"Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, album: Willy and the Poor Boys (1969)

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one.

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no,

A classic antiwar song against Vietnam war. We read in wikipedia about this song:

The song was inspired by David Eisenhower, the grandson of President
Dwight David Eisenhower who married Julie Nixon, the daughter of
President Richard Nixon in 1968 (Eisenhower later enlisted in the Navy
Reserve).John Fogerty told Rolling Stone: "Julie Nixon was hanging
around with David Eisenhower, and you just had the feeling that none
of these people were going to be involved with the war. In 1969, the
majority of the country thought morale was great among the troops, and
like eighty percent of them were in favor of the war. But to some of
us who were watching closely, we just knew we were headed for trouble."

This song was popular during the Vietnam War and is included in
several Vietnam films and computer games. The song symbolizes the
thoughts of a man who is being drafted. This spoke out against the war
in Vietnam. It is sung from the perspective of one of these men (who
is not the son of a Senator, millionaire, or military leader, thus not
a "fortunate son"), who ends up fighting in the Vietnam War.

You can hear this song in youtube

El Condor Pasa (If I could) by Simon/Garfunkel, Album: Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail
Yes i would, if i could, i surely would
I'd rather be a hammer than a nail
Yes i would, if i only could, i surely would

Away, i'd rather sail away
Like a swan that's here and gone
A man gets tied up to the ground
He gives the world its saddest sound
Its saddest sound

I'd rather be a forest than a street
Yes i would, if i could, i surely would
I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet
Yes i would, if i only could, i surely would

A song, not directly environmental, but singer's wishes seems to be inspired by the monotonous urban environment he lives and his feelings to escape away from the everyday routine he is forced to live in. Especially the verse "I'd rather be a forest than a street" shows the huge difference of an environment full of life and variation in contrast with the monotonous paved street full of cars and pollution.

The song was an old traditional peruvian song and the artists took the music and put their completely different lyrics. They faced some foolish problems with copyright, because someone else, many decades before, has re-written the music of the song in the version Simon-Garfunkel heard it for the first time, and his descendants went them to court.

You can hear this song in youtube

“Όταν θα γεννηθεί ο γιος σου” του ντουέτου Λήδα-Σπύρος, άλμπουμ: “Χαμένο τίποτα δεν πάει” “When your son will be born” by Leda-Spyros (duet) (1974)

Όταν θα γεννηθεί ο γιος σου
θα 'ναι μια μέρα σαν τις άλλες,
νοικοκυρές θα πλένουν ρούχα
παιδιά θα παίζουν στις τραμπάλες.

Θα ταξιδεύουν μ' αεροπλάνα
θα πλημμυρίζουν τα γραφεία,
άλλοι θ' αφήνουν το φεγγάρι
θα ψάχνουν σ' άλλο γαλαξία.

Όταν θα γεννηθεί ο γιος σου
πες του την πρώτη σου ιστορία
για την αλήθεια που λυτρώνει
και πολεμάει την αδικία.

Μην τον βυζάξεις με το ψέμα
μακρύς ο δρόμος που θα πάρει,
θα μετανοιώσει και θα κλάψει
κι όλο στα ίδια θα γυρνάει.

Όταν θα γεννηθεί ο γιος σου
τα εργοστάσια θα μας πνίγουν,
φύλλα στα δέντρα δεν θα υπάρχουν
μαύροι καπνοί θα μας τυλίγουν.

Τότε πες του να δει τον ήλιο
ύστερα απ' τη νεροποντή,
είν' δικός του ο κόσμος όλος
να τονε φτιάξει απ' την αρχή.

Όταν θα γεννηθεί ο γιος σου...

translation:

When your son will be born
It will be a common day like all others
Women will do the household
Children will play in playgrounds

They’ll travel with planes
They’ll crowd offices
Some others will leave Moon
And will explore other galaxies

When your son will be born
Tell him your first tale
About the truth that liberates
And fights injustice

Don’t nurse him in lies
He has a long way to go
He will regret and will cry
And he’ll meet the same old story

When your son will be born
Industries will surround us
Trees will lost their leaves forever
Black smokes will wrap us

That time tell him to see the sun
After a rainfall
The world all is his own
To make it from the start again
When your son will be born…

A beautiful old Greek song from mid 70s about the uncertain social and environmental future of next generations and the parental duty to show their kids the right way.

