U2 criticized for tour's environmental impact

U2 is being criticized by environmental activists for the carbon footprint that the band's massive U2 360 Tour is leaving on Earth, according to Gigwise.com. Environmental consultant Helen Roberts of Carbonfootprint.com told the Belfast Telegraph, "The carbon footprint generated by U2's 44 concerts this year is equal to carbon created by the four band members traveling the (34) million miles from Earth to Mars in a passenger plane . . . Just looking at the 44 concerts this year, the band will create enough carbon to fly all 90,000 people attending one of their Wembley concerts to Dublin. To offset this year's carbon emissions, U2 would need to plant 20,118 trees."

Roberts added that those figures don't even take into account the band's 2010 schedule. The entire tour will encompass 100 dates in 18 months and will see the Irish rockers travel 70,000 miles in their private jet alone.

All this from a band whose singer, Bono, said in Japan last year, "My prayer is that we become better in looking after our planet."

U2 is traveling with a staff of 200 and is carting around three copies of its massive, stadium-straddling stage set known as "The Claw."

The band's carbon footprint is said to be dozens of times bigger than that of Madonna on her 2006 world tour.

According to the New York Times, U2 is buying carbon offsets to make up for the potential damage the tour is doing. The trek pulls into Paris this weekend (July 11th and 12th) for a two-night stand.
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