Guest blog: Environmental blues

By Zac Elliot, 1Sky Indiana Coordinator at Citizen Action. -- Luis

Blues legends Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal rocked “The Lawn” at White River State Park on Tuesday, August 25, with a concert that partly benefited local organizations that work for safe and sustainable energy practices. Their summer tour continues, and upon its conclusion, the aptly named “BonTaj” will contribute to partnering organizations whose work is voted on by measure of public popularity.

I had the pleasure of tabling the event, where hoards of concert goers flocked to inquire about environmental issues, signed postcards, and became individual supporters of 1Sky. After the show, volunteers and VIP ticket holders (whose ticket proceeds went to local partner organizations) met with Bonnie and Taj for pictures and in depth discussions on current energy and environmental issues.

On top of her acclaimed music career, Bonnie is well known for her lifelong commitment to social and environmental activism. She has long been involved with the environmental movement, doing concerts around land management, water, and energy issues which have benefited local groups. She is one of the founders, and a very active member, of the organization Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) which produced the NO NUKES concerts back in the late 70s. She has twice been arrested for civil reasons while demonstrating, and we can only hope to live up to the platinum standard of her activism over the last 35 years.