Tuesday, September 05, 2023
Climate Change Has Finally Come for Burning Man
WIRED: When the history of Burning Man 2023 is written, it’s likely Diplo and Chris Rock deciding to trudge for five miles out of the festival site will be recorded as the point the fun stopped.
The musician and actor were forced to abandon their campsite by foot as torrential rains turned the Nevada desert, which hosts the annual hedonists’ festival, into a mud bath.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I wish I could find it surprising how stubborn people are, but sadly at this point, I can't really be shocked anymore. I don't get why so many people still choose to go to this festival. These people, many of them very wealthy, put everything aside to sleep in a tent in the desert. On top of this, any of them easily could have looked at a forecast and saw that heavy rain could be occurring, and made the smart decision to stay home. Despite this, many, many people still chose to go, making their lives much more difficult when it started pouring. I want to be optimistic and say that this will bring some additional awareness about climate change to this subsection of people, but this sadly is likely not the truth. The people who run corporations are some of the largest contributors to climate change, and without their support and willingness to change, it is likely that the climate will change much in the correct direction.
I had never heard about burning man before reading this article so it was interesting to learn about this. From what little I know it does seem like a really fun festival where artists can gather and live in this neo utopian society. It really is tragic what has happened there. When I first heard about this my first thought was “how did nobody know this was going to happen?” I would have thought that people would’ve checked the weather and postponed the festival however I don’t think that was the case. It’s awful that so many people are stranded and there’s really nothing they can do except trudge their way out or wait it out. The optimistic side of me hopes that this will encourage people to take more action against climate change and bring more awareness to the real issues it has caused so many people around the world. However, the other part of me also knows that that probably won’t be the case.
I found this article saddening to read. As with most climate disasters, individuals ignore the detrimental effect that climate change has caused until it is “too late”. While I have much sympathy for all of the “burners” stuck in the mud at burning man, I do not understand why festival management would recognize the predicted rain forecast and either postpone, or at least take proper precaution of additional water, food, and tarping options. Outside of this article, I’ve seen multiple social media posts from Burning Man, each leaving me more saddened than this article. It is confirmed that an individual has died due to the improper planning of burning man, however, the overarching response is not one of mourning, but individuals stating, “it was inevitable.” As live entertainment and event technicians, safety must be the priority, and this did not seem to be the case at Burning Man. While conceptually Burning Man is quite interesting, protecting the environment and individual safety must be the priority.
I’ve heard of Burning Man because of the many influencers who post their outfits when attending the festival. Although I have seen many images from the past years, I don’t really know the logistics and the format of the festival itself. Regardless, to see the festival being impacted so heavily by climate change is disheartening, especially when so many ‘Burner’s’ safety and living condition is affected (some even at high risk). I’m sure no one likes to be in situations like that, especially after paying for so much. I was also very disappointed when I read about how much carbon footprint the festival generates. When we talk about the performing arts industry going green, much of it comes down to reducing the carbon footprint that comes with travelling – whether it’s the performing group or the audience. After learning about how hard it is to get to the site, I’m not at all surprised to find out that Burning Man still has a long way to go until carbon carbon-neutral.
Climate change is making a massive impact on vacations, concerts, and people’s idea of escapism. As Europe and America burned, flooding and super storms are coming earlier throughout the summer months we may have to refigure our idea about what a vacation is. Burning Man visitors believe they will come regardless and are not worried- soon it may be taken away just for possible deaths and destruction.
The Wired article highlighting the impact of climate change on Burning Man serves as a stark reminder that this global crisis is no longer an abstract concept but a real and immediate threat. It underlines the fact that climate change is not a joke; it's a pressing reality that affects even events as seemingly distant from environmental issues as Burning Man. Burning Man's ethos of radical self-reliance and the tenet of "Leave No Trace" once embodied an admirable commitment to environmental responsibility. However, the encroachment of climate change, with its extreme weather events, unrelenting heat, and the logistical challenges they pose, now confronts the event with a formidable test. This transformation of Burning Man into a potential casualty of climate change serves as a powerful symbol of the broader challenges we all face. It reminds us that no corner of our planet is immune to the consequences of our actions, and that includes our choices regarding energy consumption, waste, and carbon emissions.
Post a Comment