Regional BuRn

lnT & gReen guide

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IntroductIon

Welcome to the Burner Greening Guide �009!

Please accept this gift of passion, knowledge, experience, community, cre-ativity, and joy. Supporting this document is a quivering contingent of eager, goofy, and loving volunteers willing to do what we can to support you. Our ca-pacity for community building, fun, and resourcefulness continues to inspire so many.

Your feedback, perspectives, and insight into this document are heartily wel-come! This is a living, breathing, changing document. Your contribution to its maturation and growth is guaranteed to help shape and balance the evolution of Burning Man. By continuing to share our gifts, we will realize “Burning Man 365.” Yes, this is our gift to you, to your communities, and ultimately, to all of us. There are no strings attached; you are not required to do or say anything upon accepting this gift; you may do or not do with it as you wish, it is yours. Take it and make it your own – with your own Fire, Light, and Freak!

In Gratitude,

Earth GuardiansCommunity ServicesBlack Rock City, LLC

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Why Apply lnt & Green prIncIples for your event?

Here we have condensed our experiences, insights, knowledge, and hope for imple-menting (planting seeds), encouraging (for this does take courage), and inspiring (‘to fill with life’) Leave No Trace (LNT) and Greening principles and practices for regional Burns. Burning Man has endured because our community has been dedicated to LNT and embracing alternatives. Sustainability is vital for the emerging Burns around the world. The Earth Guardians have weathered the evolution of these efforts over the last decade and wish to share our knowledge, connections, and resources with our expanding, beautiful world of regional Burns since we believe that you want to apply th ese same ideas for your event!

You can should by asking, “Why do we want to spend our time and resources to incorporate these principles into our event’s infrastructure and community out-reach?”

One of basic Burning Man ten principles, Give back to community/planet, WinWin (cost & resource saving, increase partici-pation engagement of participants)The foundation for our events and communities to be sustainable engagement of participants) The foundation for our events and communities to be sustainable

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Where to stArt

1) Develop goals for effort

Do we want to be a Leave No Trace event and incorporate the 7 principles of LNT into our event?

Do we want to reach for a goal of zero waste?

Do we want to offset our carbon footprint to be carbon neutral?

Do we want to en-gage in a community environmental restoration project to give back?

2) Develop environmen-tal statement(s) to clearly articulate goals to all par-ticipants (staff, vendors, volunteers and participants) as part of event mission or principles.

3) Are there major infra-structure or organizational barriers or incentives to making our event site/ven-ue LNT and green?

Is the site on sensitive land that will be negatively impacted if our event grows?

Is the site convenient for various choices of transportation

What recycling and composting is available in the area?

Can the event be done in another location that has less impact on the environ-ment?

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Burning Man Environmental Statement

Black Rock City LLC is committed to utilizing environ-mentally favorable solutions as they become finan-cially sound alternatives to the use of fossil fuels and non-renewable materials. We encourage our staff and participants to use these alternatives in their camps in Black Rock City, and further to promote and encourage environmental awareness and make use of emerging technologies. We are determined to promote and contin-ue to support the Leave No Trace principles, the use of renewable energy, the use of non-fossil fuels, recycling valuable reusable materials, and composting organic waste materials when ever possible.

We are open to suggestions toward making the Burn-ing Man experience environmentally sound and we will utilize new methods and technology as they become suitable to our needs. Help us make Black Rock City environmentally viable.

Signed, Board of DirectorsBlack Rock City LLC

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Is the site in a place that inspires environmental action by its local beauty? Investigate local environmental and wildlife organizations for ensure im-pacts and potential cooperative efforts.

Will the area around the event site be negatively impacted by event noise?

4) Set up separate but cooperative teams to incorporate LNT and green-ing principles and practices into both the infrastructure and participant activities of the event.

The teams can include volunteers, however, lead management for the event must be involved, especially in the infrastructure team.

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InfrAstructure – IncorporAte lnt And GreenInG Into the fAbrIc of the event.

1) The infrastructure team should start by examining event operations to look for ways to reduce waste, save water, reduce energy needs, minimize impact of fires, and improve recycling.

