Vans Warped Tour – Incredibly Green

Jake: I’m Incredibly Green, are you?

IG: What do you think is the easiest thing a person can do to become more eco-friendly?

Jake: What I do, and I feel a lot of people should start doing this, is take your own bags to the grocery store. I try not to use plastic at all. People love to have them for one thing that you could just carry or put it in your pocket. For me personally I try not to use plastic bags at all. And even like, that chunk of garbage floating in the pacific that’s the size of Texas that’s all fast food meat products; that’s what I try to do to calm that down. Like, not using plastic bags, because everywhere you go there’s this weird addiction of plastic bags and everything. Just bring your own bags.

Jay: I’m Jay from the Sparring and I am Incredibly Green!

IG: Do you think recycling should be made more convenient?

Jay: It should be made more convenient! I would do that always if it were more convenient. I’m confused as sh*t which can to put something in. They give you a long list of what you can and can’t put this can in. They just need to put pictures!

IG: Have you ever come across a venue that was exceptionally green?

Jay: The Montreal (Warped Tour) date up in Canada. They had workers always cleaning. Usually after a venue, when we tear it down, there’s trash everywhere. But, I was things being torn down in Montreal, I was shocked. Not only was it a beautiful venue, but they kept it really clean.

IG: What do you feel is the biggest environmental issue today?

Jay: I’m gonna have to say cigarettes. Bugs the heck out of me. I’m trying to get my driver to quit — I bought him one of those electronic cigarettes, so he’s been doing that. I told him not to smoke in my van; I own the van that he’s driving. I’m paying him, so. Yeah, it just bugs the heck out of me. Everywhere I go, you know you have band members blowing cigarette smoke in your mouth, and then he just flicks it….It’s just everywhere, man. I hate when I find it in my van. I don’t want to pick it up and smell it! Cigarettes bug the heck out of me. But, if you have band mates that smoke, your driver smokes, I mean to each their own, as long as they respect me I’ll respect them, but I hate finding it.

IG: Do you and your family recycle when you’re at home?

Jay: My mom is a recycling psycho.

IG: Well why aren’t you?

Jay: My mom and my sister do it, yeah. My girlfriend! She’s the best at it. She always comes over, like looking for cans and everything else.

IG: She recycles for you!

Jay: She gets mad if she like finds cans in the trash, and in stinky bags.

Joel: What’s up, my name’s Joel from the band Confide and I am Incredibly Green.

IG: What does being green mean to you?

Joel: Being green is being aware; to me it’s being aware and being concerned, and not being wasteful. You can help out a lot; a lot of people and a lot of animals and a lot of different things, everything ties together, you know, it’s all a chain reaction, a circle effect. Be smart about your stuff, it’ll help others.

IG: What is the biggest environmental issue today?

Joel: Well that oil spill is pretty messed up, that’ll effect generations.

IG: If you could change one thing about the environment, what would you change?

Joel: Smog! I hate it! I hate breathing it every day in Los Angeles and California.

IG: Does your family recycle when you’re at home?

Joel: Yeah!

IG: Do you think caring about the environment is worth it in the long run?

Joel: Oh yeah, of course!

The Mighty Regis: We are the Mighty Regis and we are Incredibly Green!

Incredibly Green: Have you ever come across a venue that was exceptionally green?

MR: There’s definitely some that are better than others that have recycling available, really obvious that’s just as easy as putting something in the garbage if there’s recycling right there.

MR: The Toronto and Montreal venue had teams of people that walked around with bags and made sure that it was clean.

MR: Yeah almost every venue does have recycling.

IG: If you could change one thing about the environment, what would you change?

MR: It’s been pretty hot! If we could change the temperature…

MR: You got to pick one!

MR: Ohh, global warming!

IG: Change global warming!

MR: Reverse global warming!

MR: It’s just the general impact of like, all our buses and all our trucks have created one big carbon footprint this tour and hopefully…

MR: Yeah, we use reusable water bottles!

MR: Our stage is solar powered.

IG: Really? That’s awesome!

MR: Yeah, the Kevin Says stage is solar powered.

MR: I’d like to say we did that, but no…

MR: Yeah, we had no part in that.

IG: Do you and your families recycle when you’re at home?

MR: Absolutely!

IG: What do you think is the easiest thing a person can change to become more eco-friendly?

MR: Wow…um…

MR: Just caring!

MR: Yeah, more respect or resources, like in every possible way. Conserving what you use every step along the way whether it’s water or plastic, paper or anything!

MR: If you make that conscious step to recycle…

MR: Making smart choices.

MR: Yeah, I would say that really easy ways to conserve is with water. Most of us, like when we’re brushing our teeth turn the water on; let it run while we’re brushing our teeth. A really smart way to save gallons of water is to turn it off while you’re brushing your teeth. And you know, over, I would say three fifths of the world doesn’t have clean water. We have no idea what that’s really like. We waste a lot of water.

MR: I personally take hour and a half long showers… I’m a big contributor.

IG: It’s your fault, global warming is your fault!

MR: We’re picking up his slack!

Alex: My name is Alex, I play in band called Hey Monday and I am Incredibly Green!

IG: What is the biggest environmental issue today?

Alex: I think the BP oil spill, that’s ridiculous. I’m from Florida too.

IG: So it’s really affecting you guys!

IG: What are some ways you can go green on the road, is it possible to be green at all?

Alex: Yeah, it’s definitely possible. I’m always thinking about conserving water, not wasting anything, not littering; I hate when people litter. I mean, we do what we can. It’s not the easiest on the road but it’s not the hardest.

IG: Do you and your family recycle when you’re at home?

Alex: Yeah, my family is super good with it, mostly my brother; he’s probably the biggest influence on me when it comes to that.

IG: If you could change one thing about the environment what would you change?

Alex: I would invent solar cars so that we didn’t have to use so many natural resources to run our automobiles.

IG: What do you think is the easiest thing a person can change to become more eco-friendly?

Alex: It’s all about changing your mind set, just be concerned. Every time you take a shower, understand that that water is draining into sewage and it’s done after that. Maybe they might recycle it over hundreds of years. As long as you’re just conscious that water is a natural resource and it’s not gonna be here forever. That’s the best that I can do!

Every year, bands, sponsors and crew from the Vans Warped Tour get together to spend an off-day doing an environmental relief project. This year, the tour went to Nashville, TN to help clean up areas that were affected by the recent floods.

This tour report is brought to you by the Warped Eco-Initiative.

“We met these guys last year on the first day of warped tour. They came up to the booth because they paid for their ticket with recycling at home. They came back for several days to join us last year and this year and even came as far as PHX! All paid for with bottles and cans.” – Tara

Warped Eco Initiative interviews Tyson Ritter of All American Rejects to highlight his work with his charity, Dont hate on Haiti.

** Approximately 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies; approximately one in eight people. About 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease. An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day. SO… NEVER TAKE SAFE WATER FOR GRANTED. Other countries don’t have the luxuries we have. **

Text WATER to 85944 to donate $10 to Charity: WATER

100% of your donation goes directly to Haiti to build wells.