You can hear this song in youtube

Blog Action Day 2009 (Dedicated to Climate Change)

15 of October today, Blog Action Day for 2009 and as the topic of our blog is rock music and ecology, we review some songs related to climate change:

Songs with lyrics about Climate Change:

Testament “The Greenhouse effect”


Evil Dead “Global Warming”


Gojira “Global Warming”


Bad Religion “Kyoto now”


Jill Sobule “Manhattan in January”




Songs that were dedicated or used in campaigns to stop climate change:

Perry Farrell “Woman in the window”


Thom York “Harrowdown Hill”


Melissa Etheridge “I need to wake up”


Madonna “Hey You”


Nunatak "How many people"

"Eclipse" by John Denver, Album: Back Home Again (1974)

The sun is slowly fading in the western sky
Sometimes it takes forever for the day to end
Sometimes it takes a lifetime
Sometimes I think I’ll never see the sun again

In the east a shaded moon is hanging lazily
I do believe I saw the old man smile
I do believe I did
I do believe he’s been hanging all the while

I think its kind of interesting the way things get to be
The way that people work with their machines
Serenity’s a long time coming to me
The fact I don’t believe I know what it means

There’s a heavy smog between me and my mountains
Its enough to make a grown man sit and cry
Its enough to make you wonder
Its enough to make the world roll up and die

I think its kind of interesting the way things get to be
The way that people work with their machines
Serenity’s a long time coming to me
The fact I don’t believe I know what it means any more

When the sun is slowly fading in the western sky
Sometimes it takes forever the day to end
Sometimes it takes a lifetime
Sometimes I think I’ll never see the sun again
Sun again

This song is about the smoggy polluted atmosphere in urban environments. As a J. Denver's fan wrote:

Eclipse features a clarinet and a percussion whose sound resembles that of a clock pendulum. The lyrics illustrate the negative effects of industrial emissions not only on the Earth but also on the narrator. As the sun gradually sets, he realizes that the smoggy air eclipses his view of the mountains. Sometimes he fears he'll "never see the sun again," perhaps due to air thick enough with pollution to block the sun. “it's enough to make the world roll up and die”.

You can hear this song in youtube

“American President Loved His War” by Crying 4 Kafka (2009) Lyrics by Paul R. Abramson

AMERICAN PRESIDENT WANTED A WAR,
IN A LAND, FAR, FAR AWAY.
TOLD HIS SOLDIERS IF THEY WON,
HE’D LEAD THE VICTORY PARADE

AMERICAN PRESIDENT WANTED A WAR,
HE PREACHED IT EVERY DAY
PAID THE DEVIL WITH HIS SOUL
TO WIN ANOTHER RACE

AMERICAN PRESIDENT WANTED A WAR,
DIDN’T CARE BOUT WHAT IT COST
IF IT GAVE EM FOUR MORE YEARS
FUCK, IF WE WON OR LOST

AMERICAN PRESIDENT WANTED A WAR
DISTRACTION WHAT HE NEEDED
COUNTRY GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL
THAT’S WHERE THE MAN SUCCEEDED

NO ONE EVER KNOWS,
PRICE THE SOLDIER PAYS,
UNTIL THE GIFT
THE SOLDIER MAKES,
ENDS IN SHALLOW GRAVES.

PRESIDENTS GO TO WAR IN
VANITY AND PRIDE
NOTHING MORE TO OFFER
THAN BRUTAL HOMICIDE

WHO CAN SACRIFICE,
IN GREED AND LUST,
EVERY HOPE AND DREAM
ENDS IN DISMAL DUST.

AMERICAN PRESIDENT LOVED HIS WAR
AND ALL THE MONEY IT MADE HIM
TOLD HIS FRIENDS TO BUY UP STOCK
IN OIL AND AMMUNITION

AMERICAN PRESIDENT LOVED HIS WAR
AND ALL THE POWER IT GAVE HIM
BILL OF RIGHTS CAN GO TO HELL
AND…FUCK THE CONSTITUTION

NO ONE EVER KNOWS,
PRICE THE SOLDIER PAYS,
UNTIL THE GIFT
THE SOLDIER MAKES,
ENDS IN SHALLOW GRAVES.

