Eco maniacs … U2’s The Edge at Wembley stadium. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA
The Edge has defended the environmental impact of U2’s ‘excessive’ world tour, promising that his band will offset their carbon footprint
by Sean Michaels
U2’s the Edge has shrugged off environmentalists’ criticisms of his band’s latest tour, calling them “unfair”. Backstage at U2’s record-breaking Wembley stadium gig, the guitarist said that contrary to previous allegations, U2 have every intention to pay carbon offsets on their 360 world tour.
“We’re spending the money on our fans,” the Edge told BBC 6 Music. “I don’t think there’s a better thing you could spend it on.”
That’s not the opinion of many environmentalists. In July, one group claimed that this year’s U2 concerts will have the same environmental impact as flying all 90,000 Wembley attendees to Dublin. The construction and transport of the tour’s set – including three £15m steel “claw” structures – will reportedly emit three times more carbon than Madonna’s 2006 world tour.
“I think it’s probably unfair to single out rock’n’roll,” the Edge said. “There’s many other things that are in the same category.” U2 will “offset whatever carbon footprint we have”, he insisted, though he did not provide details.
U2 faced protesters at Dublin’s Croke Park stadium in July, including both green activists and local residents angry at overnight construction. During concert preparations, as many as 100 trucks wove through the neighbourhood’s narrow streets. Talking Heads’ David Byrne was among the critics, condemning the tour’s “excessive” set and plans for “200 semi trucks crisscrossing Europe”. “It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all,” Byrne said.
The Edge was more pragmatic, however. “We’d love to have some alternative to big trucks bringing the stuff around but there just isn’t one,” he said.
Aftermath News 
What a joke! I can’t stand self righteous yuppies like U2. Purchasing carbon offsets doesn’t change the fact that you polluted. They shouldn’t pretend that they’re touring for any other reason than to stoke thier own egos and expand thier already huge wallets.