burning man

This week our host, Kevin Contreras, will be checking out the Burning Man festival, where this year's theme is "The Green Man." As World Changing points out, however, Burning Man has always been green. Imagine 35,000 people coming together in the middle of the desert, building a city, and leaving no trace when they depart a week later.

Burners have put a lot of thought into just how to do this, and have added three new "R's" over the years: Respect, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Restore. There are lessons there for all of us to take back to our permanent dwelling spaces on how to live artfully, cleanly and well while treading ever-so-lightly on the planet.

Want to find out more about the Festival? Check out the festival's homepage, and their new environment page. And if you can't make it out to the Playa yourself, read Molly Freedenberg's excellent first-person account from three years ago here.

Poster art by Dominic Tinio.