DIY Friday: Burning Man
When you think of Burning Man, a six-day festival held in the middle of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, you think of eccentric art—sculptures, paintings, artistic contraptions of all kind. Burning Man hits the limits of self-expression. Even more amazing, though, is Burning Man’s commitment to self-reliance. As one essayist puts it:
You’re here to survive. What happens to your brain and body when exposed to 107 degree heat, moisture wicking off your body and dehydrating you within minutes? You know and watch yourself. You drink water constantly and piss clear. You’ll want to reconsider drinking that alcohol (or taking those other substances) you brought with you — the mind-altering experience of Burning Man is its own drug. You slather yourself in sunblock before the sun’s rays turn up full blast. You bring enough food, water, and shelter because the elements of the new planet are harsh, and you will find no vending.
You’re here to create. Since nobody at Burning Man is a spectator, you’re here to build your own new world. You’ve built an egg for shelter, a suit made of light sticks, a car that looks like a shark’s fin. You’ve covered yourself in silver, you’re wearing a straw hat and a string of pearls, or maybe a skirt for the first time. You’re broadcasting Radio Free Burning Man — or another radio station.
But when 50,000 people descend onto a spot in the desert, they need energy — no matter how environmentally-conscious they may be. Enter solar power — there is plenty of that in the desert.
These folks may not be rocket scientists, but they sure have engineering prowess. While some shows, like the Control Burn fire act, use 650 gallons of fuel a night, there is some carbon-free entertainment out there. More demonstrated free energy, thanks to a trebuchet:
This year’s event was held August 27th through September 3rd, drawing almost 50,000 people around the theme “Green Man” (environment). Responding to this inspiration, Cooling Man is a project aiming to make “Black Rock City” carbon-neutral through carbon-offset purchases and energy reduction. For just a six-day event, it is pretty fascinating how much of a civilization is created.
Next year we will look into what sort of sat-coms they have — no landlines available in Black Rock City, I imagine.
