Milky Change

The environment is changing and so are we. Here is how...

• 

  The Desert

  So perhaps you’ve seen the video to our new song The Game. 
  
  Smooth riding down a desert road past huge bowling balls, real M’erica style, right? 
  That’s the image we had in mind, when we first started talking about the video shoot. So when we were faced with the production schedule and realised that we’d have to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and travel for 5 days to shoot for 2 of them, a moment of self reflection lead to an idea. 
  
  “Why do we need to travel to the US at all? Can’t we find a desert scenery closer to home?” 
  
  So we figured it out and spotted a great place in gorgeous Georgia, cutting down traveling distance by more than two thirds. That seemed like a good start, without having to compromise anything. 
  
  That gave the impetus to get the ball rolling and plenty of ideas came to mind. Though, with so many factors to consider and a will of doing it to the best of one’s knowledge and belief, soon came the realisation that this crisis is more complex than we first expected.
  
  The weather - or in the bigger picture, the climate - affects everything. It plays a role in every part of our lives, especially in the goods we create and consume. So trying to change ourselves means to look at literally every little detail of what comes with being globally touring musicians.

   Close
• 

  The Ocean

  

  Now we can’t get around a little bit of cheesiness for this part. 
  
  This all-embracing body of water, that is the origin of all life and continues to mystify us with it’s unexplored depths.
  That’s the ocean. 
  
  When we fly over it, we're guessing what’s going on down there in the deep blue parts that are incomprehensible to us. Once we see the first reflections of breaking waves on the edge of the horizon, we get excited like we're about to reunite with an old friend. We come running down the warm sand barefoot, stumbling into the cold white waters, laughing like carefree kids. At the same time, our old friend won’t hesitate to remind us of her tremendous strength, putting her arms around us, pushing us down and releasing us again. There’s something about the ocean, that makes you reconnect with a part of your soul that’s hard to grasp otherwise. 
  
  Our changing environment doesn’t stop on the coastline.
  No, in fact, the climate is born in our oceans and they are suffering.
  Global warming affects sea levels and temperature, meanwhile overfishing and pollution do their part in environmental destruction. 
  Reefs are shrinking at an alarming rate, giving space to ever expanding areas filling up with the trash we discard around the world every day. 
  
  This became very clear to us when we snorkeled in the shallow waters of Cambodia’s coast and scuba dived into the deep blue around the Caribbean islands. Instead of finding the romantic paradise of a coral reef we were hoping for, we found ourselves gliding through an ocean of plastic waste, floating over the grey dead leftovers of what used to be home to a whole society of plants and animals.
  
  We need to act now and do our part in changing the way our old blue friend is being treated.

   Close
• 

  The Sky

  

  When we travel, we fly. 
  
  Not always of course, but let’s face it. A touring band will have to take a lot of plane trips. 
  
  A LOT OF THEM. 
  
  Can we tour efficiently without stepping foot on a single plane?
  Unfortunately not. 
  
  But are we faced with a guilty conscious when doing so?
  Yes, indeed. 
  
  Besides the noise and heat caused by aircraft engines, aviation contributes massively to the increasing global emission of CO2. There is no such thing as ‘green’ flying and that's a bummer, because we need to get to you. 
  
  Wherever you are. 
  
  Around the globe. 
  
  Plus, we need to bring some stuff with us, so we don’t look so lonely on stage. That is an abundance of weight being transported and countless miles travelled across the sky.
  
  Honestly though, have you ever taken that cheap and quick airfare over the more eco friendly but looooooong train ride? Or have you spent a couple of bucks on ‘compensating’ your flight without ever researching what that money is being used for or what offsetting actually means? 
  
  We need to find responsible alternatives and dig deep into options of compensating our impact. 

   Close
• 

  The Fires

  

  A topic that went viral through social media recently, is the devastating destruction of the Amazon rainforest. 
  This diverse tropical region is often referred to as "the planet's lungs" for contributing a significant amount of oxygen to our atmosphere and as a carbon sink, it helps mitigate the effects of global warming.
  Seeing the news about this vital habitat burning on such an incomprehensible scale is as terrifying as it is a symbol for the climate emergency we are facing. 
  
  It is also a good example of how social media can create a domino effect and help to raise awareness for an environmental issue. Sharing an important message like this online has the ability to reach people everywhere and hence really make a difference. 
  
  The environmental catastrophe in the Brazilian rainforest reminded us of how important the preservation of such vital natural habitats is. Make no mistake, these fires weren't wild, they were intentional and pushed by the brazilian government to trade rainforest grounds with agro-businesses. 
  
  We need to act and not solely in the Amazon region but globally. Deforestation and desertification is a massive problem, that needs to be addressed through tree planting projects and governmental regulations everywhere.
  
  Have you ever planted a tree yourself?
  Perhaps it’s time to do so or find a planting project to support, there’s plenty to choose from. 
  
  Meanwhile, we’ve got a little plan of our own on how to address this matter.
  
  Stay tuned.

   Close