment. We hope that this will help you to think more about this issue. It's Love&Peace! and really a Rock 'n' Roll movement!!

It is well known, but music is full of power. It can give people a voice to the world. In the 60s, many artists worked for Love & Peace. Now in 21st century, the Future Forest supporter artists' activities are the same as 60's, even though their purpose is different. They are doing this for the love of the mother planet. Music artists can do something unique and wonderful that politicians can never do. (U2's Bono helped make an agreement to offset the large amount of African countries' debts!)

We love music and at the same time we can help with a plan for one of the world's most advanced environmental protection systems. We can start something for our own environment. We are not the only dreamers, hoping to save the world. FRF would like to have such a positive idea forever. Things won't change soon. It will take a long, long time. But we are proud to announce that Fuji Rock Festival will put no more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and will be a Carbon-Neutral event. This is a small step, but no less important. We hope you will join us to keep our planet ﾐ all of it ﾐ as full of life as it can be.

Please drop by the Future Forests website at www.futureforests.com.

reported by ORG-nakamura and translated by ORG-jason and photo by hanasan under kind permission(July 21, 2002)