If you thought the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was cool in years past, wait’ll you get a look at this year’s lineup … not only the talent on stage, but the starring sustainability efforts backstage too.
The four-day camping festival, held annually in Manchester, Tennessee, since 2002 has grabbed accolades galore just for the great variety of performers it attracts (this year’s lineup includes everyone from Pearl Jam, Chris Rock, Kanye West and B.B. King to Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Willie Nelson and Janeane Garofalo). But it’s taken increasingly awesome steps each year to green the event onstage and off, and this year is no exception.
For the 2008 festival, set for June 12 through 15, organizers plan to buy enough carbon reduction credits to make the entire event carbon neutral. They’re also encouraging attendees to buy Clif Cool Tags, which are wind-energy credits designed to offset travel emissions. There’s also a carpooling contest in which vehicles arriving with four or more people have a chance to win VIP camping upgrades.
Another green highlight of this year’s Bonnaroo will be the Planet Roo village, an area devoted to sustainability and healthy living. Attractions at the village will include an organic, zero-waste restaurant; representatives from groups like Rock the Earth, Farm Aid and Oxfam; a variety of eco-friendly vendors; and talks by fest musicians on “Social Change Through Music.”
The festival’s other greening initiatives are so numerous, it’s hard to remember them all. They include: concession food served with renewable cutlery and biodegradable wraps, tree-free posters, locally milled or recycled lumber, second-hand sources for furnishings, a Solar Stage powered by solar panels, the use of security horses instead of vehicles, the donation of horse manure to local farmers, paperless ticketing, local food sourcing, locally produced biodiesel and on-site composting.
“We work tirelessly to reduce the impact this festival has on the environment, and we inspire the Bonnaroo community to do the same.” said Laura Sohn, Bonnaroo sustainability coordinator.
