Plant It & Burn It Project Offsetting the Carbon Footprint of Burning Man As members of the Burning Man community, we are viscerally aware of the demands and resources that it takes to survive and thrive in the hostile environment of Black Rock City. We have each become more sensitive to the fact that without the benefits of a petroleum-based society, producing Burning Man and the myriad projects that comprise the event would be nearly impossible. Whether it’s the fuel in the airplanes that take us to Reno, or in our cars and generators, or in the heavy equipment and trucks that contribute to large scale art, or in the trucks that delivered the lumber, camping gear, or plastic packaged food to our stores, it is without debate that the Black Rock City is responsible for a sizable carbon footprint. In 2006, the Cooling Man project estimated that the event produced 27,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, or roughly 0.7 tons per participant. Although their estimate did not take into effect the carbon footprint of all of the products purchased and consumed by participants above and beyond what they would normally, or the impact of extra efforts such as law enforcement and other outside services, it still underscores an unsettling truth—we are individually and collectively responsible for accelerating the process of global warming through our participation in Burning Man. It is with this responsibility in mind that we have launched the “Plant It & Burn It” project, and are promoting it throughout the Burning Man Regional Network. We intend to create an annual event where Burning Man participants throughout the world will plant trees to offset the carbon footprint of Black Rock City. In each regional location, volunteers will come together to locate an appropriate site to plant the trees on public or private land, determine the appropriate species of trees to plant (ideally fruit trees), find nurseries to provide trees free of charge or at reduced prices, raise the funds necessary to cover minimal costs, and then hold the first actual event to plant the trees on June 21, 2013. We have chosen the Summer Solstice as the date for the event to commemorate the first Burning Man on Baker Beach in San Francisco in 1986. On average, one broad leaf tree will absorb somewhere around 1 ton of carbon dioxide during its full life-time, so in order to completely offset the impact of Black Rock City, we would need to plant one tree for each participant each year. We believe that by demonstrating leadership through this project, we can ultimately educate and inspire every participant to engage in this activity—or, at the very least, compel half of participants to plant two trees per year. Our goal in the first year is to plant 500 trees. 3 Easy Steps 1: Determine a Location and Species of Tree. It is important to ensure a high chance of survivability for your tree. If you are planning to plant on your own private property or that of a friend, family member, or employer, there is greater likelihood that the tree will receive the necessary watering and care it will need to survive. You will also have more latitude to plant desirable species like fruit trees on private land. If you are planting on public lands, such as a park, forest, rest area, or roadside, consult with the managing agency to determine an appropriate indigenous species, or whether a fruit tree is an allowed plant type. Trees have an impact on other plants and animals, so this is an important consideration. 2: Raise Money and Find the Trees. Many plant nurseries are amenable to special projects such as ours, and if you approach management, they may provide some trees free of charge or at reduced prices. You may be able to afford to purchase the trees from your own resources, or you can raise the money within your local community. As the project demonstrates its effectiveness over time, we may be able to form a nonprofit and solicit grants from foundations, businesses, and other outside funding sources, but we need to start from the ground up—just like a tree! 3: Hold the Event. On the day of June 21, 2013, the volunteers in your region should come together at an appropriate time of day, such as the early morning. Assemble all of the necessary tools—shovels, gloves, water, and so forth—and convene at the planting location. Some people may like to write wishes on a small piece of paper to place beneath the plant, as a way to make the ritual more memorable. Be sure to dig a hole wide and deep enough to fit the entire root ball and all of the soil that comes with the plant, and then fill in the gaps with the native soil. Now, celebrate! It is important to record all of the effort that went into your project— volunteer names and time contributed, money raised and spent, any donations of plants, miles driven, types of plants planted, plant locations, photos—and report this back to us. We will compile a report of the combined effort from the event and send this back to all participants, and recognize volunteers on our website. We may also be able to use this information to solicit support for future projects.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 23:32:39 +0000