PRESIDENTS GO TO WAR IN
VANITY AND PRIDE
NOTHING MORE TO OFFER
THAN BRUTAL HOMICIDE

NO ONE EVER KNOWS,
PRICE THE SOLDIER PAYS,
UNTIL THE GIFT
THE SOLDIER MAKES,
ENDS IN SHALLOW GRAVES.

PRESIDENTS GO TO WAR IN
VANITY AND PRIDE
NOTHING MORE TO OFFER
THAN BRUTAL HOMICIDE

NO ONE EVER KNOWS,
PRICE THE SOLDIER PAYS,
UNTIL THE GIFT
THE SOLDIER MAKES,
ENDS IN SHALLOW GRAVES.

PRESIDENTS GO TO WAR IN
VANITY AND PRIDE
NOTHING MORE TO OFFER
THAN BRUTAL HOMICIDE

That’s a new anti-war song about the notorious violent international policy by George Bush Junior that affected, not only the poor targets in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, but also the human and individual rights all over the world, even inside USA!

In order to reinforce USA’s presence and control in oil production territories he didn’t hesitate to promote, support and do massacres, bloodsheds, ethnic cleansing and tortures against the local resistance. All in the name of the so-called fight against terrorism, but in reality all in the name of profits and greed.

In addition, as ecologists we are aware of the huge environmental impact for the future generations from the use of extremely toxic weapons of new technology and ammunition like depleted uranium.

You can visit the myspace of this interesting punk band to hear this song among other new stuff by them

Βαθιά πληγή (Gash), by Κίτρινα ποδήλατα (Yellow Bicycles) , Album: Ανάδυση (Emergence)(2009)

Έγινε η γη βαθιά πληγή δώστε της ξανά ζωή
Για να μπορέσω να μεγαλώσω
Αυτόν τον κόσμο που αγαπώ να τον γλιτώσω

Τέρμα τα μίση, τέρμα οι φόνοι
Τεχνολογίες που η φύση τις πληρώνει
Τέρμα ο κόσμος των ταχυτήτων
Το νερό, ο αέρας δεν είναι η άνεση των λίγων
Οι αντιθέσεις δεν είναι λύση
Τέρμα οι μεγάλοι ευεργέτες απ’ τη φύση
Τέρμα οι σπατάλες για τη μαγκιά μας
Τα ‘χουμε όλα δανειστεί απ’ τα παιδιά μας

Έγινε η γη βαθιά πληγή δώστε της ξανά ζωή
Για να μπορέσω να μεγαλώσω
Αυτόν τον κόσμο που αγαπώ να τον γλιτώσω

Μια στιγμή, κλείσε τα μάτια κι άφησε να περάσει από μπροστά σου
αυτός ο κόσμος που θες κι ονειρεύεσαι.
Κλείσε τα μάτια και θα δεις πως είμαι εγώ εκεί μπροστά που θες να φτάσεις.
Άσε την αγάπη να υψωθεί στον ουρανό.
Άσε την αγάπη να ξεκλειδώσει την καρδιά σου.
Είναι απλό. Τόσο απλό. Άφησε εμένα να γίνω οδηγός.
Άφησε εμένα.

Translation:

Earth became a gash, give her life again
In order to be able to grow up myself
To save this world I love
Give an end to hate, give an end to kill
To technology nature pays the toll
Give an end to the world of speed
The water, the air are not comforts for the few
Conflicts are not the solution
Stop the great supporters
Stop the expenses for our arrogance
All are borrowed from our children
Earth became a gash, give her life again
In order to be able to grow up
To save this world I love
Just close your eyes for a moment
and let the world you dream pass before you
Close your eyes and you’ll see that I am standing where you want to go
Let love reach out the sky
Let love unlock your heart
I’s simple, quite so simple. Let me be your leader
Let me…

The song starts and ends with audio fragments from radio or TV news about climate changing and ecological destructions. Also children voices sing the chorus and parts of the lyrics. A song that is an appeal from those who will suffer a lot in the future from our today’s improvident actions.

