Making Burning Man Greener

polkamaster · Post by **polkamaster** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:04 pm

Hello,

One of the reasons I have been hesitant to go to burning man is because of all the carbon emissions required for all these people to get to the festival. I was thinking it would be great to provide the option for people to donate a percentage of their ticket to offset the emissions it takes them to get to the festival. They can even calculate emissions with this calculator http://www.carbonfund.org/Calculators#Home and donate when they buy their ticket.

Then this money could go to people who ride their bikes part or all the way to burning man. It would be great if that money could fund cyclists' trips and tickets to burning man. Free ticket to burning man if you bike there! I think it would be amazing if people could sign up on the burning man website to organize a ride from San Francisco to Burning Man by bike and others could join the huge bike ride along the way. There could be sound systems powered by bicycle like Rock The Bike http://fossilfool.com/ and the Bike Party http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/.

Janel

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:04 pm

see, .......
well.....
err........
*checks, yup first page, and first post*

welcome and have fun posting. we're really nice, well, most of us.

AKDMAN · Post by **AKDMAN** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:27 pm

I hear that enough money is given to those companies that take your money and tell you your personal carbon emmisions are offset, that Black Rock City is said to be actually carbon positive, by those buissnesses that take your money to make you feel better about carbon emmissions.Thats why I burn styraphome and deisel fuel as my art peice, to help offset BRCs carbon positiveness.

Kinetik V · Post by **Kinetik V** » Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:39 pm

I saw that carbon offset stuff posted on the entrance to the Skytrain at SFO last week...and I'm like really? I can send my money to this company I really know little to nothing about and perhaps when they shut their vehicle off cause they've got so many suckers money to deposit into the ATM, that's your carbon offset....

Seriously? I'm from Missouri and my idea of a carbon offset is to plant a tree. Something I can see....something real, something that scrubs the air, adds scenic beauty and doesn't possibly just exist on someone's Excel spreadsheet somewhere. Or here in Vegas I could plow that money into a donation to the Springs Preserve and help teach the future generations about water management which IMHO is a hell of a lot more critical than some carbon offset.

That's all a nice way of saying I think it's all a bunch of smoke and mirrors and until someone can convince me otherwise...my money is going elsewhere. And maybe yours should too.

Post by **Eric** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:25 am

Lets see... I haven't owned a motorized vehicle in 20 years, I haven't had a drivers license in 20 years so I couldn't drive a motorized vehicle if I even got the urge, I moved to a city (also 20 years ago) where 80% of my getting around is by foot, which uses nothing directly based on oil (unlike, say, bike tires); and the one time I am a participant in using a gas powered vehicle is to get to Burning Man.

By my reckoning I've done way more for the environment than your biking to Burning Man, so you owe me a ticket.

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:37 am

This is what I did in 07' to make things greener.....

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:11 am

Dustdevil wrote:This is what I did in 07' to make things greener.....

+10 Dd.........and, still, my fave all time event!!!

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:04 am

Same here Jack, the best Boom EVER!

Post by **Elderberry** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 9:12 am

polkamaster wrote:Hello,

One of the reasons I have been hesitant to go to burning man is because of all the carbon emissions required for all these people to get to the festival. I was thinking it would be great to provide the option for people to donate a percentage of their ticket to offset the emissions it takes them to get to the festival. They can even calculate emissions with this calculator http://www.carbonfund.org/Calculators#Home and donate when they buy their ticket.

Then this money could go to people who ride their bikes part or all the way to burning man. It would be great if that money could fund cyclists' trips and tickets to burning man. Free ticket to burning man if you bike there! I think it would be amazing if people could sign up on the burning man website to organize a ride from San Francisco to Burning Man by bike and others could join the huge bike ride along the way. There could be sound systems powered by bicycle like Rock The Bike http://fossilfool.com/ and the Bike Party http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/.

Janel

Who cares. when the corporations and third world countries clean up their act maybe I'll start thinking about it. Otherwise, you're foolish if you think anything individuals do will have any meaningful effect on our carbon footprint.

Plus Burning Man had a green theme a few years back to absolve us of all guilt on this issue, so you no longer have to worry about it.

mudpuppy000 · Post by **mudpuppy000** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:22 am

Too funny. You know, there's this big "man" that they burn every year. Nothing very green about that... Maybe we should compost the man this year?

Sic Pup · Post by **Sic Pup** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 11:31 am

I think massive amounts of astroturf would make BM considerably greener.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:06 pm

On the off chance the op is not a troll...

Attend or not, it's your choice. Do whatever you want for the offsets. Biking to the burn, under most circumstances, is suicidal--but early mortality does wonders for your carbon footprint. (And saves Larry from having to pay for your ticket.) (And the hiring of however many semis it takes to take in all that gear and water.)

Those of us who do go are as green as we choose to be, there or elsewhere. And we're sort of tired of being nagged about it. Even those of us who work in the environmental field. And it's far more important to be green 51 weeks of the year, rather than 1.

Maybe I'll fly to Fiji and go to an eco-resort...

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:06 pm

One of the reasons I have been hesitant to go to burning man is because of all the carbon emissions required for all these people to get to the festival.

Well then, don't fucking go.

Oh and maybe bridle the temptation to surreptitiously preach to the rest of us with a suggestion that benefits a select few under the rubric of Saving the World.

