Editing Neil Young (section)

==Activism, philanthropy and humanitarian efforts==
Young has been a lifelong committed environmentalist<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/photos/neil-young-environmentalist-1.1716733 |title=Neil Young, Environmentalist |work=CBC News}}</ref> and outspoken advocate for the welfare of small farmers, having co-founded in 1985 the [[benefit concert]] [[Farm Aid]].

===Farm Aid===
Young remains on the board of directors of [[Farm Aid]], an organization he co-founded with [[Willie Nelson]] and [[John Mellencamp]] in 1985. According to its website, it is the longest running concert benefit series in the US and has raised $43&nbsp;million since its first benefit concert in 1985. Each year, Young co-hosts and performs with well-known guest performers including [[Dave Matthews]] and producers including Evelyn Shriver and Mark Rothbaum, at the Farm Aid annual benefit concerts to raise funds and provide grants to family farms and prevent [[foreclosure]]s, provide a crisis hotline, and create and promote homegrown farm food in the United States.<ref name="Young and Farm Aid1">{{cite web|url=http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723677/k.961B/Board_and_Staff.htm|title=Farm Aid's Hardworking Board and Staff|year=2010|work=Farm Aid information about the board, staff, and concerts|publisher=Farm Aid|access-date=August 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805233850/http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723677/k.961B/Board_and_Staff.htm|archive-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref>

===Bridge School===
In 1986, Young helped found the Bridge School,<ref>{{cite web|last=Casella|first=Vicki|title=The Bridge School|url=http://www.bridgeschool.org/|access-date=October 13, 2013}}</ref> an educational organization for children with severe verbal and physical disabilities, and its annual supporting [[Bridge School Benefit]] concerts, together with his then-wife Pegi Young.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tsFwDQAAQBAJ&q=Bridge+School+Benefit++neil+young&pg=PT89|title=Pearl Jam FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Seattle's Most Enduring Band|last1=Corbett|first1=Bernard M.|last2=Harkins|first2=Thomas Edward|date=April 1, 2016|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=978-1-61713-660-3}}</ref>

===Songwriting activism===
Young had never been a stranger to eco-friendly lyrics, but themes of environmentalist spirituality and activism became increasingly prominent in his work throughout the 1990s and 2000s, especially on ''[[Greendale (album)|Greendale]]'' (2003)<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Neil Young Goes Green on the Road|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jonathanrichman/articles/story/5937268/neil_young_goes_green|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110201915/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jonathanrichman/articles/story/5937268/neil_young_goes_green|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 10, 2007|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=February 27, 2004|access-date=March 31, 2009}}</ref> and ''[[Living with War]]'' (2006).<ref>"[http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Reprise-692104.html New Neil Young Video 'After The Garden' Visits 'An Inconvenient Truth']", ''Marketwire'' (July 21, 2006).</ref> The trend continued on 2007's ''[[Chrome Dreams II]]'', with lyrics exploring Young's personal eco-spirituality.<ref>{{cite web|title=Neil Young: Chrome Dreams II|url=http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.3779923/k.1891/Neil_Young_iChrome_Dreams_IIi.htm|publisher=[[United Methodist Church]]|access-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref>

Young's renewed activism manifested itself in the 2006 album ''[[Living with War]]'', which like the much earlier song "[[Ohio (CSNY song)|Ohio]]", was recorded and released in less than a month as a direct result of current events.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r837350|pure_url=yes}}|title=Living With War Review|website=allmusic|date=May 9, 2006|access-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref> Most of the album's songs rebuked the Bush administration's policy of war by examining its human costs to soldiers, their loved ones, and civilians, but Young also included a few songs on other themes and an outright protest song, "[[Let's Impeach the President]]",<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Living With War Review|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/10149965/review/10191400/livingwithwar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314014602/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/10149965/review/10191400/livingwithwar|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2008|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 1, 2006|access-date=March 31, 2009}}</ref> in which he asserted that Bush had lied to lead the country into war.

===LincVolt hybrid electric car===

In 2008, Young revealed the production of a [[Hybrid vehicle|hybrid-engine]] 1959 [[Lincoln (automobile)|Lincoln]] called [[LincVolt]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/07/17/1/a-conversation-with-neil-young|title=A Conversation with Neil Young|access-date=November 11, 2008|publisher=Charlie Rose Inc|date=July 17, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013164110/http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2008/07/17/1/a-conversation-with-neil-young|archive-date=October 13, 2008}}</ref> A new album loosely based on the Lincvolt project, ''[[Fork in the Road]]'', was released on April 7, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Album: Neil Young, Fork in the Road|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-neil-young-fork-in-the-road-reprise-1655058.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-neil-young-fork-in-the-road-reprise-1655058.html |archive-date=June 18, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=March 27, 2009|access-date=March 31, 2009|location=London|first=Andy|last=Gill}}</ref>

===Indigenous rights, Fossil Fuel, and Old Growth logging activism===
[[File:Neil_Young_for_Fairy_Creek.jpg|thumb|Neil Young performing "Heart of Gold" in support of [[Fairy Creek old-growth logging protests|Fairy Creek]] Old Growth activists, at the legislature, Victoria, BC, Feb 24, 2023]]
Young has been a vocal opponent of the proposed [[Keystone XL]] oil pipeline, which would run from Alberta to Texas. When discussing the environmental impact on the oilsands of [[Fort McMurray]], Alberta, Young asserted that the area now resembles the Japanese city of Hiroshima in the aftermath of the atomic bomb attack of World War II.<ref name="huffingtonpost1">{{cite news|title=Neil Young: Pipelines Are 'Scabs on Our Lives,' Doesn't Care If Activism Hurts Record Sales|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11/10/neil-young-pipelines-oilsands_n_6131170.html|first=Camille|last=Bains|publisher=thehuffingtonpost.com|date=October 11, 2014|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref>

