Physical Copies of Angel Olsen's 'Big Time' Will Be Carbon Negative

"This isn't a solution to [the] intersection of art commerce and climate change — but it's an effort and a contribution"

BY Kaelen BellPublished Apr 22, 2022

The environmental impact of the music industry — from creating vinyl records and CDs to touring — has been a mounting issue for a long time. That looming spectre has clearly been on Angel Olsen's mind, who has announced today that all physical editions of her upcoming record Big Time that are purchased directly from the Secretly Store will be carbon negative.

In what Olsen calls an "effort and contribution" in offsetting the environmental impacts of vinyl and CDs, she and Jagjaguwar have partnered with Texas-based environmental and energy consulting firm Terra Lumina Consulting to offset her record's carbon footprint. Working with the firm, Olsen has "calculated emissions and costs to achieve a carbon negative product for 'cradle-to-grave' use of each physical piece: from the mining of materials, to pressing and shipping, to the electricity consumed by your stereo at home, to end of life disposal." 

These carbon offsets are being purchased through Native, which supports the Medford Spring Grassland project in Colorado. This entire endeavour means a measly $1 USD price hike for physical copies of Big Time, which seems entirely reasonable. 

Big Time is arriving June 3. See Olsen's post about the carbon initiative below. 
 

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