"The whole music business in the United States is based on numbers, based on unit sales and not on quality. It's not based on beauty, it's based on hype and it's based on cocaine. It's based on giving presents of large packages of dollars to play records on the air."
-Frank Zappa
The music industry must integrate environmental ethics into its business model in order to survive. By definition, the music industry is a large leviathan that is slow to change. In fact, the big five record labels, Universal, EMI, BMG, Sony, and Warner, which control 80% of all titles produced in the US. (www.oligopolywatch.com) Many of these labels, along with the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have been unable to keep up with technological change. This oligarchy of labels run on a “Small Tail” business model, or the practice of a few record labels selling to millions, contrasted with a “Large Tail” business model, where millions of small labels sell to hundreds. (www.entrepreneurs-journey.com) Of course, this entails a large paradigm shift for the large labels: making music is not for profit only, but instead, will have to face the ethical challenges placed before it. The industry as a whole, the large and small labels, will have to make adjustments and incorporate an assortment of environmental ethics, moving away from a utilitarian ethic and doing things only if it conforms to the principle of utility, towards an amalgamation of environmental ethics such as deep ecology, eco-feminism, animal rights and animal liberation, all the while being pragmatic and certainly more flexible. In order of this change to happen, the so-called “Big Five” will probably be broken up into smaller pieces or dissolve altogether. This dissolution may increase a larger variety of music available to music fans. However, it also would be the death-knell of record stores around the world. The big five own most of the distribution networks, although there are a few smaller, reliable independent distributors throughout the world. Many record stores have closed recently, such as Tower Records and Mill Valley’s Village Music. Most of these closings are due to a change in consumer practices such as downloading music through the internet (legally and illegally) and the fact that our planet is going through major upheaval with war and the idea of cheap oil in plentiful quantities being extinguished. Using environmental ethics will be the only way for the music industry (in a new form) to continue.
When I began doing research for this paper, I was asked, “Why the music industry?” My response is, first, I am a musician who runs a record label (Unitree Recordings). Because of this, these concerns directly affect the amount of money I make and whether or not I am able or willing to continue releasing music using traditional methods such as CDS and vinyl records. Secondly, I am a music fan. I have a large, eclectic collection of music on a variety of formats; I count thousands of vinyl records, cassettes, CDs, and mp3s among my collection. I love music and I want to see music continue being created. I also believe that music is an excellent method of creating change. Of course this goes against the large tail business model, where a small amount of artists are sold to a large amount of people, but instead, music is a way of social revolution. Music itself is not the revolution, but instead, music can cause revolution through lyrics and by its actions. Many smaller, independent record labels such as Dischord Records from Washington D.C., to Smog Veil records in Chicago, San Francisco’s Alternative Tentacles and the G7 Welcoming Committee from Canada already have integrated environmental ethics into their business model. Many have done so for over 25 years. These labels continue to buck the tradition and the status quo of the “Big Five” labels. Instead of reinforcing the traditions of distribution, formats, and utilitarian and shallow ecology ethics, these labels push the envelope, whether it is lyrical content, packaging, distribution, or price points. They also are friendlier to their artists and give a fair royalty rate compared to the Big Five. Because of these models, I think that it is important for the music industry to be at the forefront of developing new methods of distributing music while using a strong environmental ethic.
Environmental Ethics
Environmental ethics began, according to the Center for Environmental Philosophy (CEP), in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, when “environmentalists started urging philosophers who were involved with environmental groups to do something about environmental ethics.” (www.cep.unt.edu) There are two major papers written at this time, Lynn White’s “The Historical Roots of our Ecologic Crisis” (March 1967) and Garrett Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons” (1968) along with rediscovered essay by Aldo Leopold, “A Sand County Almanac”(1949) entitled, “The Land Ethic.” Leopold claims that the roots of the ecological crisis are philosophical. In the 1980’s a new movement was created. EcoFeminism, which unites environmentalism and feminism, argues that there is a relationship between the oppression of women and the degradation of nature. (Dictionary of Philosophy) We can see this manifested in Hawaii as the islands themselves are referred to as a “She” or a “Her.” Some would say that this gender assignment is so Hawaii can then be “raped” of the natural resources.