You can hear this song in youtube

Album: “From Mars To Sirius” by Gojira (2005)

Ocean Planet

I'm in a mental cage,
I'm locked up
Imprisoned I live,
Deathlike, sickening
Strong is your hold
On my resignation
I don't see the stars,
My memories are veiled

In fluid dreams
I fall I'm restless
Walls made of stone
Are turned into water now
Enlightened demons
Are taking me by the hand
Approaching me,
This great eye speaking

Mountainous waves
Are breaking on my despair
Awaken me but I'm still dreaming
And I just plunge
Into this sea of light
Set open the doors of soul
I'm living

Lightning struck me
I see the path I was so scared of
And fly to the stars
Conviction now increasing at last
My skin is broken
I see the smallest part of me
My mind is alive
But I'll never bow to this again

Why do they call me there
How can I fly to
All this water
I don't feel like
I could ever swim to them
Whales in the sky
I feel they're so close
Inside, and yet so far away
Burst into tears, I feel sad
My dreams aflame
The force is now away
Lie on a stone,
Drop this load and cry to see
The ocean planet is on burn



Backbone

Indestructible
On this rock I lie
But I'm alive for good
And I just free myself now
From all what was wrong
Break the unbreakable

All the stars
Fearlessly bright
They call me out there
Order me to face the wind
My structure's alive,
My body's on the way
Don't bow down
Before the walls
Of fear and madness
They try to counter me
And strike me down
To the ground again

Inexhaustible
The strength of fire
Is running through me
Spine like beam of light
What mortal could ever
Break this force
Unconstrained
I see at last
My backbone straighten
Thy serpent made of bones
Finally rise up
From the ground awaken

Beat your feet
On the ground now, go!



From The Sky

At the very first sound
There was just light
And then, a storm
Of time and space
Just came and struck
Created our time
In water life
We understand
It just only began
Forced to look to the sky
And wonder why
We cannot face the fact that
We're all scared now
Of mysteries of life
There is a mask that soon will fall
Before the strong embrace
Of love and might
Of light in the dark
I go for the quest
I have to give myself the answer
Enter now this place in the wild
I can see the glade
My feeling now is growing bigger
From the sky

I do feel like no one can save me
I am so alone and yet I cried
I called for help, forsaken
But now I know
The only way is to
Understand the living
Obey the rule of light
And face the fear
Inside out!

Lost, I found there a stone
Erected in line
With one of the brightest stars
Of all the night sky vault
And I took my time
Took off the moss
Washed away the dust
And gave a new lease of life
Its' mystical force
I grab it now
And praise this lord
Of earth and stone
Make passage for souls awaken
So it returns
To where it's always been
With the gods
Now coming, I feel the love
It comes from on high

I know the words
But now I fell it inside
It grows, it's there
And all it comes from the sky



Flying Whales

Waters of chaos
Have invaded all space
The flood on earth again
I have to find the whales
That once did guide us
To dry lands of life
I won't despair
I'll break this dark all around

Under the heavy sea
I'll search the flight of whales

Beneath the seas I searched
And had a different view
Of us on earth:
The sinking ship of men
But it's beyond the stars
I found the place
Where they were
And they finally came to light

Over the winds
They dwell in light
Like the arrow in the sky
I found myself on higher grounds
From up here
For I see them in flight

Now I can see the whales
Looming out of the dark
Like arrows in the sky
I can't believe my eyes
But it's true

Huge tunnel ends in light
Like banks of clouds they gather
See massive shape of flesh
Swimming giants in the clear
The mightiest comes to me
I'm on the wing, wide open
They teach me how to fly
Slowly moving in the air
They dance

So much told with no words at all
Powerful presence for only speech
Breath

Over the winds
They dwell in light
Fly



In The Wilderness

On my way
To the vision-come-true
I enter a galaxy rising
And I land on this
Brown and green old place
Whose wild is giant trees

Trees so strong
That they never can fall
Four suns alight
In silver grey sky
Wild river flows
With rage alive
Lions of fire approach me

Carved by the wind
And the fall of water
From the treetops
I can see the end of a time

Living respectful
Low your axe
And learn from the trees

Second dawn
Meet the sylvanlings
Passageways into the deep
Invitations to explore the forest
Lions gales and chambers

