Sustainable Clubbing: Environmental (and possibly judgemental)

I spotted this article earlier this month, and reckon that it deserves attention for two reasons; firstly because of the possibilities for cheap energy, lower utility bills, and that nice feeling of doing something for the environment, and secondly, because it could become the ultimate DJ rating tool.

Toulouse in France has adopted 'pavement power' technology, using the electricity generated by footsteps to power lighting. It's a technology borrowed from the Netherlands' Sustainable Dance Club (SDC), which produces technologies such as the movement-generated dancefloor, a zero-waste bar, and a personal cup-holder to avoid festival and club chuck-aways.

But imagine the possibilities of taking this to the next level: no back-up generators, no auxiliary supplies, just a sustainable dancefloor, a DJ and a crowd. Then link the dancefloor to the amps, speakers and turntables, and hey presto, you get instant crowd judgement with immediate effect. If the set is banging, the crowd is jumping, and the tables keep turning, but as soon you drop a dancefloor clearer, all energy will be zapped from the DJs' fingers - the incitement to maintain crowd spirits and feet movement will only be as great as the urge to have a clubnight in the first place.

This all sounds a bit Stasi, but I've yearned for the ability to turn off the mixer for particularly bad sets, and quite frankly the stage bouncers just keep getting bigger (while I've got fatter and slower). Having the option presented in emission-cutting sustainable technology is just icing on the cake.


Check out SDC's site for more info on how you can become a sustainable club venue - it's time Scotland saw this technology in the mix.