Wired Magazine, Commodifying Burning Man Since 1996TM, interviews some BM carbon people

[some seeing eye]

https://www.wired.com/story/burning-man ... th-spiral/

With that headline, I guess they are trying to compete with Tech Crunch as the FOX News of the Playa

[Elorrum]

If it isn’t the wrong place (which it may now be) How about considering it as being almost the worst week of the year to be there. A lower temperature would solve a lot of problems. Encouraging a bit of sleeping when it is coolest might help, but that’s not catching on.

Without saying that there is a way back to simpler expectations, this article states the impact and attitude of what many now believe is required to survive better than the articles that just say drugs and nudes and dancing.

Lastly, is the worst thing about the following paragraph ONLY that it adversely affects Burning Man participants? Crikey.

Reno, Nevada, is the closest big city, and it is the fastest warming city in the United States. Nevada currently averages 20 days a year with “dangerous” heat. By 2050, that’s projected to be 30 days. That doesn’t mean every year from here on out will have triple-digit days, but it does mean they’re increasingly likely.

[Token]

Articles like this, which in all honesty, ain’t that bad …

… do little but cement my jaded-ass opinion of the two mega-mistakes along the way.

First is the “foundational principles” - that one just rubs the dust into my … that was Larry’s big mistake, not the first, but BIG!

The Man burned just fine for 20 years before this brainfart in 2004. All the hype and mythos has relegated the previous 20 years to the wasteland of the forgotten.

Sure, times have changed, more structure was needed for compliance, yada yada, but don’t make shit up about foundational principles.

The principles were not foundational. Evolutionary, sure - they did open a path for growth.

The second BIG mistake was the whole Green Man 2007 fiasco. That was a massive break from zone-trip territory to wannabe agenda.

Talk about setting yourself up for failure.

I personally wouldn’t mind if the climate made the place a 105 degree hell scape every year.

Maybe when the zoo doesn’t sell out, I might go again and jam some culture, trip that Zone again.

[Elorrum]

Yeah, Token. They had no air conditioners.

“We stopped and got out of our vehicles. Michael took a stick out of his car and walked along, marking a long, straight line on the playa floor. This was an old Cacophony tradition of entry into an unknown territory. When the line was long enough to accommodate everyone, eighty-nine people joined hands, and as one, stepped across the line and into The Zone.“

[Token]

Desert Siteworks warm the heart for sure.

[some seeing eye]

I was not at Green Man. Larry was smart in a narrow way, I think he was very intuitive, and he was good at sphinx-like language. The themes were good, but that is not hard. Discussion of the principles should probably be a Cultural Direction thread.

The main event and the regionals are dependent on a constant influx of young people. They have an existential relationship with climate. They have grown up in a deep and wide media stream, and discussion of doom around climate from a young age. Different people may have a different relationship to their own climate impact of transportation for instance, and selectively block it or rationalize it. But they want the BMORG to "have a plan."

Young burners are essential for new creative workers and labor. BRC competes with hundreds of festivals which have emerged since the OCF and the first zone trip. Essentially the event "commodifies" youth, beauty, and the creativity of youth in its brand. It creates a platform which attracts young people, and they co-create and evolve it.

The way they are handling Fly Ranch is brilliant branding and we will see what is built over time.

There are more sculptures which are being dismantled and trucked off, but burning wood is carbon neutral.

What stands out in the article is that the organizers want to manage the narrative, and that it is up to burners themselves, do-ocracy-style, to reduce carbon emissions on the playa, and share ideas with other burners and camps.

Since I don't fly in, I, of course, would like that reduced. The offset world is getting more organized and trustworthy, so that is an avenue.

At home most people are connected to a relatively infinite energy grid for electricity and fossil fuels, a relatively infinite communication grid, a water and sewage grid, a food grid, and a transportation grid.

So understanding those as finite on the playa is an exercise in awareness and humility.

[HandJamMasterC]

" But the big barrier to running Burning Man on renewables is air-conditioning, which draws an exceptional amount of power. (Even Shearer’s camp partially ran on gasoline generators.) " -

Who is using air conditioning? Last year was my 8th Burn. I've never used air conditioning. In fact, last year I set up my bar / theme camp / kitchen / living quarters by myself. At age 66. With no air conditioning. But I used to be a big wall climber. Ain't no air conditioning on the side of El Capitan either. The only people I saw using air conditioning were a couple of 20 something year olds hiding in their car on Sunday afternoon at the end of the week. They make it sound like everyone uses AC in that article.

[DoctorIknow]

Articles like this, which in all honesty, ain’t that bad …

Thank you guyz for giving me the best read I’ve ever had on eplaya!