Environmental Ethics “challenges the anthrocentrism (i.e. human-centeredness) embedded in traditional western thinking.” (plato.stanford.edu) To continue, Environmental Ethics also looks at the “distinction between instrumental value and intrinsic value. Instrumental value values things as means to further some other end. For instance, the forests felled for our liner notes and glossy music magazines are a means to the end. However, their intrinsic value would mean that the forest themselves already have a value, regardless whether or not they serve a purpose to humankind. This belief is somewhat difficult to implement, and there are many who would disagree, we as humans have often thought of ourselves as the masters of our domain, and it’s hard to grasp ideas that disagree with this belief. Furthermore, as our natural resources dwindle, and the aesthetic beauty of the forests is clear-cut for paper and wood, the air we breathe and water we drink becomes more polluted and human population continues to grow at a rapid pace, intrinsic value is seen as a luxury and more is demanded from our resources.
Shallow Ecology
The shallow ecology movement, or the fight against pollution and resource depletion mainly concerns wealthy and developed countries. Recently, the Eagles signed an exclusive agreement with Wal-mart and with this agreement, Wal-Mart’s publicity machine created an atmosphere touting Wal-Mart as an eco-friendly store. According to Wal-Mart’s website, the Eagles signed this deal because, “In the past year [we have] unveiled [a] simple and straightforward environmental goal…to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain the earth’s resources and environment.” (www.walmartfacts.com) Of course, this can initially be seen as a step in an eco-friendly direction, but it also buys Wal-Mart a lot of free publicity. However, in 2000, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection sued Wal-Mart, claiming that 11 Wal-Mart stores left pesticides and fertilizers in their parking lots. When heavy rains came, the residue from the pesticides and fertilizers washed into the rivers and streams adjacent to the stores. (Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center) This is just one example of Wal-Mart’s true environmental policy, and is also indicative of the shallow ecology ethic. There are certainly many more examples of Wal-Mart’s environmental record and claims that they build on farmland and add to the urban sprawl blight have been well documented in a variety of reports, articles and movies.
Photo Courtesy of CatawbariverkeeperThere are other shortsighted aspects to this shallow ecology ethic, pertaining to the Eagles themselves. Wal-Mart claims that their “partnership with the Eagles demonstrates how serious they are about giving [their] customers a choice of unique, world-class products.” (Metroactive) However, Wal-Mart has a policy of censoring records, forcing bands to change their song titles (Nirvana’s “Rape Me” to “Waif Me) and refuse to carry certain titles. Of course, this is their prerogative; they can sell (or not sell) whatever they chose to. However, Wal-Mart’s online digital music store, “Liquid Digital Media, they has undercut I-Tunes price point of 99 cents to 88 cents, forcing artists to take a smaller royalty on every song sold. In fact, I opted out to have my records sold through this store because of their environmental record and their small royalty rates. Nevertheless, the Eagles and their exclusive deal also takes their CD out of smaller “ma and pa” record stores; the same stores that built them into being the super-rock juggernaut that they have become.
The main criticism of shallow ecology is its use of utilitarianism. The problem of utilitarianism is that if Wal-Mart found that their commitment to their environmental goal becomes not profitable, they will discontinue this practice and find a way to justify it. Another recent trend is carbon offsets, which have become popular with shallow-ecologists. Carbon offsets allow you to continue to pollute if you pay a certain amount of money, which is supposed to be used to plant trees or fund a river cleanup. However, these offsets are already being used by corporations similar to the absolutions given to the crusaders in the middle ages. The absolution allows the Crusaders to kill and commit various crimes on their way to Jerusalem as long as they promise to fight for the “liberation of Jerusalem.” Countless people were defiled by the Crusaders who believed in this absolution, similar to the amazing amount of pollution being released into the atmosphere, defiling our environment. Carbon offsets initially seemed as a good idea, however in a recent article by Business Week Magazine, carbon offsets “reveals that some deals amount to little more than feel-good hype.” (Business Week) Carbon offsets have become a multi-million dollar industry, but they haven’t reduced the amount of pollution released. The behavior by the polluting companies and businesses hasn’t changed much and this is the fundamental flaw of shallow ecology.
