At the beginning of last year, 30 Seconds To Mars, one of the hottest and greenest rock bands on the planet, launched a new environmental campaign to coincide with the release of their new short film/music video, A Beautiful Lie. The shoot marked the first time a rock group has filmed a video less than 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Greenland. Here’s what lead vocalist Jared Leto had to say about the experience:
“Shooting in Greenland was a dream come true and one of the most exciting adventures we’ve ever had as a band,” says 30 Seconds to Mars lead vocalist Jared Leto. “Although incredibly challenging and at times it seemed just out of our reach, once we finally arrived the beauty and magnificence of the terrain, the wonderful culture of the people, and the amazing journey itself were all inspiring beyond belief. Almost everyone has heard of global warming by now but for the people of Greenland it is a real and tangible problem of today, not an issue of tomorrow. This journey changed our lives. We hope that with this film and new website we can share, in some small way, this incredible experience with our family of friends and fans around the world.”
The band hooked up with the NRDC to reduce the impact of their shoot and also purchase carbon offsets for that which could not be avoided. In addition, they partnered with Buzznet to create a ‘call to action’ and gave fans the opportunity to upload videos to show the band and the world what they’re doing to help the environment. They also released a new website for the short film that includes information about current environmental issues, ways for kids to participate in environmental activities, links, tips for conservation and more.
“For the record, let me state loud and clearly: We do not profess to be experts on the environmental conditions of the planet. We do not pretend to live our lives in perfect harmony with the Earth making sure that every time we exhale we purchase green tags to offset the carbon emissions that come from all the hot air we admittedly toss around. And yes, we are aware of the implications and banal social dangers that could come with making an environmental statement in a music video. But we were compelled and inspired to move forward regardless and it ultimately came down to us asking ourselves…
Is it better to do this than to not?
The answer was a resounding “yes” and we jumped in. Because this is such a hot topic and a cause celebre we thought long and hard about what, why, and whether we were actually going to go through with this at all. Ultimately, we decided that being part of the solution – or even just attempting to be a part of solution – is better than sitting around and complaining about it. If, after all of this, in the smallest way possible, we are part of that solution rather than the problem then it will have been worth it all.
We all know by now that our planet is in deep trouble. We have abused it horribly and we are paying the price. It’s time to try to do what we can, both as individuals and collectively, to find better and kinder ways to live. It’s not our right; it’s our responsibility. We are all guilty. We can all change.
With this video, abeautifullie.org and the making-of, we hope that we can share with you all in some small way the experience that inspired us so much and that you can join us in this great adventure. We know you were there in spirit and, as always, supporting our collective dreams together.” – Jared Leto
Check out the short film for ´A beautiful lie´ below
A Beautiful Lie
30 Seconds to Mars | MySpace Video
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