A tree trunk
Larger than a mountain
Stands on the top
Of this hill
Made of rock and mist

Living respectful
Low your axe
And learn from the trees

Henceforth
I will be always there
Planet earth will overcome
Men destroyed
Scorned and killed their lives
But the world is on her way


World To Come

I'm sitting by a lake
But it's not of this earth
The water is so clear
And the birds are alive
A mirror for the sky
They see themselves
And fly away

I'm sitting by a lake
The universe is alive
I lay down by the river-flow
It's a river of stars
I'm living by the ocean
It's an ocean of light
How do you call
This place around us
It's a world that I once saw
In a dream

Will you please tell me now
If I'm dead or alive
Landscapes so bright
All around
It's a city of light
Were who when and why?
I think therefore I am
I feel like I know this land
But it must be so far away...

This world is life
This "clouds-and-wonders"
Is all I need
And it will never go
You say it's lost
I don't believe it
This is my vision
We can never know

This is the earth
But ages after
I know the world
Will overcome its' pain
The simple fact
I dream about it
Already makes it
Happen in the rain

It's right in front
But you don't face it
I'm dedicated
All my life in me
And made of light
Our sun is growing
Like in the heart of some of us
I pray

And other lands
You will discover
This form of life
Is not the only one
I was a child
And I just knew it
And know I know
The vision came alive

To Sirius

Now from a solar system
To another I fly
I come with life in my veins
Through darkened space I ran
I left a struggle behind
And faced the fear that's alive
I lost a world and traveled
Straight across from the sky
To find the gates of the heart

I come to sirius c
To learn from you friends of old
And wish to come into being
And behold I'm with you
I am ready now to go
The distance and even beyond
Recover all my forces
All the strength of the world
And feel the light into me

From the strength of god
We go to the power of goddess
This place is a throne
For brightness
The age of war is over

For god's sake
They have never heard of you
"You'll never reach
This master race"
Our force sickening
Killing the time
Human laws
Already slain many lives

There was a streak of madness
But now I know
I see its now the only truth
The scars in me are opened
Won't you please call me beyond

Crave affection love and courage
Being courageous
And flying instead of
Falling down
Follow these instructions
I've been given
In this dream awake

There is no goal to reach now
Leviathans
No complaint at all
Dolphins from upper space
Are in front of me
In present they dwell

This is my way
I've found my home
My state of real
There is no goal to reach
This is my way


Global Warming

Four hundred thousand years ago
They came from outer space
And gave us life here
And we are taking everything for granted
I don't think we should do this now
And when I see the smoke around
I feel like I'm not
From humankind down there
I feel like glaciers are my eyes
And mountains are my head
My heart is ocean
And I feel all alone
Because everybody's wrong
I feel the living
What is this thing that we call hate
And that's inside of me
Get out of here!

A world is down
And none can rebuild it
Disabled lands are evolving
My eyes are shut, a vision is dying
My head explodes
And I fall in disgrace

I hold my inner child within
And tell him not to cry
"don't fear the living"
One day you will stand as a king
And now fear can erase
This light below us
Each one of us is now engaged
This secret we all have
This truth is growing
And as a warrior I have to fight
I can already feel
The love I'll discover

I had this dream, our planet surviving
The guiding stars always growing
And all the worlds
The fates all the countries
They're all rebuilding at the same time
I never fell and always believed in
We could evolve and get older
Open your eyes and let all this flow
Now see a new hope is growing inside

We will see our children growing

A concept album about a myctical experience and vision of the unification in nature and the phenomenon of life. The artist is aware of our insignificance, our arrogance, our ignorance. He is worrying about nature destruction, but he leaves us with a message full of hope. We read in wikipedia:

From Mars to Sirius is a concept album, focusing on the changing environment of the Earth, and how humanity must do something to save the Earth before it is too late...

This album follows a character who sees the world end and sets out on a journey to find the Flying Whales so they can teach the character to fly. Said character flies to Sirius C, where the 'Master Race' teaches him to restore life to the planet (possibly Earth or Mars).

The usage of interplanetary endeavoring in Sirius bears similarities to Voltaire's Micromégas, which tells the story of a man traveling through space originally from the planet Sirus.