The team should assign different members to work with coordinators for each aspect of event operations (e.g. recycling & waste management, energy supply, vendors) but keep communications between each team member regular with meetings and email

As decisions are made about operations, and where needed, additional volun-teers should be assigned to implement efforts. (e.g. a recycling team to man-age recycling operations and bins)

2) Investigate opportunities with local resource and vendors

Do you have vendors at the festival? Are you working with them to ensure that they have zero waste and green power?

Create a list of suggestions or requirements for vendors.

Sell food/beverages at the event in packaging that can be recycled or com-posted. Reduce use of disposables (coffee stirrers, straws, toothpicks) and potential MOOP wherever possible and encourage and provide incentives for use of BYO containers (e.g. coffee mugs, bottles, etc)

Request / require vendors to use local and organic foods and fair trade coffee. Avoid bottled water, promote local tap water and reusable containers.

Don’t sell food/beverages packaged in non-recyclable or non-compostable materials such as polystyrene, waxed cardboard, or non-recyclable plastic.

Avoid single serving items: instead, use large dispensers for items like sugar, cream, sauce, salad dressing, mustard, relish, etc.

Eliminate unnecessary waste items and products that are over-packaged. Reduce/eliminate the use of plastic cutlery plastic bags, and napkins.

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Correctly sort/separate and properly dispose of waste, recyclables, and compostables at the event and use techniques such as the café’s used cup spikes to better manage and reduce waste. Compost all food waste! Have containers available for participants and vendors. Donate excess food to lo-cal food banks and shelters.

Bring goods into the festival in reusable boxes/containers and be prepared to rinse clean all recyclable containers used in food preparation.

Ask vendors to use renewable energy sources rather than diesel generators where possible.

Contact your local recycling centers to find out what is appropriate to recycl

3) Decide how to handle any trash or recycling generated by participants and operations

Are you going to have trash cans and recycling for participants? If so - will you have as many or more well labeled recycling areas?

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Have you talked with the vendors about helping to maintain the recy-cling areas and posting signs at their areas helping to educate partici-pants?

If not – how are you communicating “pack it in, pack it out” to partici-pants?

4) Investigate and provide the greenest alternatives for powering event operations and vendors.

Are alternative (solar, wind, biofuels) renewable energy sources available? If generators are used, can they be run on biofuels?

Are there solar panels that can be borrowed for the event and used with rented batteries?

Are you talking with vendors about green alternatives? Are you rewarding or requiring green power?

Are you obtaining greenhouse gas offsets?

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6) Incorporate communication and publicity efforts that reduce waste.

Print all materials on recycled paper and using soy or vegetable-based inks.

Avoid printing full brochures. Instead, use postcards for mass mailings, direct-ing event participants to an event website with detailed program information. (Also reduces postage costs!)

When mailing event publicity, print addresses directly onto envelopes/brochures, avoiding the use of address labels.

When printing signage/posters, do not include dates so that these items can be reused.

Instead of direct mail publicity campaigns, consider news-paper, organizational newsletters, and radio. Publicize your event via e-mail and the internet.

During the event, post only a few copies of important event information in pub-lic areas to avoid mailing copies for each event participant.

Give purchasing priority to recyclable and post-consumer recycled products.

7) Can the impacts of on-site vehicle use be minimized?

Can we use human power (bike, walking) for most transportation and partici-pant needs within the event?

Are there solar or electric vehicles (golf carts, neighborhood cars) that can be used?

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8) Can the impacts of off-site vehicle use be minimized?

Can carpooling efforts be coordinated?

Should a park and ride site be set up?

9) Offset the carbon footprint by going carbon neutral

Offsetting the event with a reputable carbon management organization which also has a well known brand and transparent auditing standard could lend credibility to a carbon neutral event.

Gather information regarding the event’s use of energy, participant’s mode of transport and the number of days at the location.

Calculate the direct emissions from event and participant operations, calcu-late emissions from vendor and participant transportation to and from the event, and calculate emissions associated with disposal of waste products

Consider the activities and associated emissions and consider any new ideas to reduce emissions and the resulting carbon footprint further. This may in-clude use of green power, additional transit options and use of biodegradable disposables.

The remaining emissions can be offset against projects such as forestry, re-newable resource development and alternative fuels. Consider pricing tickets or offering off-setting surcharges to pay for the cost of carbon offsets.