Deep Ecology
“Economic advance is not the same thing as human progress.”
~John Clapham, A Concise Economic History of Britain
In contrast, the Deep Ecology movement is concerned with “biospheric egalitarianism, “the view that all living things are alike in having value in their own right, independent of their usefulness to human purposes. (plato.stanford.edu) This theory is concerned with the entire world. In fact, deep ecology also struggles to understand that organisms (human or otherwise) are ‘knots’ in the biospherical net, the identities of which are defined in terms of their ecological relations to each other. According to deep ecology, this connection to the world and to nature also can give us a better sense of “self” or identity.
Deep ecology is concerned with environmental activism and social change, “designed to bring about what Arne Naess calls wide ecological sustainability.” (Sessions)
Smog Veil Records (Photo by Anthem Magazine)"Unlike shallow ecology, which doesn’t concern itself with economic sacrifices, deep ecology is an ethic that demands sacrifice and commitment. There is however, a record label from Chicago, Illinois who is devoted to the deep ecology ethic, Smog Veil Records. Smog Veil, run by Frank Mauceri has taken a building in Chicago and completely rebuilt it by and replacing the electrical infrastructure. They have installed solar panels and wind turbines on the roof, both of which supply the building with electricity. Plastic jewel cases have been replaced with recycled paper “digipacks” and their goal is to do away with using plastic altogether. And, according to an article by Lou Molinaro, Smog Veil hopes to “produce gross revenues from digital distribution greater than hard goods, thereby replacing need for high-impact packaging.” (Jamilton) In my experience, digipacks are somewhat more expensive than CDs manufactured with jewel cases, however, there have been many creative CD covers created with digipack design. What’s truly interesting is that Mr. Mauceri has invested a lot of money and time into creating a “green building.” I believe that he has shown a deep commitment to the environment and to the deep ecology ethic.
The word “deep,” referenced in deep ecology also refers to the level of commitment and the “deep” movement “involves deep questioning, right down to fundamentals.” (Brett) In 1997, Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky of the punk rock band Propaghandi started “G7 Welcoming Committee,” a label devoted to “allowing the evolutionary process that has guided and nurtured life on this planet for millions of years to continue unabated.” (G7) They also run their label using Parecon economic theories, which they feel is an alternative to capitalism. One possible Parecon theory that G7 uses is a community based model, which tries to keep their business on a small scale, which is locally based, and certainly self reliant. In order to implement these ideas, the G7 Welcoming Committee has decided to do away with packaging music altogether, at least in a physical form. Their entire catalog is now offered online in high-quality, non DRM-coded MP3s. (The DRM code is a software designed to prevent the copying the music) both of these are distinctly different than from Apple’s I-tunes, which is encoded with DRM and is at a smaller bit-rate than what G7 offers. The people at G7 state that their record label is an “idea of resistance…[we are a] 'Welcoming Committee' to tell them with words and actions, what we think of their power and neo-colonialism, around the world and at home, and that people are willing to fight back...”(G7) Not only is the G7 deeply committed to deep ecology ethics but they also feel that their economic base and the music that they offer must reflect these ethics as well.
