Pearl Jam plan to offset the estimated 5,700 tons of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the trucks, buses, airplanes and their fans' 1 million cars on their current world tour by purchasing 5,700 tons of carbon produced by the Makira Rainforest Conservation project in Madagascar.

"We're excited about the work that we've been doing with Conservation International," reads a band Web post. The environmental organization helped the band -- currently supporting Riot Act, released last fall -- estimate the direct emissions of its tour's 30,000 mile route. Pearl Jam then purchased the carbon to conserve it, offsetting the warming potential of the emissions.

The Makira rainforest conservation project is housed on a 1400 square mile area that stores 140 million tons of CO2 at risk of being lost to the atmosphere through fire and logging and is home to thousands of rare and endangered plant and animal species.

JOHN D. LUERSSEN
(April 28, 2003)