Some of the biggest names in music have joined the movement to ensure their guitars and other instruments are made from sustainable, legally harvested wood.
Pledging to buy only instruments made from wood that has been harvested legally and sustainably, the artists urged lawmakers, suppliers and craftsmen to ensure their art has a positive impact on the environment rather than contributing to forest destruction and social atrocities taking place in other countries.
“Our fans don’t want to see us playing a guitar, violin, or piano made from Illegal wood, wood stolen from a national park, or harvested using slave and child labor and violence,” said Adam Gardner a member of the band Guster, and co-founder of non-profit organization Reverb whose focus is on greening the music industry.
At the heart of the effort is preserving the Lacey Act, which bans the use of illegal woods, providing artists and consumers with the reassurance that their instruments are not made from these materials. The Lacey Act was the focus of a Congressional hearing on Tuesday in which Adam Gardner testified on behalf of the bands signing the pledge.
The list of artists/bands includes: Dave Matthews Band, Mick Jagger, Sting, My Morning Jacket, Bryan Adams, Lily Allen, Bonnie Raitt, David Crosby, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Maroon 5, Jack Antonoff (fun.), Jason Mraz, Bob Weir, Barenaked Ladies, Brad Corrigan (Dispatch), Pat Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Down Dexter, Of A Revolution (O.A.R), and Guster.
Many of these artists work with Gardner’s Reverb to green their tours and feel this pledge is a natural part of their environmental efforts.
Stefan Lessard, founding member and bassist for Dave Matthews Band:
“Dave Matthews Band has been putting forth many efforts to reduce the environmental impact of our touring for over a decade. There are no other products more directly connected to our music than the instruments we use to play it. We need to keep the laws that are in place to help ensure the wood for these instruments is sourced in a legal and environmentally sound way.”
“Every musician wants to jam on instruments they can feel good about,” added Jason Mraz. “The Lacey Act helps ensure that our art has a positive impact on the environment rather than contributing to forest destruction.”
To see a copy of the pledge, see a list of signers, and learn more about the Lacey Act, click here.
