Glastonbury Guide
Charities
2007 Initiatives: "Together we can cool it"
This year there is, more than ever, an emphasis on planet friendly practises. This is seen throughout the festival, not just in concentrated campaigns. For instance, the increase in festival goers who have bought the Coach and Ticket packages is estimated to decrease the number of cars visiting the site by 7000. The target for overall waste is 50% of the waste produced in 2005. 15,000 bins around the site clearly identified for either wet and dry recyclable materials or non-recyclable rubbish.
Energy
Four site tractors will use biodiesel for the first time. Generators in several areas, including The Park, will use biodiesel sourced from recycled cooking fat. Recycled biodiesel is also being used in the Greenpeace, Green Welfare and Medical areas. All energy in the Green Fields already comes from solar and wind power.
Rickshaws and electric bikes will be available for key staff and visitors.
Festival programmes will be handed out as ticket-holders arrive without the usual plastic wrappers. Instead, 150,000 specially commissioned 100% unbleached cotton bags will be available to keep them in.
Lost Vagueness will be running its own environmental campaign, including fuelling all its generators with recycled vegetable oil, 26 composting toilets, waste monitoring.
Carbon Neutral Market Traders
Market stall will be checked for their level of sustainability, with best environmental practice winning bronze, silver and gold awards. Prize for the Gold Award is a free pitch at the next festival.
The Soil Association is publishing the first ever "Glastonbury Climate-Friendly Food Guide".
Tent Recycling
Abandoned tents will be donated to the "Give Me Shelter" campaign run by the Global Hand charity.
I Count
Festival-goers at this year's Glastonbury Festival will be asked to sign up to the "I Count" climate change campaign. The target is for 100,000 people to make a commitment by the end of the weekend (22-24 June). Everybody arriving at the festival will be given a special wristband with the "I Count" message, "We can stop climate chaos". As people sign up, the rising total will be registered at the main Pyramid music stage. "We've put a lot of effort into focusing Glastonbury on the environment and climate change this year," says festival organiser Michael Eavis. "We hope to see at least 100,000 new supporters sign up to the I Count campaign - and I'll be the first to put my name down."
The "I Count" campaign encourages people to take 16 steps in their everyday lives to reduce their carbon footprint - and to urge the world's leaders to take climate change seriously. The campaign is supported by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition of over 50 organisations, as well as the three main causes supported by Glastonbury - Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid.
Find out more about the I Count campaign and Stop Climate Chaos Coalition
Oxfam
The major causes supported by Glastonbury Festival are Oxfam, Greenpeace, and WaterAid. Oxfam's main campaign marquee is by the main stage, and in one of the Green Fields. The charity also has a regular film slot on the Pyramid Stage. This year, Oxfam will be highlighting the effects of climate change on world poverty by inviting festival goers to try out their carbon cycle, test out the weights of carbon footprints around the world and freshen up with some climate-friendly Fairtrade snacks. The charity will also have two shops selling recycled goods.
Greenpeace
You can check out the Greenpeace Field in the Green Fields. This year, Greenpeace will be blowing both hot and cold over climate change. Hungry guests can get a good organic meal at Café Tango, then cool down without damaging the planet with a nice carbon neutral shower - using hot water produced by solar and biomass energy. Then get hot all over again by making new friends in the 'Soulmates' carbon dating venue run in conjunction with The Guardian or try out a few tricks on the new skate ramp, a showcase for FSC certified timber. Then finally, go back to the future in the Techno Dome, which takes you on a carbon trail to find new ways to save the planet.
WaterAid
WaterAid, which is dedicated to providing the world's poorest people with safe drinking water and effective sanitation, will be running VIP latrines in King's Meadow, keeping them clean and ensuring a pleasant toilet experience for festival goers. This year also sees the return of the female urinals - the 'She-Pees' - which WaterAid volunteers will be 'womaning', ensuring a speedy loo break between bands. WaterAid will also be handing out water to thirsty festival goers at our stand by the Pyramid stage.
In November 2006 Michael and Emily Eavis visited Mozambique to find out how WaterAid is using proceeds from the Glastonbury Festival. You can see photos and video footage at BBC Somerset.
The Green Police
Glastonbury's Green Police are organised and provided by the Save the World Club Charity. They'll be out in force again at this year's Festival, looking after the land by encouraging Festival-goers to use the toilets and bins provided. They're a fun, colourful police force, but their message is serious and important: keep the Festival clean! This year they will focus on cigarette ends.
Other Causes
There are numerous other causes at the Festival too. The Refugee Council unveiled their Don't Believe the Type campaign at Glasto 2005, which aims to tackle misconceptions about asylum seekers. Supported by the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), the start of the campaign was marked by a special show on the Saturday, including a performance by hip-hop artist Rodney P.
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) also took their Don't Lose the Music campaign to Glasto in 2004 and 2005.
The charity's stand near the Pyramid Stage gives out disposable earplugs free of charge, and Festival-goers can also pick up some useful British Sign Language phrases, such as 'Do you want a drink?' and 'See you back at the tent'.
Also in 2005, the profits from the additional 3,000 Sunday tickets, sold to local residents, went to help the Asian tsunami recovery appeal.
Local Causes
Proceeds from past Festivals have helped to renovate the Pilton Working Men's Club, the Pilton Tithe Barn, and the Pilton Parish Hall. You can find out more about how Glasto has helped the local area at the Somerset news feature.
The next major project is to build a housing scheme for local people who are unable to afford Pilton house prices.
