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A Greener Festival Blog
A message from Greenpeace in the Arctic
September 1st, 2010 | By Ben Challis
Good morning,
The sun is just coming up here in the Arctic and it’s been an exhilarating 24 hours. Our activists are still hanging from the underside of the oil rig and they’re sleeping soundly.
Early yesterday under the cloak of darkness we managed to evade Danish navy commandos and our climbers successfully scaled the legs of Cairn Energy’s Stena Don rig, bringing the company’s Arctic drilling project to a grinding halt.
If you haven’t emailed him yet, please email Cairn’s boss Bill Gammell and tell him to stop drilling in the Arctic.
So far, 12,000 of you have sent messages to Cairn’s boss Bill Gammell telling him to stop Arctic drilling. Thank you – it’s already had an impact. We heard that we’ve scared BP off drilling in the Arctic.
According to the Guardian, a senior source said: “With the Greenpeace ship already harassing Cairn off Greenland – a company which has an exemplary safety record – everyone realised it would be political madness to give the green light to BP.”
But that’s not enough. While we’re happy to have stopped BP drilling in the Arctic for the moment, Cairn Energy is drilling here now. And we have to stop them.
It doesn’t matter which company’s logo is on the rig, it’s the drilling for oil that’s the problem. And that’s exactly why our climbers are still on Cairn’s Stena Don rig today. If we can hang on long enough, Cairn will miss their summer drilling window and have to head home until the ice melts next year.
The situation is still tense – we’re getting reports that the Greenlandic police and Danish navy are planning their next move, as they certainly didn’t expect us to get past their warship and patrol boats so quickly. Our climbers have food to last for days in their suspended tents, but we can’t predict what the response from either Cairn or the authorities will be. We’re prepared for every eventuality though.
I’ll keep you up to date with developments as they happen. You can also follow what’s happening live and listen to updates we made yesterday. I also want to say a big thank you for all of your messages of encouragement, supporting us and for calling on Cairn to stop their drilling.
If you haven’t already, please email Cairn’s boss Bill Gammell and tell him to stop drilling in the Arctic.
Thanks,
Lisa – on board the Esperanza
The politics of green
August 31st, 2010 | By Ben Challis
One of the world’s highest profile ‘climate change sceptics’ seems to have a had a change of heart – miraculously at the same time as he has published a new book! Bjorn Lomborg has now said that global warming is ‘undoubtedly one of the chief concerns facing the world today the Guardian reports, saying in his new book Smart Solutions that tens of billions of dollars need to be spent to battle climate change – on clean power, on climate engineering concepts such as cloud whitening to reflect back the sun’s rays, planting trees and on adapting to climate change by eg building up sea defences. He wants the new money to be funded by a carbon tax which he says could raise $250 billion per annum which he would allocate as follows : $1 billion in geo-engineering; $50 billion on adapting to change; $100 billion on research and development of clear energy technology (wind, wave, solar); and $99 billion on healthcare, clean water and education.
In other news, there is increasing pressure on Rajendra Pachauri, who leads the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to stand down and let someone new takeover the reins of the organisation, which recently faced widespread criticism for flawed research that showed that all Himalayan glaciers would have melted by 2035. Pauchauri, who has faced criticism for being on the board of energy companies and personally financially gaining from his role at the IPCC has said that he has no intention of resigning unless the 194 governments who control the IPCC ask him to go.
Fewer flyers are offsetting their flights – in fact just 7% offset now – despite well over half being aware of offset schemes. A study of passengers at Stanstead airport in the UK by the Civil Aviation Authority said that 93% of passengers didn’t offset – but 56% were aware of offsetting.
Greenpeace have let us know that their activists have ”evaded massive security” including Danish navy commandos and have scaled Cairn Energy’s controversial oil rig off Greenland in Arctic waters. Activists are now hanging from tents suspended from ropes. For live updates go to http://links.mkt1875.com/ctt?kn=1&m=35748175&r=MzYzNzA2Nzk5NAS2&b=2&j=ODA4MDIxOTMS1&mt=1&rt=0.
Friends of the Earth are urging EU countries to stop their African 'land grab' in the race to open up more production for bio-fuels to meet new EU targets. In the report Africa – up for Grabs, Friends of the Earth says the EU needs to drop its goal of producing 10% of all transport fuels by 2020 saying that vast swathes of rainforest will be cleared and local communities will be deprived of farmland and food with the UN estimating that biofuel production could push up food prices by 40% over the coming decade.
