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Greening Events

Festivals: Greening & reducing carbon footprint – October 2007

 

  1. POWER: Could opt for one-off GreenPower  to cover festival duration.
  • How to: Contact venue owners/ managers to arrange or, contact energy authority eg. Country Energy to arrange. CE general enquiries ph: 132356.
  • Byron, Ballina & Lismore Councils worked with a program for one-off  GreenPower coverage for 50 households last Xmas – Green Xmas
  • Benefits: Good publicity and good public image

 

  1. ASSESSMENT OF LIGHTING NEEDS ( & other power needs eg. fans) for each marquee/ venue.

·         De-lamping options or ensure that all lights used are energy efficient.

·         Contact Sean McGovern, Creative Lighting Solutions for energy efficient lighting Ph: 6680 7007.

·         Liaise with lighting contractor and require them to use only energy efficient lighting.

 

  1. CARBON OFFSETS for main presenters: Could be arranged for main presenters. To get them to and fro the site.

·         Contact Carbon Offset companies, see attachment from ReNew, Issue 99, April-June 2007.

·         Cost of same could be incorporated into ticket costs.

 

  1. CARBON OFFSETS: for festival goers. Incorporated into the ticket costs is a carbon  offset/ levy ($ 10) with this money then put into Carbon offset programs eg. Climate Friendly: produce more wind energy for the grid, or other. ($5 carbon offset price for people who make a commitment to car pool, or use pushbikes or other instead of cars? )

 

  1. GREENING THE WRITER’S FESTIVAL:  message, slogan, logo??

·         One session could be devoted to environmental message, Climate Change etc., numerous writers have written on topic. Could some of these people be invited, eg. Professor Graham Harris, Cambridge Uni Press (Uni. of Tasmania) just released book?

·         Micro-generation could possibly be shown beside climate change marquee – eg. Solar PV panels or wind generation models  or other models of sustainability? Contact Rainbow Power Company, Nimbin Ph:  6689 1430.

·         Patrons could have the option of buying a tree with Rainforest Rescue – and receiving a green ribbon to show their commitment. This happens at the Woodford Festival..

·         A composting toilet could be on display  at the site, with these other displays. Contact Garry Scott, Composting Toilets Ph: 6684 3468

·         Specially marked recycling bins (with rosettes in lids for deposit of recyclables) could be hired for the site: aluminium cans, glass bottles, PET plastic bottles. Phone Byron Shire Council, Russell Chaplin Ph: 6626 7156

 

  1. CATERING: could be organised using environmentally sensitive company that use biodegradable packaging, material that can be recycled etc. Eg. Luscious Foods, Ph: 6680 8228
  • Organic matter could be composted on-site (demonstration model  to display composting process) Arrangements made with Becton and or Byron Shire Council. Contact Waste manager. BSC, Russell Chaplin ph: 6626 7156

 

  1. TRANSPORT: Options –
  • Shuttle bus between Byron CBD & site & bus service from other centres?
  • Pushbike hire option in central part of Byron for patrons from Byron motels etc.
  • Car share option be accessible at Writers Festival website so people could log on their details and expected needs. Patrons can then contact each other to arrange. Ethos Foundation organised a Car Share option at their website for a climate Forum held in Brisbane in August this year.

      Contact Ken McLeod on 0412 871 789

 

  1. PUBLICITY: to carry the message, ‘Greening the Writers Festival’

·         All programs be printed using paper with 100% recycled component or minimum 75% and to clearly state same.

·         When we use recycled paper we save 90% of the water and 50% of the energy that would have been used if we print on virgin paper. As a consequence it substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions from this activity.

 

 

Gayle Russell

Convenor NCCAG

www.nccag.org

Ph: 6684 1119 (home)

 

Other festivals etc. adopting green themes include:

 

Live Earth, Sydney  July 2007

Woodford Festival, Maleny (ongoing)

Ethos Foundation forums

Opera House – individual performers

Blues Festival (as per Shire News 18.10.07)

Missy Higgins tour to Byron (as per Shire News, 18.10.07)

International Gestalt Conference, scheduled for Byron Beach Resort, September, 2008