Thom Yorke *may* be losing it a little bit

[Guest Low Roller]

Thom Yorke considers touring axe

Thom Yorke has threatened to quit touring unless measures are introduced to halt the "ridiculous consumption of energy" involved.

Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Thom vented his fury at the current state of modern-day touring whilst promoting a Friends of The Earth climate change campaign.

"I would consider refusing to tour on environmental grounds, if nothing started happening to change the way the touring operates," Yorke revealed.

"Some of our best ever shows have been in the US, but there's 80,000 people there and they've all been sitting in traffic jams for five or six hours with their engines running to get there, which is bollocks."

As for his own method of transport for reaching distant concert venues, Yorke said: "Long haul flights just feel wrong. I'm trying to figure out a way of getting to Japan by train. I quite fancy that Trans-Siberian whatsitsname but apparently it's a bit scary."

Thom Yorke will call on the government to make UK companies more accountable for their impacts on poor people and the global environment today, in an open letter to MPs in Tuesday's Guardian.

The letter urges MPs to back amendments to the Companies Bill which would make companies accountable for their social and environmental impacts. The Bill is due to receive its third reading in the House of Commons this week.

The letter references cases concerning Tesco's workers rights records on fruit farms in South Africa, as well as a recent ActionAid report which detailed alleged environmental and human rights abuses by a subsidiary of UK mining giant Anglo-American at their operation in Ghana.

[phishtaper]

I admire his ambition here, but it does seem a bit odd that he's in an industry that relies on, and demands, energy consumption to use his product (manufacturing, shippping and playing CDs, touring, radio, etc.) and yet he wants to cut down on that very same consumption. That said, great things often come from seemingly strange positions, and I welcome his.

The Hillside Festival has a small, tertiary, 100% solar powered stage. It's a small step, granted, but one in the right direction.

And Thom York is a fancy little dancer too - maybe they could harness his energy to power the lights.

[edger]

Call me crazy, but I don't think this sounds that crazy. It's nice to know he's atleast thinking about it...

[bouche]

Considering there's no way around 80,000 people showing up to a concert in vehicles. I suppose his band could take a boat to North America, but don't they use up a ton of fuel as well?

[djmelbatoast]

He's a tad idealistic but seems to have his heart in the right place.

Maybe he can ask Garth Turner how to become more eco-friendly.

[AD]

Bouche, your answer.

Yorke said that he looked into the idea of travelling to North America by ship, which The Cure did years ago when frontman Robert Smith refused to fly, but discovered that such a voyage would use just as much carbon. Since he feels so strongly against long-haul flights, he told the paper that he's trying to figure out a way of getting to Japan by train.

"I quite fancy that Trans-Siberian whatsitsname, but apparently it's a bit scary."