The greener festival guide

The festival season is upon us and this year Oxfam is campaigning about climate change. Gareth Jones gives his tips on how to be a greener festival goer.

Keep your festival green by taking your rubbish home to recycle. Using recycled loo roll will help save a few trees. Sign Oxfam's petition on climate change.

This year I’m trying to live on a reduced carbon diet by following ten, self-designed green festival tips, and do my part to Stop Climate Chaos.

1.Munchies
Buy local, eat seasonal – try out the local food stalls instead of market boys selling £5 burgers. The same rule applies if ‘self-catering’, but remember to pack your plastic plates – and take them home with you afterwards. And is that a bottle of Evian in your hand? Tut tut.
WHY? Local food = less transportation ‘food miles’ = lower air pollution = less packaging.

2.Moonshine
You probably won’t find any in your local off-license, but the principal is the same – brew your own or buy local stuff! Beer and wine-making kits can be found through GoodSearch.com.
WHY? Local brew = less transportation ‘food miles’ = lower air pollution.

3.Suit up, be a ‘Chazzer’
Festivals are great places to try new things. But why buy ‘new’? Just buy again. The Community Channel runs an odd programme in the early hours called ‘Charity Chic’ which gives the low-down on buying charity shop clothes to a growing group of ‘Chazzers’ (charity-shoppers).
WHY? Less consumption = minimise production = lower industrial pollution.

4.I’m a fire starter!
Leave no trace. Leave nothing but footprints. If, like me, you need fire be sociable and gather round someone else’s. And remember – don’t be an idiot and burn your tent after the festival is over.
WHY? Share fire = new mates = lower air pollution.

5.Gadget addiction?
Feeling frivolous? Plenty of gadgets are available to charge your mobile or mp3 using solar power.
WHY? Solar power generation = low carbon power generation.

6.Use public transport
I hate public transport but I could only get coach tickets to Glastonbury this year. But travelling this way helps cut emissions, so it’s definitely the way forward.
WHY? Fewer vehicles on the road = lower air pollution.

7.Wiping your…
Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis is giving out free Nouvelle recycled toilet roll to everyone this year. Follow his lead and save the trees.
WHY? Recycled loo roll = fewer trees cut down.

8.Be clean and green
Use biodegradable soap for washing – it’s available from most camping stores and won’t destroy the countryside.
WHY? Lower chemical pollution = healthier countryside.

9.Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Don’t burn plastic – recycle it. If you can’t recycle it take it home and shout at the organisers to get the recycling situation sorted out for the future.
WHY? Less waste = less landfill. Recycling = less production.

10.And finally…
It won’t really reduce your footprint, but what they hell, it will help those worst affected by climate change. Wake up with a good cup of Fair Trade coffee or tea. Hmmm maybe that fire will still be hot.
WHY? Better health, better climate, better planet, better wallet.

Oh, and sign the Oxfam petition on climate change, too!