Greener Burn
Imagine an annual regional burning man gathering where saving the planet meets radical self-reliance. The project aims to decarbonize Freezer Burn by empowering participants to make greener choices - from renewable energy art installations to plant-based meals that don't just consist of Doritos and bacon (though no shade to those delicious treats).
Let's make Freezer Burn cleaner, cheaper, and cooler - one solar panel, compost bin, and creative solution at a time. It's not just an environmental strategy; it's a community-driven revolution that proves sustainability can be fun, accessible, and totally radical.
No Matter Out of Place
Handle waste ecologically by reusing stuff, reducing the need for disposable packaging, composting our waste and only as a final option, recycling our waste. It’s much easier to Leave No Trace when the potential MOOP isn’t created in the first place.
Become “Carbon Negative”
This happens in two stages. First stage is being “Carbon Neutral” where we make the changes needed to reduce our air pollution so that our event and the participants are creating as little new air pollution as possible, ensuring that we truly Leave No Trace. This is largely accomplished by the Participation and Communal Effort of participants through substituting (and sharing) renewable energy instead of fossil fuels.
The closer we can be to carbon neutral makes it easier for us to reach our final goal of being “Carbon Negative”, where we are removing more air pollution than we create through sponsoring actions such as community-led tree planting in Ponoka County, participating in a carbon offset programs or other projects that actively remove carbon from the air.
Empower Community
Slowing the effects of climate change and adapting to the many effects that we can’t stop will require a substantial cultural shift. Such a shift will require wholesale Participation, Communal Effort and Radical Inclusion of both existing and future participants with a wide range of worldviews and ideology.
Anything worthwhile starts with individuals feeling like they have what it takes to create change. Greener Burn is the face of a needed cultural change in the Alberta burner community and will succeed when the participants behind it feel driven to make things happen. This is an opportunity for participants to explore Radical Self-Reliance to discover, exercise and rely on their own inner resources , creating the positive solutions needed.
Immediacy aka Just Start Now
There’s always ways to improve how something is done but we won’t let perfection be the enemy of good.
What we do
Clean up Freezer Burn Infrastructure & Operations
Work with event volunteers, artists, outside service providers, and infrastructure vendors to sustainably manage our waste, pollution, and resources.
Support Community-Led Projects
Encourage and support work with camps & participants to sustainably manage their waste, pollution, and resources.
Monitor, Report & Offset
Measure environmental impacts of the event via an emissions inventory that includes Operational, Participants and Effigy/Art Burn emissions.
Research and pursue effective community-led carbon emissions offset approaches
Team Dynamics
The interaction of the lead and co-lead with volunteers and participants can vary depending on the project(s) being undertaken by the Greener Burn Committee.
Generally speaking, the lead and co-lead will organize and manage the work being performed by volunteers, including expectations that the volunteers be friendly and accountable for their behavior during interactions with participants.
Volunteers are ambassadors of the Freezer Burn Production Committee in that participants see them as the “staff” that make Freezer Burn work. In the eyes of a participant, poor behavior by volunteers reflects badly on all other volunteers, team leads and producers and should be managed accordingly
Number of Volunteers
25
Shift Length
The Emissions Inventory survey team will have 15 volunteers in total. Shifts of 2 to 3 people each will occur on: Thursday morning, afternoon and evening,Friday morning and afternoon. There may be potential Saturday shift(s) as well but that hasn’t been confirmed yet Compost team will need 8 volunteers in total. Shifts of two people occur once daily. Other volunteer needs for the team will vary depending on the project(s) being undertaken by the Greener Burn Committee.
Pre-Event Tasks
This team is not involved in pre-event tasks, which will vary each year depending on the project(s) being undertaken by the Greener Burn Committee. If someone is interested in learning more about the pre-event project organizing, we’d love to have you!
Event Tasks
Emissions surveyors will visit theme camps during the event to ask camp lead or co-lead a few simple questions.
Composters will collect and sort material from the compost bins for post-event use. Shifts on Sunday (last day of event) will involve deconstructing bins and loading them onto a trailer. Compost material will either be moved to its final location onsite or loaded onto the trailer for transport as well.
Other event tasks will vary depending on the project(s) being undertaken by the Greener Burn Committee. Training will be provided on-shift.
Post-Event Tasks
Leads complete AfterBurn reports. This team will likely not be involved in post-event tasks. HOWEVER, we’ll likely extend an offer to those who volunteer at the event to also join us in the year-round planning.
Recommended Training
- Emission surveyors will receive training on Thursday (first day of event)
- Composters will receive training at the start of their shift
- Suggested training will vary depending on the project(s) involved.