MTV SWITCH blog

A misconception of going green is that we would be sacrificing technological awesomeness for the sake of the environment. Lies!

A post on WebUrbanist highlights seven ideas that would make the Earth a better place. All of these look incredible and really futuristic, or, to be blunt, they’re bad ass. Check out the eco-island, which is an actual ISLAND that benefits the environment through its mere existence! It looks cooler than the island from Lost.

While many of these ideas are outrageously expensive and would require years of planning and construction, it’s a good sign that we’re beginning to think of helping the Earth on a large scale. And it’s an even better sign that they’re going to look like something from Blade Runner.

No, you are not hallucinating, the title of this blog entry is very much true. Via SmartPlanet, we have happened upon this competition for Friends of the Earth, in which you make a one-minute film with the theme being “Which bit of the Earth are you a friend of?” Personally, gingerbread men are my best friends. And yes, I consider them to be bits of the Earth. The delicious Earth.

Friends of the Earth has the full details. The deadline is August 29, 2008, so get moving!

First, by releasing their album In Rainbows online in a name-your-own-price campaign, Radiohead changed the way that music is released in the face of digital piracy. Now, the British quintet has shifted their focus from music distribution to the environmental hazards involved in touring.

Realizing how costly a full-scale tour is to the environment, Radiohead have decided to use the findings done by Best Foot Forward for their 2003 tour and put them to good use. On a new blog, they detail how—through a variety of methods—they plan on making their upcoming tour more environmentally friendly. In one recent post, they even describe a way to have truck drivers use power from the venue to air-condition their trucks!

All of this sounds terrific, just so long as they include “Everything in Its Right Place” in the set list.

If you look to your left, you'll see that we have now launched the Spanish version of the MTV Switch blog. To all Spanish-speaking MTV Switch readers, bienvenidos!

Today is World Environment Day. Though you may think that this means your activities are limited, that is far from the case. You can go shopping and spend money on environmentally friendly products; or play sports with your friends outdoors; or, if you live in a warm climate, go relax at the beach.

Check out some MTV Switch spots in your down time, and take a look at an old blog entry of ours so you have the next environmental calendar date marked when it arrives.

In preparation for World Environment Day, here is a link to a list of related events in nearly every country, provided by the United Nations Environment Programme. One great thing about World Environment Day is that it allows you to see what other countries are doing differently/similarly to your own. Check out the list and see what interests you. If you can’t make it to any of the preplanned events, maybe you can create a cool local activity for you and your friends. Sometimes, a DIY party can be more fun than the real thing; you might even say that it's the more punk rock way of thinking about the environment.

The music industry may be struggling, what with the advent of digital looting. But one benefit is that smaller independent labels are thinking of new ways to approach packaging and marketing music.

Green Owl Records may be the first record label to be overtly green, donating part of their proceeds to the Environmental Action Coalition and putting a carbon calculator on their website. They have a compilation out, featuring new tracks from Feist, Of Montreal, and Bloc Party. The best part is that for the money you give, you receive good tunes for the contribution you’ve made to the environment. Talk about earthy music.