A Better World Through Music and the Arts
Artists Project Earth aims to create a better world by bringing the power of music and the arts to 21st century challenges. It supports effective projects and awareness raising initiatives to combat climate change and raises funds for natural disaster relief.
Almost all climate scientists agree that human-made climate change is real and we need to take immediate action to avert catastrophic effects on both humans and ecosystems. The need to prevent global temperatures from rising by more than two degrees above pre-industrial levels is vital.
The only way in which we can prevent this is by reducing the amount of fossil fuel we burn. Total world emissions must be stabilized and reduced, with the rich world taking the lead by making very large cuts within a few decades. That means big cuts right away. But it can’t happen unless there is a massively enhanced public awareness of the need for action.
APE’s seventh album. It revisits four of Kenny Young’s famous, chart-topping songs, headlined by a live recording of ‘Under the Boardwalk’ and a reworking of ‘Spirit of the Forest’.
Who Are We
May East – Trustee
George Marshall – Advisory Board
Kenny Young – Honorary founder
Lorna Howarth – Consultant
Herbie Girardet – Trustee
Caspar Henderson – Advisory Board
Maria Adebowale – Advisory Board
George Monbiot – Advisory Board
Joel Young - Trustee
Kris Lee - Treasurer
Our Work
APE’s approach is informed by a set of operating principles that we feel passionately about.
Our Mission
We identify both the opportunities that enable people, especially in the world’s richest countries, to reduce their emissions and the obstacles that hold people back. We devise innovative and effective ways of communication that encourage people to share this experience.
We recognise that individuals cannot make the required changes on their own. We aim to create a powerful and vocal community of people working together to move technology, government and business forward to reduce emissions and make real and lasting changes to the way we live. All our projects will demonstrate that our vision of stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions is practically attainable. APE believes that the many of the solutions are within reach, if only we have the will.
Our Vision
Through music and the arts, APE aims to achieve permanent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to levels that minimise further degradation of ecological systems and human livelihood. APE recruits internationally known musicians and artists through albums, concerts, art exhibitions and art related projects to raise awareness of climate change and funds for campaigns and disaster relief.
Raising Awareness
We believe that the majority of people continue to remain unaware of what climate change means for the world or how their own personal emissions contribute to the problem. We believe that people will respond positively to the problem once they become aware of what friends, colleagues and neighbors are doing. Few go it alone unless they have peer support or a good example to follow.
Overcoming Obstacles
We believe that there are major obstacles for people wishing to adopt low carbon lifestyles. Much of the information is not accessible, overly technical or hard to translate into the actual circumstances of people’s lives. Time is in short supply and few people can afford the time and effort to do the necessary research and follow-up. The biggest obstacle that people face is that they are often very isolated, lacking encouragement or contact with others taking similar steps.
Achieving Goals
We believe that people are most successful in achieving change when they have support for their decisions. This comes best when people work together – connecting with others, doing similar things and sharing experience.
Education
We believe that the most important knowledge held by people is the personal experience gained from trying something. This generates the learning that is most useful to others. APE activities all aim to have an action-learning component building on personal experience and a diversity of viewpoints.
Support
People require that the government provides a clear framework to guide their actions along with policies and incentives that reward personal initiative. At present government support is inadequate, incoherent, and rarely relevant to people’s actual needs. Change is also required in the corporate sector. Companies need to provide adequate market information, tools for consumers to assess alternative products, and greater transparency on availability of new products. Improved services are needed to deliver an integrated package of household greenhouse gas reduction measures.