Punk rock music offers a chance for political activism, and many people who identify with the punk rock movement whether it is musically or in spirit are committed to social activism. Bands like Crass and the Subhumans; members of the “second wave” of English punk rock criticized the Sex Pistols and the Clash for turning rebellion into money. The second wave took the rhetoric of the first wave and turned it into a clarion call for revolutionary thought. Another difference between this wave (and it’s continuing offshoots and sub-genres) is it’s do-it-yourself (DIY) ethic, which translates to music flying “under the radar” of pop music, but it has created a thriving underground community. In fact, one such band somehow leaped into the world of pop music in 1997 with their hit, “Tub Thumping,” by the English band, Chumbawamba. I’ve known Chumbawamba since 1985, when they released a split 7 inch with the San Francisco band, “A State of Mind.” Their commitment to radical politics and environmental issues has been a large influence on me personally. That being said, as I researched deep ecology I couldn’t help but think of the activism of Chumbawamba and how they reflect the deep ecology ethic. In the late 1990’s the automobile manufacturer, Renault, used a song by Chumbawamba for an advertisement. Chumbawamba in turn, took the money offered by Renault and gave it to anti-capitalists in Italy, Brazil and South Africa. (Czyzselska) In 2002, Chumbawamba was offered 417,000 pounds by General Electric for an ad selling an X-ray machine. They turned it down, citing the fact that GE manufactures planes that drop bombs on Afghanistan. What’s truly telling about Chumbawamba was that until recently, they never publicized the fact that they were giving the money away because they “didn't want to be using money as an apology for what we were doing with the band and our lives.” (Czyzselska) Recently, Chumbawamba was paid $200, 000 by General Motors and the band turned around and gave the money to two anti-corporate activist groups who planned on using the money for “corporate-jamming activities.”(Aitch)
As Chumbawamba has proved, there is an alternative to the business model the large record labels offer and to some extent, they use the “small-tail” form of music marketing. Although they did sign to a large label during their peak on the SoundScan charts, they used that money to subvert the system whenever they had a chance. Subsequently, they have left the large record labels and their current record, “A Singsong and a Scrap” is released on AK Press, an anarchist collective based out of San Francisco which distributes many books pertaining to the Deep Ecology movement.
Deep ecology, as well as Chumbawamba, has been accused of being misanthropic, or against humankind and “progress.” However, deep ecology seeks to heal humankind’s relationship with the earth and isn’t against progress, but is against stupid progress. Subsequently, the criticism of deep ecology comes from all angles, especially in business magazines and on conservative pundit talk shows on television. Once such pundit is Charles Krauthammer, who writes in a recent Time magazine, an article entitled, “Saving Nature, But Only For Man.” (Time) Krauthammer argues, “A sane environmentalism does not sentimentalize the earth. It does not ask people to sacrifice in the name of other creatures.” However, Smog Veil records prove that sacrifice and commitment to deep ecology ethics is not only possible, but also economically viable. Furthermore, according to the deep ecology ethic, “the well-being and flourishing of human and non-human life on Earth have value in themselves (intrinsic value).”(Brett) This is not sentiment, nor is it insane. Although deep ecology is far-reaching it doesn’t fully address the social component of environmental ethics and since the early 1980’s, Eco-Feminism has been introduced to tackle these components.
EcoFeminism
In Nigel Brett’s article, “Deep Ecology: Ecological and Psychological Study” he interviews Michael E. Zimmerman, Professor of Philosophy at Tulane University who offers an interesting contrast between deep ecology and eco-feminism,
“There are many eco-feminists who call themselves deep ecologists…but there are some who’ve made an important claim against it. They say the real problem isn’t anthrocentrism but androcentrism- man-centeredness. They say that 10,000 years of patriarchy is ultimately responsible for the destruction of the biosphere and the development of authoritarian practices, both socially and environmentally.” (Brett)
By using the music industry as my model, if we are to integrate eco-feminist ethics into our business model we will have to make some fundamental changes to not only the system itself, but also the way music is marketed, packaged and sold. Lyrical content will have to be examined as well. Fortunately, there are some strong examples of eco-feminist ethics currently performing in the industry. I’ve mentioned Chumbawamba in deep ecology, but their lyrical content reflects an eco-feminist ideal. With a song such as “Stitch That!” they tell the story of a drunken man who beats his wife at dinnertime, only to find that during the night, she sews him into the sheets of his bed and thrashes him with a frying pan and a colander. The song is a noisy rap with a comical twist: “Isn't it true what small can do/With a thread and a stitch and a thought or two/He's wiped his slate, his boozing's through/Goodbye to a drunken husband” (Chumbawamba) Using a feminist approach, Chumbawamba not only takes on an abusive patriarchy, but they show you can use comedy and irony to subvert the tradition of rap. Contrast this with a popular rapper, 50 Cent, who raps, “Them Twinkies got your ass gettin' fat fat/Them cookies got your ass gettin' fat fat/That cake got your ass gettin' fat fat/Bitch you grown, that ain't baby fat fat.” (50 Cent) Calling women “bitches” and “ho’s” is not acceptable when filtered through an eco-feminist ethic, and in this example, probably not acceptable in a variety of places.
