Pearl Jam named winners of the 2011 Planet Defender Award

Tue, 26 Apr 2011

Pearl Jam were named winners of the 2011 Planet Defender Award by Colorado based environmental organization Rock The Earth as part of their national Rock the Earth Day celebration.

Rock the Earth works closely with musicians and their fans in order to raise awareness of environmental issues. The not for profit organization is dedicated to protecting and defending natural resources through partnerships with the music industry and the world-wide environmental community.

Over their 20 year career Pearl Jam have sold over thirty million records in the US and an estimated sixty million world-wide but, along the way have stayed dedicated to environmental activism and are staunch believers for the climate change argument. Lead singer Eddie Vedder often takes part in fundraisers and benefits for groups such as the LA based Kelly Slater Foundation, Jack Johnston's Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the Surfride Foundation.

Guitarist Stone Gossard has also been just as active in environmental pursuits, and is an advocate of Pearl Jam's carbon neutral policy, offsetting the band's environmental impact.

Spearheaded by Gossard, the band established a Carbon Portfolio Strategy, Pearl Jam’s ongoing efforts to advance clean renewable energy and carbon mitigation. Through this Strategy, the band has donated more than $150,000 to nine organizations doing innovative work around climate change, renewable energy, and the environment.

The band as a unit have also answered the call to action when in 2010 , the band announced they would mitigate carbon emissions from their 2009 Backspacer Tour by donating $210,000 towards planting trees in the area of Pugent Sound, Washington.