I don’t open a lot of new eplaya threads, but the subject line included “Wired” and that mag had an issue in 1996 that was my intro to Burning Man. I didn’t know that at the time, as I saw pics of people playing in a playa mud puddle, and being a Woodstock guy, thought “been there, done that” and moved on.
I guess about a year later, I saw some article explaining how difficult it was to camp out there, and BINGO, I went from “why would I ever want to camp for a week in a barren/hot/cold/dusty desert” to “Wow, I gotta do this! How to make shade that can shade and now blow away! How to bring enough water! Food! Mountain bikes! Tools! Solar shower bags! Simple gifts! Make the ’40 Chevy ready for BM1998!”

Nineteen burns later, I’ve never thought too long or too hard about what it all means, what the organization does or doesn’t do, how the crowd has evolved or de-evolved (long live DEVO!), etc., but I am curious and even have read burners.me which was fun to read and see how seriously people take this event.

Alas, I’ll be up at 2am (I don’t live in USA) on April 12 Main Ticket Sale, being the first time in 15 years I’ve had to beat the odds in an ALWAYS non-caring internet experience , and I won’t take it further if I can’t get one. No matter… It’s been real and I truly thank you guyz for posting such well thought out things over the years! Next to Piss Clear, the best reading has always been eplaya!

[Elorrum]

Best of luck, Dr. I hope you get a ticket.

[Token]

Seriously good luck DrIK.

I participated in all online open (i.e. non- privileged DGS) sales from 2012 - 2019 … 7 tries and got to the checkout screen once.

Hope you do better.

[Token]

… What stands out in the article is that the organizers want to manage the narrative, and that it is up to burners themselves, do-ocracy-style, to reduce carbon emissions on the playa …

That is a dandy observation and a great way to summarize the quagmire.

[The Rod]

Once again placing the burden of climate responsibility on the shoulders of the common citizen rather than banning private jets and discouraging the international destination status of BRC and various high profile regionals.

I’d be curious to see the carbon breakdown of a solar powered camp with 35 people who flew on airplanes to the country/event vs a 35 person generator powered camp where people ride-shared their way in and took the burner bus.

But I’m not a maths person so I’m going to focus on what I do best, complaining and partying. Greenwashing a hedonistic orgy of disposable Chinese LEDs can be someone else’s job.

[ygmir]

Once again placing the burden of climate responsibility on the shoulders of the common citizen rather than banning private jets and discouraging the international destination status of BRC and various high profile regionals.

I’d be curious to see the carbon breakdown of a solar powered camp with 35 people who flew on airplanes to the country/event vs a 35 person generator powered camp where people ride-shared their way in and took the burner bus.

But I’m not a maths person so I’m going to focus on what I do best, complaining and partying. Greenwashing a hedonistic orgy of disposable Chinese LEDs can be someone else’s job.

good points.

I find it pretty ironic, how anyone who goes to TTITD, can say or judge anyone else who goes, as relates to energy consumption, consumer consumption, pollution, etc.
It's not like you have to go. It's purely recreational, whether you call it spiritual or whatever, it's not necessary.
If a person is so "green", how do you justify going, participating, promoting, and adding to, an event that is purely hedonistic? Whether you take a private jet, or rideshare, or bus, you are creating exactly what you complain about. It's just a matter of degrees.
The whole "oh, I do create a little (fill in the blank), but THAT PERSON does way more and worse", is a pretty hollow argument, IMHO. How small a footprint does that janky old RV, or overloaded cargo van really have?

[Token]

Damn it Bill, we tried sustainability and they said NO!

[Elorrum]

Whack off the big hunk of commercial aviation, an industry intent on expansion. It’s not difficult to comprehend, it’s a big chunk. Taking a long-haul flight generates more carbon emissions than the average person in dozens of countries around the world produces in a whole year. Is that a fair use for individual fun? The last two summers the wild fires have made the air in my city dangerous to breathe. The dim orange haze all day is crushing. That, plus the lack of accurate weather forecasting this winter convinces me that weather is unbalanced and getting worse. Burning man isn’t responsible, but the attitude of “fuck it, I want this” is dripping from it.

[HandJamMasterC]

Thing is, everyone has a carbon footprint even if they don't go to Burning Man. Unless you are dead*. I'd say my carbon footprint at Burning Man is far lower than a lot of other things I could do with 2 weeks of vacation. And equal or less than just staying home.






* - not my preferred alternative.

[The Rod]

Thing is, everyone has a carbon footprint even if they don't go to Burning Man. Unless you are dead*. I'd say my carbon footprint at Burning Man is far lower than a lot of other things I could do with 2 weeks of vacation. And equal or less than just staying home.

100%

[ygmir]

Thing is, everyone has a carbon footprint even if they don't go to Burning Man. Unless you are dead*. I'd say my carbon footprint at Burning Man is far lower than a lot of other things I could do with 2 weeks of vacation. And equal or less than just staying home.






* - not my preferred alternative.