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10) How will site clean-up / restoration happen to ensure LNT?

Make sure there are enough staff/volunteers to dismantle all event infrastructure

Will the volunteers have the right skills?Is heavy machinery needed and available?If restoration takes days/ weeks, will there be enough supplies (food, water, potties) for volunteers?

How will the event site be partitioned into areas for group MOOP sweeps (e.g. pick-ing up very small Matter Out Of Place on the ground - see photos below)?

How will the event site be inspected? Is there a permitting agency? What is the res-toration standard?

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pArtIcIpAnt enGAGement

1) The participant outreach team should begin by setting goals and priori-ties for outreach.

The team should meet with the infrastructure coordinators to gain a base knowledge of internal greening efforts.

The team should assess their internal strengths and decide roles for each team member.

2) Consider Your Participants and How You Can Best Engage Them

How does event information (e.g. ticketing, schedule, volunteer, etc) get to participants both before and during the event? Website, email, mailers -can these communication mechanisms be used to provide environmental mes-saging to participants before the event?

Are there infrastructure or organizational barriers to partici-pant engagement? For example, is there access to transit to the event? Is the event too spread out for use of human pow-ered transportation options within the event? Does the event site present opportunities for community engagement towards the environment?

3) Encourage Specific Actions Pre-event (spread LNT/green principals, practices and resources)

Post information on the event web site

Include information on the event ticket, survival guide or post card

Send out emails via participant email lists

Develop podcasts or text messages for participants

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4) Provide Further Education at the Event

Post information about being environmentally friendly reminders to participants

Remind participants what and where to recycle, how to reduce waste and pro-mote energy and water efficiency

Provide information on the geology and biological features of the location though exhibits, lectures or nature walks

Set up an environmental tent, camp or exhibit to showcase environmental mes-sages as well as information

Remind participants of LNT and green practices through radio and video PSAs

Show working examples of LNT/Green practices & MOOP sweeps

Highlight fun LNT activities/fun-enhanced LNT activities (eg. MOOP trashion/fashion show, Energy Fair showcasing how we share, LNT caroling, Recycled Art)

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5) Reward Good Behavior

Reward good behavior by participants on site – immediate gratification and public praise! Consider having a green/LNT contest!

Ideas for Prizes – Everyone Loves Recognition, Especially those that encour-age further green actions. Note: If bags (MOOP) or other gifts are being distributed, use recycled/reused, or biodegradable and ethically sourced goods.

Biodegradable cups, plates and/or forks

Reusable canvas or MOOP bags

Reusable water bottles

Transit passes

Bicycle lights or tools such as an air pump or patch kit

Cool LED lights

Spray bottles for misting green cleaning solutions

Blue bags to collect recyclables

Informational brochures, guides and maps

Composter or rain barrel for home

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cAlculAtInG benefIts

Environmental and Community Benefits

After the event, estimate the benefits by comparing how the event would have run without being green and LNT). For example, you might calculate:

How much waste you diverted from landfills (e.g., included recycling program and collected and recycled 300 pounds of aluminum cans, or X pounds of compost)?

How many instances of behavior change your project caused (e.g., 100 people biked at or to the event instead of driving)?

How many people participated (e.g., people on project team, approxi-mate number of attendees at event)?

How many pounds of greenhouse gas emissions were reduced? (www.coolingman.com)

How much positive publicity did you receive (e.g., a writeup or blurb in your community paper)?

How much easier was event clean-up with participant participation in MOOPing?

Did participants participate in a local eco-restoration event, resulting in significant environmental benefit?

evAluAtInG successes And mIs-steps

Compare your results to your project’s vision and goals - Did you achieve the results that you hoped for?

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AddItIonAl resources

www.agreenerfestival.com www.burningman.com/environment/statement.html earthguardians.burningman.com/ www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/environment_concerns/recycle_camp.www.burningman.com/participate/cleanup.html www.harvestjazzandblues.com/greenyourharvest.htmlwww.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/index.php?page=bluesfest_goes_green www.coolingman.org/ www.wastefreeworld.com www.greeninggovernment.gc.cawww.theicarusfoundation.com

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AppendIx A - exAmple InformAtIon to pArtIcIpAnts

MAKE A PLAN TO LEAVE NO TRACE & BE GREEN AT BURNING MAN

Once you’ve passed the Gate and the Greeters, you are already a participant and

a contributor to a very large artwork: the wonderful disappearing city. Leaving

no trace of Black Rock City is enormously significant - that’s what gets us the OK

to return to the playa every year - and it’s also a matter of simple details, one

step at a time. Being Green is a way to spread positive impacts beyond the playa.

If you put some these planning tips into your camp, your days on the playa will

likely be easier, cleaner, happier and healthier.

The Earth Guardians have been collecting and recording LNT tips for playa living.

Visit their website at:http://earthguardians.burningman.com/

And for some eco-friendly burner resources, check out http://www.burningman.

com/environment/

Here are our top ten LNT and Green reminders

CAMP SMARTER, NOT HARDER, PREPARE A LEAVE NO TRACE & A GREEN PLAN

IF IT DOESN’T COME OUT OF YOUR BODY IT DOESN’T GO INTO THE POTTY.

RESPECT, RETHINK, REDUCE, REUSE, PRECYCLE, RECYLE AND RESTORE!

NEVER LET IT HIT THE GROUND (INCLUDING GREY WATER), CLEAN AS YOU GO!

& SECURE ITEMS FROM THE WIND

CONSERVE ENERGY & USE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES (SOLAR, WIND,

BIODIESEL)

CONSIDER WHETHER YOUR GIFT IS MORE LIKELY TO BECOME MOOP THAN A

KEEPSAKE. GIVE SMART.

BE A LNT GOOD NEIGHOR, LEND A HAND, SHARE CLEAN ENERGY, CARRY A

MOOP BAG

GRID YOUR CAMP BEFORE YOU LEAVE

PREPARE FOR THE HUNGRY WIND - SECURE YOUR LOAD, ESPECIALLY YOUR

TRASH

VOLUNTEER FOR CLEAN UP WITH DPW & PARTICIPATE IN ECO-RESTORATION

PROJECTS OUTSIDE THE BLACK ROCK CITY BORDERS!

THE PRINCIPLES OF LEAVE NO TRACE

It takes thousands of people to create a disappearing city, and the how-to lore

keeps growing. The Earth Guardians collect good ideas from camps and citizens,

mix in Leave No Trace principles, and pass them along. Not only will you reduce

the Matter Out Of Place (“MOOP”), you’ll make your camp life easier and more

pleasant. Leave No Trace Principles - We have embraced these seven LNT prin-

ciples and have made Burning Man the largest LNT event in the world.

The Leave No Trace Organization has more information on their website: http://

www.lnt.org .

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5.

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10.

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1.) Plan Ahead and Prepare �.) Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces 3). Dispose of

Waste Properly �.) Minimize Campfire Impacts 5.) Be Considerate of Other Visitors 6.)

Leave What You Find 7.) Respect Wildlife

THE GREEN PRINCIPLES

We have developed some Green Principles to help you bring Green thinking into your

event planning. Taking “green” into consideration means thinking about the effect

your decisions have on the environment and choosing the least harmful option.

1.) Rethink What We Need and Reduce What We Purchase & Bring, �.) Conserve En-

ergy & Reduce the Use of Fossil Fuels, 3.) Reuse What We Can From Year to Year, �.)

Recycle Everything Else – Aim for Zero Waste, 5.) Coordinate With Our Neighbors to

Share Resources, 6.) Respect the Environment

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LNT Principle 1 – Plan Ahead and Prepare

Pick a Leave No Trace team for your camp and develop a LNT plan, not just a clean-

up plan. These folks will work LNT into your planning and preparing, help set up

the camp so that it doesn’t blow away, help to plan your camp’s cleanup and break-

down ahead of time, figure out how to reduce waste (especially stinky trash), design

gray water disposal, and identify what NOT to burn. If you plan ahead and prepare to

LNT, you’ll have less to haul up to the playa, have a happier playa life and have less

to clean-up at the end of the week

http://earthguardians.burningman.com/burning_lnt_samplelntplan.htm

Minimize kitchen waste and clean-up by planning simple, low-dishwashing meals, re-

packaging and preparing food in advance. Bring two-thirds the food you think you’ll

need. Repackage and prepare food in advance. Bring water in big reusable plastic

or stainless containers and bring reusable cups, utensils, bowls or plates, not flimsy

disposables that will blow all over the playa. Ask visitors to your camp to BYOM

(bring your own mug) and take your own mug to the Center Camp Cafe. A carabiner

or shower hook easily secures it for transport around the City. Many fashionable

bars also appreciate BYOMers!

Separate and sort trash in your kitchen, including compost and recycling. Collect

food waste in a mesh bag. The food will dry up, becoming light and nearly odorless.

Easy! Plan on burning paper and wood in a community burn platform. Here’s food

wisdom from a decade on the playa:

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/garbage_recycling/lighter_trash.html

Plan your camp to minimize clean-up efforts. Don’t wait until the end of the week to

pick stuff up. Clean as you go. This will help you from getting overwhelmed by the

mess and help keep trash from blowing out of reach. Plan to seal the small amount

of trash you have left in big plastic bags, or in five-gallon buckets with lids, to take

home, or, if you must, drop off some trash in local landfills.

http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/garbage_recycling/take_trash.html

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You can also find out more about the Reno-Sparks Drive through Recycling Proj-

ect at designated Save Mart locations.

Green Principle 1 –Rethink and Reduce What We Purchase & Bring

What are you going to do to be sustainable at/to/from BRC in �007 with your

camp, in the camp’s art projects, in transportation, etc.? Things to take into

consideration include the type and the materials being used, waste produced and

energy consumed.

Use Greener Materials. Consider using materials that can be reused or repur-

posed at home or at next year’s event. Plan to use nontoxic, biodegradable,

renewable and salvageable materials. Select materials and decorations for your

camp that lessen waste and are recyclable or reusable. You’ll have less cost and

less disposal headaches at the end of the event. You’ll also save money when

preparing for next year.

Plan to Reduce energy use, consider alternative sources and off-set carbon emis-

sions. Incorporate energy- efficient power and lighting. Use renewable energy

sources such as human, solar, wind, or biodiesel fuel. Carpool and/or offset

carbon emissions associated with transportation and energy (generators) and

coordinate with sister camps to share transportation and energy generation.

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LNT Principle 2 -Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Winter rains help erase our tracks on the playa, but dust from driving affects

people right away. Keep auto speeds under 5 mph in Black Rock City, and drive

only on obvious, marked roads. Do not consider taking a dip in the Hot Springs

during the event. These delicate ecosystems cannot handle the volume of visitors

that use during the event would create.

Design your Camp Structures and Shelters to be LNT. Plan your structure to be

able to withstand the extreme conditions on the playa and be reusable. Stake

your tents and structures so they will stay secure in the heavy wind, rain, and

dust storms that are sudden and usual on the playa. Recycle Your Structure: Plan

your camp around reusing your structure each year. If you reuse and repurpose

the basic framework for your camp’s structure, you can still reconfigure it to give

your camp a new look and feel each year and save money!

Do not dig holes in the playa. Small postholes used for structural support are the

sole exception and must be properly tamped and tilled when you are finished

with them. Larger holes easily erode within a year’s time.

Keep your vehicle from dripping oil or other fluids on to the playa. BLM did a

study on this a few years ago and asked burners to use pans or other barriers

under their cars, especially older cars, to prevent drips.

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Always use a potty for your body waste - not the playa. Having a pee jug near your

bed will cut down on trips to the potties.

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Green Principle 2 –Conserve Energy & Reduce the Use of Fossil Fuels

Plan to conserve energy. Reduce energy use and incorporate energy- efficient

power and lighting. Illuminate you camp with energy efficient light bulbs, LED’s or

EL wire. Use rechargeable batteries. There are also many handy garden and tool

lights that include solar cells.

Use renewable energy sources (human, solar, wind, biodiesel). The folks at the

Alternative Energy Zone (www.aez.org ) have been living generator free for many

playa years! If you must use a generator, consider biodiesel fuels instead of gaso-

line. Solar Koan will be offering a solar-based recharging station again this year!

Get your car’s maintenance done on a regular basis. A well maintained car pro-

duces lower emissions and is more dependable on the way to Black Rock City.

Consider purchasing carbon off-sets from www.Coolingman.org to offset what

remaining emissions you produce with transportation and energy (generators).

Their web site contains a handy spreadsheet you can use to calculate your carbon

emissions.

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LNT Principle 3 -Dispose of Waste Properly

If it doesn’t come out of your body it doesn’t go into the Potty. Only single-ply toilet

paper and human waste can go in the potties. Anything else can cause a clog when

the toilet vendor empties the tank through a two-inch hose. Otherwise we have

unserviced potties, and that means trouble.

How will you dispose of your grey water from your kitchen and shower? Our per-

mit from BLM does NOT allow us to dump grey water directly on the playa. Camps

can collect grey water and contract pre-event with United Site Services for dis-

posal or take it to one of the RV dump stations along Interstate �0 after the event.

You could use a variety of techniques to evaporate and reduce grey water, or if

you’re in a very small camp, with minimal dish and body-washing water, you might

choose to treat your grey water: pour it through a filter (like a paint sieve), disin-

fect it with bleach, then, since it is treated, sprinkle it on your street to keep down

dust. Learn more at: http://earthguardians.burningman.com/lnt_practices_water.

htm

There are no trash cans in Black Rock city – so be prepared to take any trash you

generate home with you and beware of the Hungry Wind. Bring tethers, anchors,

containers, and covers, to keep light stuff from blowing away. When leaving

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Black Rock City, secure your load, especially your trash. Don’t let your trash fly

off your vehicle, and do not dump it on the side of the road or at a rest stop on

the way home! Use an approved dumping facility or take it home with you. Plan

ahead before you even pack for the playa so you leave with a minimal amount of

trash. Starting home, take a rest stop early; at the entrance gate, at a wide pull-

out, or maybe in Empire (if not too congested). Check your load. It is most likely

to fail early in the trip.

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Green Principle 3 –Reuse What We Can From Year to Year

Design your camp structures for reuse, easy deconstruction, storage and salvage.

Use screws instead of nails, reclaimed wood, and metal when possible. If some-

one in your camp volunteers to store the structure and associated shade-cloth,

you can spend more time and energy on a structure that will last for years.

Consider using materials that are reclaimed and can be reused or repurposed at

home or at next year’s event. You’ll save money before the event and have less

cost and less disposal headaches at the end of the event. You’ll also save money

when preparing for next year.

Trashion is high fashion! Instead of going shopping, go to your closet or look to

save items from going to the landfill for some styling playa fashions. Nowadays,

burners are meeting for swaps, DIY workshops, and trashion shows. Check your

local Regional list for announcements. And check out some of the wonderful cos-

tume boutiques on the playa.

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LNT Principle 4 - Minimize Campfire Impacts - How do we burn responsibly

and clean?

Burn Responsibly: Don’t Burn on the Unprotected Playa. While resilient, the playa

surface is vulnerable to scarring from careless burning. Burning directly on the

alkaline playa BAKES the surface into a dark, hard brick-like material. Use commu-

nity burn barrels or a burn platform.

Reduce and Reuse: Fires are for celebration and spiritual connection, not places

to dump garbage. Low temperature burning produces toxic emissions, so mini-

mize what you burn. Recycle or reuse materials where you can. Take reusable

wood to a Burners with Borders recycle station instead of burning it! On Sunday,

Monday, and Tuesday, Burners Without Borders lumber recycling stations will be

located at stations along the Esplanade.

Don’t Overload the Burn Platforms – Recycle Your Wood! Bring your extra wood

and other camp building materials to re-use/salvage centers or to a Burners Wi-

ithout Borders lumber recycling station, rather than burning or taking to a dump.

If you do burn,

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be sure the wood you place in the burn platform is well contained. When the plat-

forms are overloaded, burning wood can hit the playa and cause a burn scar. Have

tools on hand to break down and cut up larger pieces.

Burn Clean: Be careful to burn only clean (no paint) wood or paper! You can burn

on one of the community burn platforms along the Esplanade. Just don’t burn

anything that is toxic! Carpets, cushioned furniture, PVC and other plastics release

dioxins, formaldehyde, and other nasty stuff. The community burn barrels and

burn platforms are low to the ground, and produce smoke that is easily inhaled.

The low temperature, incomplete combustion emits toxic gases and particulates.

Do not put any trash into your burn barrels! Please check out http://www.burn-

ingman.com/preparation/event_survival/toxic.html for more information on the

hazards associated with toxic fumes.

Participate - Each of us can play a part in protecting the health of our community

and the incredible beauty of the playa. Join the Toxic Avengers! If you want to

volunteer to help educate our citizens about wood recycling and responsible ways

to burn, email toxicavengers@burningman.com, and please come by the Earth

Guardians Pavilion at Esplanade, near Center Camp during the event and sign up

for our Sunday patrols. We’ll be having a meeting on Friday to train new volun-

teers.

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Green Principle 4 –Recycle Everything Else – Aim for Zero Waste

Plan to Recycle - Buy only aluminum cans and plan to dispose of the cans at Re-

cycle Camp. There are many good beers in cans! Check out http://www.burning-

man.com/preparation/event_survival/drinks.html to find some. The more cans

you can leave with Recycle camp, the less you have to take home! Be sure to

separate any other recyclables (glass and plastic) at recycle centers near home.

Composting food waste not only reduces garbage but repurposes the waste to

fertilizer. Be sure to use a container with a tight lid for transporting the compost

home.

Salvage, Reuse, and/or Recycling everything onsite, including camp construction

and demolition waste. Take the extra effort after Burning Man to bring your extra

wood and other camp building materials to re-use/salvage centers, rather than

burning or taking to a dump. Burners without Borders is planning to once again

collect used, reusable, building materials at the end of the event at wood collec-

tion sites on the playa, Sunday till Tuesday at noon. Check your City Map for loca-

tions.

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Leave No Trace Principle 5 - Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Promote LNT neighborhoods. Be proud of your neighborhood: work together with

your neighbors to keep your part of the city clean. Every year some camps get

overwhelmed and need help. The LNT principle, “Be considerate of Other Visi-

tors,” in our city, includes helping neighbors to leave no trace. Carry a MOOP bag

and water as you walk around your part of the city.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of

yourself that you truly give.” - Kahlil Gibran

Gifting in a LNT Community: We all enjoy the generosity and gifts of our theme

camps, artists, and fellow citizens. Instead of bringing cheap trinkets for gifts

that become MOOP, consider the gift of one’s self. Look around and pitch in to

help keep things clean: offer a tool, an extra hand, a gesture of thanks. Try giv-

ing a smile, a helping hand or a joke. Help a neighbor set up camp. You are the

best gift.

Devote Two Hours to General Cleanup in Black Rock City. This means the streets,

public spaces, and open playa where stuff may have been left behind. Consider

staying an extra day to help clean-up and avoid the Sunday and Monday traffic!

Prepare for the Hungry Wind - Secure your load, especially your trash. Don’t let

your trash fly off your vehicle, and do not dump it on the side of the road or at

a rest stop on the way home! Use an approved dumping facility or take or home

with you. Plan ahead before you even pack for the playa so you leave with a mini-

mal amount of trash. When starting home, take a rest stop early; at the entrance

gate, at a wide pullout, or maybe at the Empire store, if not too congested. Check

your load. It is most likely to fail early in the trip.

Come back to the Black Rock Desert after the event and participate in restoration

activities. Helping the DPW clean the playa in September can be very satisfying.

The Earth Guardians participate in eco-restoration activities year-round. For more

information, check out our calendar at http://www.earthguardians.net

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Green Principle 5 –Coordinate With Our Neighbors to Share Resources

Coordinate with other participants to carpool, reduce your transportation costs

and impacts and make new friends even before you get to the playa. Note that

many Regionals also coordinate to ship supplies to the playa. Check with your

local regional contact and test out the BM rideshare web page: http://www.burn-

ingman.com/preparation/resources/rideshare.html

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Partner with other camps to share resources and experience and avoid duplication

of time, energy, and materials. Many camps now collaborate on energy sources

and grey water management. You can coordinate with other camps to share ener-

gy generation. If you’re in a Village, you work with your village organizers to place

camps so that sharing generators (or even better, renewable power sources) can

happen.

