The logistics behind any large event are complex. Øyafestivalen is no exception in this respect.
Masses of visitors, artists, festival workers and tons of equipment are moved to, from and inside festival site Medieval Park, turning its relative tranquility into a weekful of intense hustle and bustle.
This almost over-the-top activity could quickly result in over-the-top emissions and pollution. Luckily, the festival organizers are working hard to limit the nasty side-effects of transport. Here’s a rundown of this year’s efforts:
- Public transport
Visitors are encouraged to get to the festival site by public transport. A special, discounted ticket – valid for the duration of the festival – is sold. - No unnecessary transport
The most effective way to reduce transport emissions is to transport nothing at all (duh). - Bikes and trolleys
Anything small and light that needs to moved within the festival area, or in the immediate vicinity of it, is transported by human-powered vehicles. - Greener cars
Electric cars are used for quick runs to destinations close to the festival. A Toyota Prius converted to run on hydrogen is also part of the festival’s car fleet.As the usable range of “green” cars increase, more of them will be put to use – with the eventual goal of phasing fossil fueled cars out entirely.
- Airport express train
Smaller groups of people will mostly be transported to and from the airport by express train, rather than by car. - Eco-driving/hypermiling course
Key personnel went through a course in economical and fuel efficient driving and will be teaching all drivers a condensed version of this course. - Fuel efficiency contest
Fuel consumption and mileage is tracked for all gas and diesel cars, and drivers are scored against each other. The top drivers – fuel efficiency-wise – win a prize. - Local artists
Okay, so maybe this isn’t really done to reduce emissions, but the effect is still relevant: By having a musical profile with a large portion of local musical talent, transport needs and emissions are reduced. - Carbon emissions tracking
Transport carbon emissions will form part of the entire festival’s year-to-year emissions tracking. An ongoing goal will be to reduce emissions significantly every year.
Want to read more about music, festivals and green issues? Take a look at the other posts in the Renewables At Home Green Music Special.
This post was tagged with: cars, electric cars, emissions, fuel efficiency, hydrogen cars, hypermiling, music, pollution, public transport, trains