We live in a period of rapidly increasing awareness and mainstream acceptance of the value of sustainable living practices. Yes, And…? is focused on incorporating sustainability as a vital component of the contemporary endeavor while addressing the practical challenges it presents.
Communikey and Dis-patch are focused on the cultural and environmental sustainability of creative expression and because of this they have developed the Yes, And…? project to not only ensure the highest-level of sustainability within our own tour, but also to also help educate others by documenting and sharing our journey into the world of sustainable touring. Producing the international tour series Vice Verse has presented a unique and culturally relevant challenge while, at the same time, offering an opportunity for us to model new precedents and promote the future of sustainable living. In addition to coordinating our own efforts, Yes, And…? aims to provide a valuable insight into exactly what a holistic approach to touring looks like, both in theory and in real-world application, illuminating the reconciliation of our ambitions to share human creativity on the road with our commitment to sustainable integrity.
For the 2010 ViceVerse tour, Yes, And…? has decided to focus on the following 3 projects:
The Yes, And…? Conversation Series
This project will travel with the ViceVerse North American tour and hold conversations with leading visionaries and activists working in renewable energy, transportation, and sustainability fields. The series willhighlight the challenges and paradoxes inherent in moving towards a more sustainable future while showcasing innovations in thought and practice that are helping us work toward that goal. Stay tuned to VVTV for thought-provoking and intelligent insights into the real world of sustainability.
These conversations will attempt to address some of the following questions:
What is sustainability? In theory? In practice? Long-term?
What is sustainable transportation? In theory? In practice? Long-term?
When we think about the long-term future what do you see as the roles of biofuels and alternative transportation?
What innovations, ideas, etc already exist that are helping us transform these challenges. A.K.A What are we are doing well and what works?
Biodiesel
ViceVerse intends to use Biodiesel throughout the North American tour route, supporting locally produced and responsibly sourced outlets wherever possible. Biodiesel, although not a perfect solution to our tour’s fuel demands, reduces net CO2 emissions by 78 percent compared to petroleum diesel and, unlike petroleum diesel, has the crucial ability to be produced as part of a local and sustainable fuel network. It is important to understand that because we have to deal with the economic reality that sustainability often demands paying real cost of a product, total fuel sustainability (using only those fuels that completely satisfy a comprehensive sustainability standard) is, unfortunately, not within reach of our current resources. This shortfall is a symptom of systemic challenges faced by nearly all sustainability programs in their attempt to satisfy the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit). The choice to use biofuel as much as possible but only when doing so satisfies the goals of our total sustainability vision represents a realistic compromise between mitigating the negative impact of Vice Verse and sustaining the people and ideas behind it. That said, while on the road we will continue to work to limit our petro-diesel consumption as much as possible and are excited to work with local biodiesel producers and energy visionaries to help fuel our DIY tour. If you are a member of a biodiesel community we will be passing through and would like to get involved with Yes, And…? we would love to hear from you! Contact our On-Road Implementation Director, Charles Kern at charles@thebasicsfund.org for more information on how to get involved.
Carbon Offsetting
Vice Verse and Yes, And…? are extremely fortunate to have received sponsorship from The Colorado Carbon Fund to help offset the impact of the tour by making our bus and air travel carbon neutral. While reducing or eliminating the use of fuels that do not fit the sustainable model is extremely important, it is not always a viable option, particularly when commercial air-travel and the occasional use of petroleum-based diesel are the realities of making a project happen. To ensure that we are doing our best, Yes, And…? has calculated our carbon footprint and, with the help of the Colorado Carbon Fund, purchased enough high-quality carbon offsets to neutralize the 19 metric tons of carbon produced by the North American Leg of the tour. The Colorado Carbon Fund uses the money raised through the purchase of these carbon offsets to fund renewable energy, renewable energy, and energy efficiency projects to make concrete reductions in the size of Colorado’s carbon footprint.
To learn more about carbon offsetting or the Colorado Carbon Fund follow this link:
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Communikey’s Sustainability Mission
As a technology-based fine arts collective Communikey is called to use our organization and our partnership with Dispatch as a vehicle to explore the possibility of sustainability in a digital world and aim to activate participants to re-consider their impact and role in the future of our planet. Communikey recognizes the importance of being a good environmental steward in addition to providing a culturally relevant voice to the digital-arts community. In our effort to pursue sustainable events, we must first understand our place within the dynamic global natural systems that support such diversity in life, culture and perspective. It is of utmost importance for Communikey to maintain a commitment to ecologically sound and low-impact practices in order to preserve this diversity and enable others to continue pushing the boundaries of cultural expression.
Communikey is committed to supporting ecological and social systems through the integration of five core principles into our organization.
- Produce little waste and divert what is created away from the landfill
- Minimize energy use and support renewable energy systems whenever possible
- Provide transportation options that dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels
- Foster an atmosphere of inclusion, multiculturalism, artistic vision, and ecological sustainability
- Promote educational programs surrounding new innovative ideas and technologies that merge a sustainable and artistic future
To contact the Yes, And…? On-road Implementation Director, contact Charles Kern at charles@thebasicsfund.org.
For more information about Communikey Sustainability or the Yes, And…? eco-tour model contact Lauren Higgins, Sustainability Director at sustainablity@communikey.us.
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