How green can a green festival be?

[Andy Hamilton]

There seems to be more and more green festivals appearing. I am not knocking the fact that the festival organisers are doing a good thing by having solar panels and turbines and all that.

Really though if you think about it what about all the cars that travel there, the bands etc getting there. Me and Dave are going to a festival this year and yes we will probally get the train or the coach but should everyone cycle to make it truly green festival. Should all the food be grown in the fields that holds the festival?

[Martin]

to be frank, it's an oxymoron
Some do try harder than others to be less damaging to the planet, but as you've pointed out, people travelling to the site other than on foot, bicycle or sail rather negates any claims of greenness!
Could be your cue to hold the world's first "nearly completely green festival" - online! (even that isn't completely green, but it's a lot less damaging than most!)
You could do music, workshops, and even a virtual mud-wallowing pool........
-synchronised eating, drinking and breaking wind..........it could be a goer!

[eccentric_emma]

on the subject of food at festivals, there is a festival near to us, in canterbury, that is sourcing all the festival food from a 25 mile radius. to be fair i think they are mainly looking at attracting a local crowd too. but beyond that i dont know about any other 'green' credentials.

[ina]

and breaking wind..........it could be a goer!

Is that for the wind turbine?

[Martin]

well, you've got to power the server somehow - could be wind or natural gas powered!

[Andy Hamilton]

well, you've got to power the server somehow - could be wind or natural gas powered!

Ah we are moving to a carbon neutral server very, very soon and perhaps only people who either make their own electricity or have a green supplier could be invited.. Then it could be green.

[Clara]

Small local green festivals are probably greener than most....once you get large and reknown, then inevitably some people are going to travel huge distances in their cars (or worse, huge trucks) to get their (it´s the same hypocrisy that sees the hippiest of folk living half their year in India etc...).

Though I once went to the BGG (veggie oil powered), and I have to say that they appeared to have been right on it with other issues - thought the horse-drawn folk a wonderful touch!

[mrsflibble]

to be fair, being a hippy hasnt always gone hand it hand with being green. Nor does being green mean that you're immediately a hippy.

Being hippy; it's an alternative and pacifist lifestyle, but it didnt really take on "greener" meaning until the late 70s, early 80s.

Being a hippy is, and always has been based on respect. for yourself, for others etc.

So therefore, hippy festivals need not be carbon neutral to attract hippies to their depths, and yes soe hippies may spend their time in india but it's 'cos they're hippies NOT green people. Please remember to make the distinction!

Being Green, it's not what some are aiming for. Being green is a whole other ballgame.

I am a hippy who chooses to recycle, grow tomatoes and not take long haul flights etc. My mother in law is a hippy who travels the country in an old diesel van.

[witch way?]

On the other hand, festivals are fun. Come on, lets give ourselves a bit of a break here. w.

[Annpan]

If the bigger festivals were more serious about being green they could start by providing FREE public transport to the site... £50 odd pounds for a ticket and £15 for a 2 hour bus journey... come on.

2 of us went to the connect festival last year - we had to be there by a certain time and be home by a certain time, so the bus wouldn't have worked anyway, but the busfare was more than it cost to take the car... stupid.

[MrFalafel]

There are few things greener than a traditional village fete. Local life, local produce, connecting with your local community etc etc. Is it just me or are these going by the wayside?

That said, the big music festivals can be green via education. Who here hasn't signed a petition at a festival? Or has learned about a social concern or environmental issue from a booth at a festival site? Or tried some exotic hippie food or bought a handmade or decorated item at a festival? All of these things are good for the general education of people about real things that people can do to become 'greener'.

I remember seeing my first solar powered music festival stage back in 1981. At first the stage was powered by a mix of mains with some solar trickling in from big solar collectors mounted around the area. And then late in the day, a big announcement was made and mains were switched off to a rousing cheer from the crowd. The next bands played the rest of the day with pure solar power. It was an important lesson for me and everyone there, to see solar power used in such a powerful way.

[witch way?]

Couldnt agree more Mr F. If all the people on this site were carbon neutral it still wouldnt measure against all the people going to festivals making just one tiny shift in their lifestyles. My personal mission is not to be an 'absolute greeny' but to gently nudge others along the same route. w.

[eccentric_emma]

that is a good point witchyway although i was disappointed by glastonbury a few years ago (or maybe even last year? i cant remember), when iCount tried to get 100,000 signatures for their petition (should've been easily doable where theres approx 175,000 people on site for glastonbury), and i think they only got about half or three quarters. i thought it was a shame that a lot of people didnt seem to be bothered about green issues, when glastonbury often has them at the forefront. shame. although bonus for me last year because the green fields were much less crowded than anywhere else, although very very muddy.

[Martin]

given up with Glasto for several reasons - not least the fact that most of the crowd there are thick hopheads who don't venture any further than Babylon
(the Pyramid area)........ally that to the fact there is seldom anything worth listening to on the Pyramid stage (but you have to pay a mint for the privilege of the acts being there........)
Then just for added entertainment you get to enjoy the attentions of the Stuart Security steroid riddled nutters, out to upset the "bloody hippies......."

[eccentric_emma]

that true regarding the security. we had a rather un-fun time with them after we got flooded and had to camp outside the main site (so in and out all the time), getting searched all the time (always seemed to be me and my husband everyone else got left alone!) and in the end they refused to let our friends back in because they didnt have some mythical pass that security on the way out claimed didnt exist...

but the way i see it, if most people congregate at the pyramid then the rest of the place is eased up somewhat!