Young has referred to issues surrounding the proposed use of oil pipelines as "scabs on our lives".<ref name="huffingtonpost1"/> In an effort to become more involved, Young has worked directly with the [[Chipewyan|Athabasca Chipewyan]] First Nation to draw attention to this issue, performing benefit concerts and speaking publicly on the subject. In 2014, he played four shows in Canada dedicated to the Honor the Treaties<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/neil-young-set-to-kick-off-honour-the-treaties-tour-1.2491818 |title=Neil Young Set to Kick off Honour the Treaties Tour |author=Angela Sterritt |date=January 10, 2014 |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |access-date=August 2, 2018}}</ref> movement, raising money for the Athabasca Chipewyan legal defense fund.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/arts-entertainment/neil-young-plays-honor-the-treaties-anti-tar-sands-benefit-tonight/ |title=Neil Young Plays 'Honor the Treaties' Anti-Tar Sands Benefit Tonight |author=ICMN Staff |date=January 12, 2014 |website=Indiancountrymedianetwork.com |access-date=July 11, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912152545/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/arts-entertainment/neil-young-plays-honor-the-treaties-anti-tar-sands-benefit-tonight/ |archive-date=September 12, 2017}}</ref>

In 2015, he and [[Willie Nelson]] held a festival in Neligh, Nebraska, called ''Harvest the Hope'', raising awareness of the impact of oilsands and oil pipelines on Native Americans and family farmers. Both received honors from leaders of the [[Rosebud Indian Reservation|Rosebud Sioux]], [[Oglala Lakota]], [[Ponca]] and [[Omaha (tribe)|Omaha]] nations, and were invested with sacred [[buffalo robe]]s.<ref>[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/gallery/photo/willie-nelson-and-neil-young-rock-against-keystone-xl-harvest-hope-157114 Willie Nelson and Neil Young Rock Against Keystone XL at 'Harvest the Hope'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308035252/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/gallery/photo/willie-nelson-and-neil-young-rock-against-keystone-xl-harvest-hope-157114 |date=March 8, 2016 }}. ''Indian Country Today'', September 30, 2014.</ref>

Young participated in the Blue Dot Tour, which was organized and fronted by environmental activist [[David Suzuki]], and toured all 10 Canadian provinces alongside other Canadian artists, including the [[Barenaked Ladies]], [[Feist (singer)|Feist]], and [[Robert Bateman (painter)|Robert Bateman]]. The intent of Young's participation in this tour was to raise awareness of the environmental damage caused by the exploitation of oilsands. Young has argued that the amount of {{CO2}} released as a byproduct of oil and oil extraction is equivalent to the amount released by the total number of cars in Canada each day.<ref name="straight1">{{cite news|title=Neil Young Featured in Vancouver on David Suzuki's Blue Dot Tour|url=https://www.straight.com/news/691966/neil-young-featured-vancouver-david-suzukis-blue-dot-tour|first=Charlie|last=Smith|publisher=straight.com|date=July 23, 2014|access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref>

Young has faced criticism from representatives from within the Canadian petroleum industry, who have claimed that his statements are irresponsible.<ref name="huffingtonpost1"/> Young's opposition to the construction of oil pipelines has influenced his music as well. His song, "Who's Going to Stand Up?" was written to protest this issue, and features the lyric "Ban fossil fuel and draw the line / Before we build one more pipeline".<ref name="huffingtonpost1"/>

In addition to directly criticizing members of the oil industry, Young has also focused blame on the actions of the Canadian government for ignoring the environmental impacts of climate change. He referred to Canadian Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] as "an embarrassment to many Canadians&nbsp;... [and] a very poor imitation of the George Bush administration in the United States".<ref name="straight1"/> Young was also critical of Barack Obama's government for failing to uphold the promises made regarding environmental policies during his election campaign.<ref name="straight1"/>

===Anti-logging of Old Growth protests===
In 2023, Young and Daryl Hannah travelled by train to Victoria on short notice to offer their support to 1,200 Old Growth activists who had been arrested unlawfully at the [[Fairy Creek old-growth logging protests]]. Young played a short set to draw attention to the issue and hearten the activists, some of whom had been pepper sprayed and assaulted by RCMP officers, trying to protect the last at-risk intact watershed of Old Growth in southern BC.

Young recorded "[[A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop]]" in response to [[Starbucks]]' possible involvement with [[Monsanto]] and use of [[genetically-modified food|genetically modified food]].<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/01/neil-young-starbucks-song_n_7481736.html Neil Young Releases Anti-Starbucks, Anti-GMO Anthem 'A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop'] ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' by Ed Mazza, January 6, 2015</ref><ref>WTTV TV [http://cbs4indy.com/2015/06/20/neil-youngs-new-album-blasts-walmart-monsanto-and-more/ Neil Young's new album blasts Walmart, Monsanto and more JUNE 20, 2015, By CNN Wire]</ref> The song was included on his 2015 concept album ''[[The Monsanto Years]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1803633/neil-young-rock-starbucks/mp3s/|title=Neil Young – "A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop"|date=May 22, 2015|website=Stereogum.com|access-date=July 11, 2017}}</ref>

Young is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://artistsagainstracism.org/artists/|title=Artists – Artists Against Racism|website=Artistsagainstracism.org}}</ref>