It also bears similarities to ideas put forward in Bob Frissell's book "Nothing in This Book is True, But it's Exactly How Things Are"

We present the lyrics that have more direct reference to environmental issues. For the rest of them visit darklyrics com.

You can hear some songs from this album in youtube
Ocean Planet
Backbone
From the sky
Flying whales
In the Wilderness
World to come
Global warming

Also the interesting video clip "To Sirius" from this album:

Greece was bunt out again!

A ska song by ska-bungies written for this new tragedy. It calls us to take resposibility and action against corrupted governments that have yield forests to building societies and promote antiforest laws serving certain private interests

Pink Floyd's Best of "Echoes" was promoted as Carbon neutral

Music industry can't be out of the spirit of the time, the global warming concern, especially when such a perspective will be a very good profitable investment. In a co-operation with the The CarbonNeutral Company (ex Future Forests), a consulting company for planetary carbon reduction, they promote Pink Floyd's Best of "Echoes" as carbon Neutral, supporting a forest planting campaign that compensates for the carbon emmisions of the production and distribution of the album. We read in PR Newswire:

Pink Floyd breathe life into new forests

Future Forests help Pink Floyd make their latest album Carbon Neutral

Today Future Forests announce their latest music-based project to tackle global warming with an innovative, environmental initiative as Pink Floyd release their forthcoming Carbon Neutral(r) album "Echoes" on the 5th November 2001, through EMI:Chrysalis.

This partnership will result in the creation of four new "long term indigenous" forests around the world in Scotland (Dryhope Burn), India, Mexico and Louisiana in the US.

The number of trees planted will be sufficient to absorb the emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, caused by the production and distribution of the band's CDs. The more albums Pink Floyd sell - the more forests get planted. Pink Floyd fans can get involved by planting trees online at http://www.pinkfloyd.com. Each will receive a branded certificate and map, and the trees will be planted in the Pink Floyd forests.

Global climate change is the single biggest threat to the survival of our world, and this partnership allows Pink Floyd to communicate with their fans on a global scale.

The music industry was one of the first supporters of Future Forests. All this began four years ago around the campfire at Glastonbury Festival, when Neneh Cherry was so excited about the Future Forests initiative she helped the company talk to other music industry legends including Neil Tennant, and the networking process began.

Dan Morrell, founder of Future Forests says, "Our climate is changing. We can all do something to stop the problem escalating - and no action is too small. Alongside reducing emissions at source, forestry has a real role to play, soaking up some of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We are proud to be working with Pink Floyd and their fans, to help make a difference."

Pink Floyd's new album "Echoes" is released on the 5th November 2001, and is a career spanning retrospective 2 CD set of 26 of their greatest hits.

Notes to Editors

Future Forests' support from the music industry includes Pink Floyd, Pet Shop Boys, Afrika Bambaataa, Alex James, Joe Strummer, Neneh Cherry, Billie, Atomic Kitten, UB40, Damien Hirst, Glastonbury Festival and Tower Records (and many more).

* Future Forests, leading international environmental business, works with business and the public to deliver simple and effective solutions to global climate change. The service was founded and built on the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through 'gold standard' forestry.

* Future Forests' Carbon Neutral(r) symbol is applied to a wide variety of its client operations, products or services. The symbol signals to staff, customers and the public that Future Forests has used best practice carbon offset projects to absorb or balance an equivalent amount of CO2 from the atmosphere to that released in making the product or delivering the service.

* Future Forests' clients number over 90 businesses including Barclays, Avis, Mazda, Hilton Hotels and the RAC; 10,000+ members of the public; and a growing number of celebrities.

* Future Forests' 'gold standard' offset projects are those which remove carbon dioxide emissions in ways which protect and enhance the natural environment, and which support the socio-economic development of the societies in which the projects are established.

* The Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management (ECCM) is a specialist team of scientists and advisors in carbon management to government and industry. ECCM works with Future Forests to undertake emissions assessment and to conduct regular inspection of all planting sites to how many trees need to be planted in specific areas to re-absorb the promised level of carbon dioxide.

Let's now hear some old Pink Floyd's songs in memory of the late Syd Barrett: