"Green" festivals

[MKG]

Pouch and I have been having a quiet little dong-dong in the backwaters of the What's Going On section, which isn't the right place, really. So let's open it up.

Is it possible, by any stretch of the imagination, to have a green, eco-friendly, ethical festival and advertise for attendance from all over the country? Not, note, should festivals be held or not, but is the description a straightforward commercial con?

You can probably already see where I stand.

[Martin]

as a great lover of the Big Green Gathering - no you can't!
GreenER perhaps than taking a flight, but by no stretch of the imagination, GREEN!

[citizentwiglet]

Maybe a kind of petrol-blue colour, rather than a green...

But I suppose if people ARE going to travel about the place, then better they have a choice of more eco-friendly, ethical products when they get there, IYSWIM, at least starting to offset the damage. But yeah, broadly it is a bit of a contradiction in terms, isn't it?
But money talks, doesn't it?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Not in my view, no. If you can't walk or cycle there, then how on Earth can it be truely green?

[red]

as a great lover of the Big Green Gathering - no you can't!
GreenER perhaps than taking a flight, but by no stretch of the imagination, GREEN!

I agree with Martin here.

fun, a learning experience, inspirational maybe? better then a package deal inc a flight.. but not actually green.

[eccentric_emma]

no, not green. however i know many people who go to a UK festival instead of having a holiday involving flying - so i guess it is the lesser of the two evils. and if you go to a festival that advocates a green lifestyle then i think again that is better than some - my hubby went to Download fest last year and said it was like camping in landfill - it was unbelievably disgusting. i know that personally going to Glastonbury for the first time (approx 4/5 years ago) completely changed my outlook - before I wouldn't think twice about chucking everything in the bin because i couldn't be bothered to walk to the recycling centre but the green fields at Glastonbury really opened my eyes and now 'greenness' (for want of a better word) is my passion.

[MKG]

Yeah, I thought that might be the reaction. So phase two - just how "ungreen" is a festival (which I suppose might be the famous string length question). Has anyone ever done any calculations on pollutants, fuel consumption, litter, etc. for any specific gatherings?