The eco-feminism ethic would also have to address women in the music industry. Since its inception, men have dominated popular music and record labels. Women are seen as performers, and even then, many of them are not taken seriously. The Los Angeles band, L7, told me that they were often told that they were “pretty good, for girls.” The men’s stronghold of the music industry is beginning to fail and with the technology for women to create their own websites which offer downloads for sale will continue the trend of decreasing sales of the “Big Five.” The goal of eco-feminism in the music industry is an attempt to “replace the [dominant patriarchal structures]…with a [structure] that values the feminine. Eco-feminists can point to artists such as 50 cent and compare his portrayal of women in his songs to the portrayal of the earth. Anti-environmentalists use the term “Mother Earth” to deride eco-feminism. These men also draw on old sources such as Greek philosophy and Christianity to continue their hegemony, which implies that men are the driven by reason, while women are driven by emotion. However, the connection of women and nature is very close, as is their joint suppression. In Patrick Curry’s “Ethological Ethics,” he writes, “to exalt women as nature rather than despising them, while preferable, merely inverts the dominant values attached to male/female essentialism, it preserves the same destructive logic, when the point is to subvert it wholesale.” (Curry) While eco-feminism ties together the destruction of the feminine and the destruction of nature, it shouldn’t demonize the masculine to gain power; doing so would just reverse any ethical advance. My understanding of feminism is that it is solution-based. Using the term “ethics of care,” feminists have moved away from deontology and utilitarianism and instead are trying to create ethical relationships that connect people. These relationships are not just between women, but also for the entire world to learn how to value, care for and protect the natural world. For the music industry to adopt eco-feminist ethics, we will have to actively participate in moving away from a male-dominated and destructive industry.
The pushback from environmental ethics opponents has picked up a lot of momentum in recent years. Major media and a variety of scientific organizations have lambasted Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”. Al Gore himself has been scrutinized and found guilty for flying in private jets to attend environmental meetings throughout the world. Of course, he could fly on a commercial plane and silence his critics but he does not, and opens himself up to more criticism. This is unfortunate, but it does underscore the tightrope that people involved with environmental ethics have to walk. If the music industry were to move away from the physical packaging of CDs and towards a download-only medium, the amount of plastic used in the creation of CDs would diminish greatly. However, there are many problems associated with this possible solution. For one, download-only music is elitist. As popular as computers have become, not everyone owns a computer, or is connected to high-speed internet. The eco-feminist ethic is very critical of elitism in any form. Second hand record stores and resale outfits such as Amazon offer inexpensive methods of purchasing music. For many artists, they strongly desire as many people as possible listen to their music. By denying a secondhand market, the amount of listeners would diminish. Secondly, the music industry is connected to other media such as print and television. Most print media (and internet-media) will not review releases that are only available as downloads and this policy would have to change in order to publicize and review new music. Deep ecologists will also point out the amount of trees and pollution that paper causes and music magazines would have to adjust to the new media, further reducing the amount of advertising revenue that is generated. Many smaller underground magazines could be in serious trouble and the giants in the industry who can afford to publicize themselves like the Eagles could replace exciting bands. Ultimately, music sales are predicated by great music. If the music itself isn’t any good, (a subjective judgment) there is no amount of publicity that can save it. Witness the amount of Britney Spears CDs found in a secondhand music store. However, the music industry is going to have to adapt to change. Whether it is a popular artist like 50 Cent or an obscure underground punk rock band, the methods of selling music will have to continue to develop with technology, or they will disappear along with our natural resources. Environmental ethics allows ourselves to try and create an ethos that we can adhere to, one that is the least damaging to the earth.
Works CitedZappa, Frank “Music Industry Quotes to Live By”
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/musicquotes.htm
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http://www.oligopolywatch.com/2003/06/28.html
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http://www.webnb.btinternet.co.uk/deep.htm
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Photo by Marina Miller
