Greener festivals

Green Festivals is wide term which can mean either events which promote green living and sustainability which may or may not have elements of entertainment incorporated into the festival and secondly music and arts events which are primarily there to entertain but have a basic green ethos and use music and entertainment to educate and inform the audience on green issues. In the UK the Big Green Gathering http://big-green-gathering.com and Camden Green Fair http://camdengreenfair.org.uk are classic example of the former approach and the world famous Glastonbury Festival http://glastonburyfestivals.co.uk is an example of the latter.

In the USA Green Festivals are festivals that happen annually to promote environmentally friendly ideas and products and there are usually featured speakers http://www.greenfestivals.org. The Sustainable Living Roadshow http://sustainablelivingroadshow.org toured the US in 2008 and visited San Francisco and Denver amongst other cities and initiatives included a solar stage, bike-powered stage, biofuel powered stage, the Conscious Carnival, green markets, Eco-Info Zone, local farmers market, a green developers exhibit, the clean energy showcase, a health and healing area, beer garden and Eco-Carnival Games.

Across the world numerous music and arts festivals promote environmentally friendly practices, sustainability and a green ethos. In the USA The Bonnaroo Festival http://bonnaroo.com has concession food served with biodegradable wraps, has plates, cups and cutlery manufactured from a renewable resource and a festival wide recycling and composting program as well as solar stage and sound system. The new Rothbury Music Festival http://rothburyfestival.com has fast become a beacon of green excellence. In Australia a number of leading festivals have been instrumental in promoting sustainability including The Peats Ridge Festival http://www.peatsridgefestival.com.au/home.asp , Bluesfest http://bluesfest.com.au and West Coast Blues n Roots http://www.sunsetevents.com.au. Bluesfest, Bonnaroo, Peats Ridge and Glastonbury have all won the Prestigious Greener Festival Award from independent website http://agreenerfestival.com

In Australia the Sustainable Living Foundation (SLF) http://slf.org.au is a community based not-for-profit organisation committed to creating major platforms to help accelerate the uptake of sustainable living. SLF brings together values, expertise and resources to inform and inspire the wider community about sustainable living. The Sustainable Living Festival showcases a huge range of exhibitors, talks, workshops, art, films and performances celebrating and inspiring sustainable communities

References

* http://agreenerfestival.com
* http://www.safeconcerts.com/newsitem.asp?nurn=1859
* http://www.smartplanet.com/news/leisure/10001116/ultimate-guide-to-the-uk-s-green-festivals-2008.htm
* http://vancouvergreenbusinessjournal.wordpress.com/2008/07/17/carbon-dioxide-and-global-warming-is-there-a-way-for-the-vancouver-folk-music-festival-to-reduce-its-emmissions/
* http://juliesbicycle.com
* http://yourope.org
* http://reverbrock.org
* http://www.greenfestivals.org
* http://liveearth.org
* http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jun/08/glastonbury.festivals
* http://greenroadshow.co.uk
* http://nggonline.org.uk
* http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/712331?UserKey=0
* http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/going-green-on-the-festival-scene-792582.html
* http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/festivals/article1709059.ece
* http://news.scotsman.com/entertainment?articleid=3904960
* http://www.ethical-junction.org/ethicalpulse/index.php?/archives/637-Music-Fans-Want-Green-Events!.htm