BBadger · Post by **BBadger** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:33 pm

The less preachy eco-freaks that attend BM, the better.

Mojojita · Post by **Mojojita** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:10 pm

What do you want to bet the OP is a bicyclist? So how about the carbon offset for the vehicles that will have to bring in the weeks' food, water, and shelter suplies for all those getting $ and tickets for riding bikes?

BBadger · Post by **BBadger** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:20 pm

Mojojita wrote:What do you want to bet the OP is a bicyclist? So how about the carbon offset for the vehicles that will have to bring in the weeks' food, water, and shelter suplies for all those getting $ and tickets for riding bikes?

That's what "carbon credits" are for: so that you can simply transfer your pollution to someone else and feel good about yourself.

moonrise · Post by **moonrise** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:54 pm

~Fire has helped me in soooo many ways...for one, I drive a GASOLINE ENGINE powered golf cart...I cannot ride a bike, sorry, I'm too injured to 'bike it'.

...conserve water, plant trees, car pool, yada yada and enjoy the ~Fire Arts

bluesbob · Post by **bluesbob** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 5:38 am

My truck sits on a hangar in my closet most of the year. This is the only time I get to take it out, dry clean it, and put it to use.

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 7:47 am

Glad to see the Earth Guardians' recruiting effort is bearing fruits.

Rex Russell · Post by **Rex Russell** » Wed May 04, 2011 12:49 pm

Greener? Bleah. You needs absinthe! ARRRAh!

dj_john69 · Post by **dj_john69** » Tue May 10, 2011 6:42 pm

Fucking hippy dippy bullshit. I bet i can fit my carbon footprint right up your ass

Please dont come to BM on your bike unless you want to be ran the fuck over. Common sense over hippy tendencies my friends. Common sense being the key words.

Rent a gas guzzling rv that gets 7 miles a gallon and be quiet already damnit.

mexicoburn · Post by **mexicoburn** » Fri May 13, 2011 5:38 am

I don't know if much can be done.

From my research, the carbon credits stuff is just a scam, and doesn't really help anything.
Just like society in general, Burning Man wastes tons of resources celebrating massive consumer culture. Perhaps some people could learn from it, but I suspect that doesn't happen much.

Of course if you are going to participate, you can do your best to make wise decisions and reduce your damage.... but Burning Man is so far from green that it would not have much effect. That is cool to do what you can anyway though.
It would be great is those Burners who care and are aware could swing the event more towards creating a better future for the world.

darcitananda · Post by **darcitananda** » Fri May 13, 2011 9:46 am

Way back when, I said I didn't want to go to Burning Man because of gas to get there and the copious amount of petroleum used to manufacture faux fur in China etc... but the truth is... I was married and my husband wouldn't "let" me go. To be precise he said "sure you can go to that big orgy in the desert, but it won't be good for our relationship and I won't be happy". Well we got a divorce and things changed. :D

Now I try to be "low impact" during the year, well about as low impact as an American can be... I have a car, but only drive it about twice a month, the rest of the time I walk or bike. I compost, and use cloth shopping bags. I try not to eat bacon. So really, what is the big deal if I drive 300 miles to BRC? Plus, while I'm gone, I won't be using heat/AC/stove/lights/computers and other electronics that suck energy in my house.

For those who wish to further "carbon offset" why not volunteer planting some trees or lecture school kids about global warming catastrophes. The mentality of just throwing money at a problem totally goes against the whole concept of burning man. If you truly can't take action and want to throw money at it, make it count by being really specific, and buy a needy friend a used bicycle to commute on, or buy solar panels for your house, or a neighbor's house. Be creative!

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri May 13, 2011 10:10 am

darcitananda wrote:Way back when, I said I didn't want to go to Burning Man because of gas to get there and the copious amount of petroleum used to manufacture faux fur in China etc... but the truth is... I was married and my husband wouldn't "let" me go. To be precise he said "sure you can go to that big orgy in the desert, but it won't be good for our relationship and I won't be happy". Well we got a divorce and things changed.

Now I try to be "low impact" during the year, well about as low impact as an American can be... I have a car, but only drive it about twice a month, the rest of the time I walk or bike. I compost, and use cloth shopping bags. I try not to eat bacon. So really, what is the big deal if I drive 300 miles to BRC? Plus, while I'm gone, I won't be using heat/AC/stove/lights/computers and other electronics that suck energy in my house.

For those who wish to further "carbon offset" why not volunteer planting some trees or lecture school kids about global warming catastrophes. The mentality of just throwing money at a problem totally goes against the whole concept of burning man. If you truly can't take action and want to throw money at it, make it count by being really specific, and buy a needy friend a used bicycle to commute on, or buy solar panels for your house, or a neighbor's house. Be creative!

total lose!!!!!!!!! (in red)

what you write, now, will sound like one hand clapping..............

darcitananda · Post by **darcitananda** » Fri May 13, 2011 10:18 am

total lose!!!!!!!!! (in red)

hahhahaha! I knowwwww right! I'm just trying to maintain some semblance of a waistline while I still can. :/ Don't worry, I always binge on bacon at BM. :) It just tastes that much more delicious.

Making Burning Man Greener

Making Burning Man Greener

Re: Making Burning Man Greener

Burning Man just isn't ecological at all