Discuss the possibility of sharing water and water treatment needs with others

in your camp and village. Many theme camps within villages take advantage of

shared resources to use larger scale processes to store their drinking and shower

water and treat their grey water. Do not bring small plastic bottles of water to the

playa.

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Leave No Trace Principle 6 - Leave What You Find

On first reaching the playa, we encounter one of the profoundly barren and empty

corners of the world. That is exactly what we want to leave.

Clean As You Go and Grid Your Camp at the End! Don’t wait until the end of the

week to pick stuff up, NEVER LET IT HIT THE GROUND and CLEAN AS YOU GO. This

will help you from getting overwhelmed by the mess and help keep trash from

blowing out of reach. Once you have taken down your camp, pack-up and load

everything (including all trash) into your vehicles, and do a line sweep for every

last bit of MOOP. Use something like cones on the outside of your camp’s border

to define your boundaries, break up any dunes that formed around vehicles or

structures, then divide up your area and begin line sweeps. Give everyone a sack,

line them up along one edge of camp, look dow and slowly walk to the other side.

Cover your entire area looking for those last bits of trash- every wood chip, plas-

tic piece, twist tie, cigarette butt, food scrap, carpet fiber, match, nut shell, scrap

of plastic, everything.

A buried stake doesn’t disappear. Instead, its hazard is magnified. Even when

pounded below the surface, a stake will slowly, inevitably, emerge from the playa.

Vise-grips will almost always remove a stuck stake. First, clamp on the vise-grips

and rotate the stake back and forth, to break the playa’s grip. Then continue ro-

tating and also pull upwards. Still stuck? Ask a neighbor for help. Next year, re-

member that smooth stakes pull out much easier than ridged rebar.

Dedicate Two Hours to General Cleanup in Black Rock City! Each participant is

asked to contribute two hours to community cleanup before departure. This

means streets, Center Camp, Center Café, all other public spaces, and open playa

where stuff may have been left behind. Pitch in with your fellow citizens and com-

munity service temas to restore the natural characteristics of the playa in your

�5

neighborhood, removing all burn scars, dunes, leftover debris, or other physi-

cal traces of our presence. Stop by the Earth Guardian camp during the week

and on Sunday and Monday -- we’ll give you a beautiful reusable MOOP bag and

direct you to the areas of the City that need the most attention.

Consider joining the DPW post-event restoration crews. Help us clean and re-

store the playa, so that we and all its visitors can appreciate its beauty again

and again.

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Green Principle 6 –Respect the Environment &

LNT Principle 7 – Respect Wildlife

At first glance, this principle may not seem as applicable to Burning Man. How-

ever, as users of the Black Rock Desert, we share the Black Rock Desert NCA

with many native species. As home to Burning Man, the Black Rock High Rock

NCA has importance to the Burning Man community. Earth Guardians have

partnered with BLM and other user groups to restore sensitive areas around the

Black Rock Desert and have also taken on our own restoration projects.

Participate in Environmental Stewardship. EG’s are continuing their efforts to

take care of the desert environment with the Bureau of Land Management and

Friends of Black Rock/High Rock. Stop by the Earth Guardian Pavilion at Espla-

nade near Center camp to sign up for environmental workshops and naturalist-

led desert walks throughout the week.

Let’s keep our beautiful desert home clean year round! See the EG pages for

more details: http://www.earthguardians.net

Promote more sustainable practices at Burning Man with Respect, Rethink,

Reduce, Reuse, Precycle, Recycle and Restore, resulting in more awareness of

conservation, ecological footprints, carbon equivalent offsets, and alternative

energy sources, protecting our global habitat. Interested in helping, come to

the Earth Guardians Pavilion and participate in one of our workshops.

Also, don’t forget, The Desert is no place for dogs or other pets. Burning Man

is a no dog event. For questions, contact dogs at burningman.com

-RESPECT THE PLAYA - NEVER LET IT HIT THE GROUND!

RESPECT, RETHINK, PRECYCLE, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYLE and RESTORE!

DON’T LET IT HIT THE GROUND -CLEAN AS YOU GO!