If I may use your well stated post as a primer, knowing I'm not pointing a finger at you:

well sure, you're 200 ish miles from the playa. (I'm in Grass Valley). But, many travel farther, in often janky vehicles, and or planes.
And, my post is aimed at people crowing, or crying, about "carbon footprint" as relates to TTITD.
also, understand, I'm not trying to judge anyones carbon footprint, as relates. I'm ok with whatever you do, to go and enjoy. I just find it ironic anyone would try to claim any sort of "green" status, or judge others, and still go. You can choose to stay home on your vacation, and live minimally. It might give some cred. But, if a person, or people, go places and do things "for fun", then they have no real soap box to preach from. It's waste as relates to the whole "green" deal (or new deal).
Larry's original plan (IIRC), was that the "big regional" of TTITD would fade out fast, and turn into smaller local regionals.
The argument of " I'm greener than you, because I drove a prius to the playa" does not hold much water, really. It's a matter of degrees, only.

[Token]

I dunno Yg, putting the snow plow on the Prius lifted the rear wheels right off the ground …

The fallacy is the binary activism on climate change. In the sheeples mind it is all or nothing, and that mentality is doomed for failure because it requires some hippie commie egalitarianism that just ain’t gonna happen.

Sustainability is attainable even in our late stage dying capitalism era, but the Zero Carbon idea - that is dogma cranked to 11 just so we can get to the 80%.

[Elorrum]

Who had the most correct deck chairs on the titanic may have been an entertaining argument to pass time while noting the change in bow attitude. I agree It is a hypocritical circle jerk to insist the event needs to be sustainable, or zero carbon. It’s not culture or high mindedness or greener than thou that prompts me to holler on the issue of global warming. I’m worried and want to do what I can, not just shake my fist. Saying that is a joke more or less based on my wishful thinking that I can misinformed ideologically calculate my carbon footprint, considering everything I consume emission wise, down to the farts of the cows who produced the milk in my coffee, or that I amount to nothing meaningful in the grand scheme may be true. Still I think everybody has a responsibility to try to look at their impact overall, right about now, and at the very least, make any easily livable change. I put gas in my car the day after Christmas, and noted a quarter tank on Saturday. Walking is good for me, and I’m fortunate to be located near enough to stores. I’m seeking employment that would accommodate a walk, but I’m driving when I have to. I will scrutinize future travel plans accordingly and likely will stay off planes unless there’s a really good reason. If I drive to the playa, I think it balances out. In any case I’m pretty certain I’m done with the main burn. Not because of carbon impact. I’m simply fed up with spectators who seem unable to wipe their own asses, and their growing legions. I would not suggest people acquire, or effectively pay someone else to acquire for them, a generator, ac, rv and electric bike, (items only used and needed by them for burning man) to make it “possible.” Would I take 6 or more trans global air flights in a single year to write a book about Burning Man regionals, published by Burning Man, and not wonder how I was impacting the planet? No I wouldn’t.

[MansoonBlack]

<t>This article so terrible, I can't shake the feeling that it was just made up. That the person didn't even go to the BRD. I found an old message from years ago from the purported reporter in a New York BM group, that seemed very legit and normal, and seemed to indicate that they usually camped with Distrik, but then they got even the day BM started in '22 wrong, the color of the dust out there wrong (white), a dozen other things. There was a pretty scummy camp out there that was composting and seemingly was so bad at what they were doing that they pissed off the org and aren't invited back for years, but there seems to be no explanation of why a composting camp would not try to compost the food that went bad, just have a Burngin throw it away (and I'm not even sure WHERE that was supposed to have happened. If you're someone from Vancouver who's used to 60° days in September and you're suffering through your first Burn, seems unlikely you would -- gut it out, stay the whole time, go with the camp truck back to California or wherever and dispose of all the food in a garbage facility, despite probably many dozens of someones in 175-person camp probably knows places to compost, before eventually heading back North across the border). The Org talks on its site about all the solar efforts out there last year, not only for itself and all the art things going on, but 730 camps were using solar out there last year. https://burningman.org/about/about-us/sustainability/. You'd think a reporter doing a piece for Wired in the gear/solar section would mention that stat, but when you're someone who writes that Lake Tahoe is nearby, reality clearly isn't your camp leader. Neither, apparently, is a good editor</t>

[FlyingMonkey]

Damn it Bill, we tried sustainability and they said NO!

Just don't call them pets. Everyone needs a comfort camel at some point in their life. Put helper vests on them & call it good.

[FlyingMonkey]

What shocks me is all of you missed the most important part of the article.

There's a BDSM camp with air conditioning

I have to admit that I didn't read much anything after that.



Now that I think of it.....Wasn't it 115 degrees with a 30% humidity in 2019? Oh yeah, what about that downburst that totally fucked my camp in 2017.......Using my shortsighted scientific chronology I'd have to say the Playa is obviously cooling and getting calmer.






Did I mention that there's a BDSM camp with Air Conditioning? -Who fucking knew....

[Elorrum]

All in for a Yellow comfort camel program.