For Rocker Jackson Browne, Every Day is Earth Day

"I hope this doesn't mess up the bar," said Dennis Scrimo, as he ran a hose from the sink in the lower lobby bar at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach, Calif. Snaking it across the lobby, he then hooked the hose up to a water filtration dispenser.

Over the last hour, Scrimo has been a blur while rolling out the dispenser, make-shifting a hook-up and barking at backstage crew members for drinking out of plastic water bottles.

Welcome to life on the road with Jackson Browne.

Scrimo has been the legendary singer/songwriter's production manager since the mid-1980s. Both share an intense desire to educate the public about helping the environment, particularly when it comes to plastic.

"People have no clue how much plastic is collecting in our oceans," Scrimo said, as he hustled to get the evening's show together. Scrimo's eyes darted about as he looked for single-use plastic water bottles. "Jackson and I both see eye to eye on this and we work our butts off to make a difference."

Browne, one of his generation's most poetic, incisive artists, is just as passionate about the environment as he is his music. Seamlessly blending songs and his concern for the earth, Browne has long been at the forefront of environmental activism, going "green" before the term existed.

He's collaborated with Brita on its FilterForGood movement, making Brita Hydration Stations available to dispense free filtered water to concert attendees.

And that's not all.

Browne, whose massive-selling albums include "The Pretender," "Running on Empty" and "Hold Out," has turned his current solo acoustic tour into a virtual green endeavor.

His tour bus and equipment truck run on biodiesel.

The stage lighting is powered by an all-LED Bandit Lites rig, greatly reducing energy consumption. Using GRNLite technology, the rig also is artist friendly because it eliminates onstage heat.

And then there's the "No plastic" edict.

Since 2008, over the course of approximately 150 band shows and 50 solo dates, it's estimated that Browne's tours have saved more than 50,738 plastic bottles from being used backstage. That's because he travels with his own special water dispenser/purifier, designed by Scrimo.

"I'm completely opposed to single-use plastic, so I'm very active in trying to get people to see that you don't have to drink water out of plastic bottles. And it doesn't stop there," Browne told AOL News.

"So many birds all around the world are dying of starvation with their gullets full of plastic. ... So much of this stuff ends up not getting recycled and then winds up in the wild," Browne said.

"The plastic is used just once, then it stays around in the environment for years," he said. "But companies will only stop producing things like water bottles when people stop consuming bottled water."

Browne, an active member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, said at this point, he's just interested in making people aware of alternatives.

In Browne's opinion, all people need to do is take note of their actions. "How many times a day does someone take a sip from a plastic water bottle, put it down, forget about it, then open a new one? All of that waste happens at the expense of the environment," Browne said.

When Browne raised his kids years ago, bottled water seemed like a good idea. "But we know a lot more today about the effects of that plastic," he said. "So why not use a thermos or other kind of carrier? It's really not that hard."

At 62, the ever-youthful Browne remains an energetic, tireless leader in terms of his environmental activism. Essentially, he treats every day like Earth Day.

And with Scrimo as his backstage wingman, Browne doesn't have a lot to worry about when it comes to enforcing the law. (As though on cue, Scrimo suddenly bellowed to a burly union stagehand, "I don't wanna see any more of these plastic bottles, understand?" The guy nervously nodded back.)

"I've always believed in Jackson's music," Scrimo said. "But I also believe in his principles. This guy is serious."

More Earth Day Coverage:

The Earth From Above [PHOTOS]

Earth Day: The Planet's Most Extreme Places [PHOTOS]

Earth Day: Endangered Species [PHOTOS]

Earth Day: A Look Back [PHOTOS]

On Earth Day, Oil Cleanup Continues in the Gulf [PHOTOS]

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