Using social media and art to promote environmental awareness and inspire action? That’s what the Jay Trainer Band is up to. Their 2010 Green Resolution Raffle is happening on YouTube right now, a project Jay has created by blending his passions for music, the environment and inspiring people to act.

The Green Resolution Raffle asks people to visit Jay’s YouTube channel, watch a video form a carbon-neutral online concert, and subscribe to the channel. This enters you to win a prize package including movie tickets, an iTunes gift card, music lessons and more. It’s a great example of utilizing earth-friendly promotions through social media to inspire and connect people all over the Internet. The Green Resolution Raffle is just one of many projects Jay organizes through Artfulchange,

Jay himself describes Artfulchange this way:

"The core principle behind Artfulchange is using our passion for the arts to have an impact on the environment.”

 (Full disclosure: I do some writing and social media work with Artfulchange)

Jay is doing a great job extending the life of his event, one of the most difficult things to pull off with social media. The original concert that Better to Breathe (the featured song on YouTube) was part of an hour-long concert that drew about 50 people. That event was a success in and of itself, bringing together a great crew of like-minded people.

2. Then Artfulchange revitalized the concert footage for a 350.org event as part of 350’s Day of Global Action just before the Copenhagen Summit on October 24. That event was labeled a Carbon-neutral online concert and accepted donations and sold art from local artists with all of the proceeds going to the Energy Action Coalition.

Jay explained that event: “The carbon neutral online concert is about helping people have a good time while they make an impact. We are creating opportunities to enjoy the arts and have their money make a difference."

3. He also parlayed that participation into a great event that brought together a dozen different projects from around the Bay area for a party that night where they networked and built even more possibilities.

4. Now, he is giving the video another life. He has created the Green Resolution Raffle, again combining his two passions, music and the environment. He is asking people to visit the YouTube video, which is a well-produced video of a great song called Better to Breathe. While there, he asks them to leave a comment talking about their personal Green Resolution for the new year. And it’s working.

At this point he has over 7,500 views and more than 50 comments from people. He’s used Facebook, Twitter and more niche music networks to promote all of these events. When he’s done he’ll have a community that is into what he is doing and the momentum to breathe life into his next project.

Inspiration from a combination of his passions, Jay, his band and the non-profit Artfulchange are a great example of what can happen when green projects embrace and utilize social media. 

Photo Credit: YouTube screenshot (via Better to Breathe Video)