The plan that all UK new homes would be 'zero carbon' by 2016 is to be scaled back in the face of pressure from house builders. The plans was to achieve a massive reduction in carbon emissions, including emissions from household appliances, hearting and lighting and energy saving plans included installing solar panels on new builds.
A new name for festival liftshares – Festivalbudi !
August 28th, 2010 | By Ben Challis
Our friends at Liftshare have now set up a website specifically for festivals and festival goers called FestivalBUDi – www.FestivalBUDi.com . The contact for festival organisers is Vicky Knights and Vicky has also now updated her details – she can be emailed at vicki@liftshare.com and her telephone number has changed to 01953 451166.
Next MusicTank Event : Saving The Golden Goose: Improving The Live Experience
August 28th, 2010 | By Ben ChallisThe next Music Tank event is titled In the ‘Live Music Gold Rush’, Have We Cooked Our Goose? and panellists include Stuart Galbraith and The Agency Group’s Geoff Meall. In the first of their ’Year Zero’ event series, the University of Westminster’s music business network Music Tank asks how we can put the value back into the general public’s experience of live music. With this summer characterised, in the US in particular, by tickets flogged at knock-off prices, glaring spaces in the seating and nights cancelled wholesale, MusicTank asks what the live business can do to avoid repeating the troubles suffered by the recordings side over the last decade.
Stuart, CEO of Kilimanjaro Live and Geoff, director of The Agency Group will be joined by Andy Mcleod, heading up the promotional team at soon to be relaunched live music institution The Bull and Gate and London-based artist manager Malcolm Mckenzie and MusicTank Chairman Keith Harris
Event Details
Date: 23rd September 2010
Time: 18:30 to 21:00
Venue: The Basement, PRS for Music, Copyright House, 29-33 Berners Street, London, W1T 3AB
Cost: Standard – £35 / trade body members – £30 / members – £25. Tickets must be purchased in advance from www.musictank.co.uk
The good, the bad and the bugly
August 28th, 2010 | By Ben ChallisGet your nominations in for the UK Festival Awards
August 28th, 2010 | By Ben Challis
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE UK FESTIVAL AWARDS
Applications have now opened for the Festival Awards UK. Almost all of the Awards are voted for by the fans, and the public can vote for categories that include Best Major, Medium and Small Festival, The Grassroots Festival Award, Best Family-Friendly Festival and of course…Best Toilets. Public voting in the Awards is weighted by attendance, so smaller capacity events have an equal chance against the larger ones. Our own ‘Greener Festival Award’ for the greenest of the green UK festivals will also be made on the day and we are hoping as many festivals as possible who took part in our Greener Festival Awards scheme can turn up to pick up their ‘bottle’ trophy and have their photo taken with us and Greener Festival Awards sponsor Roberston Taylor insurance brokers. Other awards, such as Best Line-Up, Promoter of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award are decided by judging panels made up of industry experts and journalists
To have an event included on the long-list, organisers need to fill out a short application form at http://uk.festivalawards.com/index.cfm/apply/ by 12 September.
Last year almost 500,000 votes were cast. The winners are announced on 18 November at a gala ceremony at Indigo2 at The O2 in London, which attracts over 1,000 people from the industry.
The Awards are preceded by the Festival Awards UK Conference, which takes place at the British Music Experience at The O2 also on 18 November. Again with six panel discussions, networking opportunities and a drinks reception, it offers plenty of chances to debate solutions to common challenges and improve contacts.
Among topics this year will be ways of tackling crime at festivals, the challenges presented by non-ticketed events, the growing involvement of brands in the industry and how to make a festival more profitable. Media partners include Live UK, TPI, IQ, Audience, Brand Republic and Music Week.
