blog
sustainable dance
By: Erin Skiff
Sustainability efforts are not being made anywhere to an extreme. When looking at the arts, in particular, there are few organizations focused on a carbon-neutral or carbon-negative plan for their operations. Huge festivals, concerts, and performances need to be refocused on sustainability. This means using compostable containers, renewable energy, plant-based food options, and energy cutting techniques. Many organizations practice a portion of these ideas but there are not many who choose to operate solely on this platform.
We can’t continue to ignore the effects of climate change on the planet, human lives, and all life on Earth. Choosing a carbon negative footprint is a huge step, but it’s one that must be taken.
Most of the time when you go to a festival, concert, or theater performance food and drink are sold in plastic containers. The amount of debris leftover from this trash can be astronomical depending on the scale of the performance. When you go to these same performances probably not much thought is given to the amount of energy it takes to put them on. Sound, lights, bathrooms, food production, and transportation used to get there are just some of the factors that contribute to major energy use.
Some of the largest festivals in the world can use the same amount of energy as a small city would in a day. These festivals can create a few tons of trash. It is obvious that sustainability is needed in these sectors to an extreme. There are many ways to cut back on waste and energy usage. Some art installations can actually act as renewable energy agents themselves such as windmills, solar panels, or even drawing from geothermal energy.
© 2021 Erin Skiff