Tickets for the Festival Awards UK Conference & Awards 2010 have now gone on sale via the exclusive ticketing platform HMV Tickets and are available in the following price structures. Delegates wishing to attend the Conference and/or Award events can combine ticket packages to suit their needs:
Platinum Ticket £145
- • Table seat for Festival Awards show with some complimentary drinks at Indigo2 (12 seats per table; option to buy full table available)
- • Three-course gourmet meal with wine
- • Entry to UKFA after-show party
- • Delegate Bag
Conference only £60
- • Full conference delegate pass to all sessions at British Music Experience, The O2, London
- • Copy of the UK Festival Report
- • Drinks reception
- • Delegate Bag
Awards only £30
- • Mezzanine access to the Awards show at IndigO2, London
- • Entry to after-show party
More information on the Festival Awards UK Conference & Awards 2010 can be found at www.festivalawards.com
and www.festivalconference.com, while tickets can be purchased directly from HMV Tickets by visiting
UK Government criticised for abandoning green schools campaign
August 25th, 2010 | By Ben Challis
Student campaigners have hit out at the government accusing it of not doing enough to protect sustainable development in the education system saying that not only has the government shelved the Building Schools for the Future programme but has now cut a scheme to create 5,000 green work experience placements.
Edie.net says that the UK student action group People & Planet believes the government will pull the plug on the previous administration’s Sustainable School Strategy. Jamie Clarke, People & Planet’s education manager, said: “Abandoning a coordinated approach to creating sustainable schools is akin to abandoning hope that the next generation can tackle the greatest threats to our society” adding “It further compounds the impression that the coalition government is saddling the future generation with an environmental debt” and “Schools produce a fifth of all public sector greenhouse emissions, tackling these emissions would not only help climate change it would also save millions in public spending.”
He added: “A truly green government would see sustainable education being at the heart of learning. The coalition government framed itself as the ‘greenest’ government ever but is planning to end support for schools to teach sustainability” and “Schools need to be at the heart of the green society, preparing the next generation for the challenges that face our world and to be at the forefront of the future economy” and ”Now is the time to invigorate young people’s understanding of environmental, economic and community needs, not the time to drop it. By doing so we can improve students’ achievements and make significant financial savings now and in the future.”
The student group coordinates the Go Green campaign to help schools cut their carbon emissions. It says there is evidence to show those schools, which implement sustainability systems have raised standards and staff and pupil well being. It wants the government to ensure there are opportunities and resources for all students to learn about sustainability issues.
BBC Countryfile at the Big Chill
August 23rd, 2010 | By Ben Challis
If you missed it, you can check out a really good report on greener festivals from the BBC as part of the Countryfile programme, which was first shown on Sunday 23rd August and is now up on the BBC iPlayer. It features contributions from our very own Claire O’Neill, Big Chill production manager Claudia Langmead, from land owner James Hervey-Bathurst and from Melvin Benn, boss of Festival Republic and organiser of the Big Chill and explores the impact of audience travel on greenhouse gas emissions, recycling and the waste left behind a festivals by the fans and returning the land back to the beautiful coutryside it usually is. The second part on the hard work which is the ‘clear up’ and the positive ecomomic impact of the Big Chill is at about 31.20 minutes in.
The iPlayer link is http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tl5fv/Countryfile_22_08_2010/ and John Craven’s report starts at about 09.40 minutes in.
Watchet gets solar power
August 19th, 2010 | By Ben Challis
Audience magazine reports that the Watchet Live festival are utilising solar and wind power to reduce their reliance on electricity from fossil fuels. Watchtt Live organiser Mark Bale has tied up with our friends at Croissant Neuf (winner of an ‘outstanding’ Greener Festival Award in 2009) who are providing their solar powered stage as the second stage at the 3500 capacity event. Mike Beale said that using the stage “reduces our generators and diesel by about one third” adding “we are also able to use it as an educational process, demonstrating what is possible using renewable energy and we’ve been able to win a grant from Local Action for Rural Communities on the basis of using environmental facilities as a way of attracting tourism”. Headliners at the August Bank Holiday weekend bash include The Beat and Adrian Edmonson & The Bad Shepherds.
Is Norway’s Oya leading the way to greener festivals?
August 17th, 2010 | By Ben Challis
This from the BBC: “From mountains of litter, to diesel-guzzling electric generators and fields transformed into temporary car parks. many music festivals promote an environmentally friendly ethos but their carbon footprints often tell another story. This weekend, Norway’s award-winning Øya festival is showing how things can be done differently”. Have a look at the BBC’s report – and with hydro electric power driving the stages and site wide recycling including the sewage Oya is certainly doing its best to get cleaner and greener!